Victor van der Linden, director of Job Booster Enterprises:
"I think this is the most sustainable way to bring about positive change."
Victor van der Linden is convinced that the private sector and a business approach play an important role in labour market development in low- and middle-income countries. Since early 2021, he has been managing director of Job Booster BV, a company set up by Woord en Daad to focus on developing that labour market. What does this company actually do and why? An interview with Victor van der Linden.
"In India, we have now placed hundreds of people in jobs; we are approaching a thousand. We have partnerships with over 50 companies and about the same number of training providers. Also with local organisations and schools, where we find our young people." says Victor enthusiastically.
India is one of the countries where a Job Booster Enterprises operates. Other countries include the Philippines, Chad and Burkina Faso. In Benin, the company is currently in the process of being set up.
Job Booster Netherlands BV invests in these Job Booster social enterprises ('social employment agencies'). The aim: to develop a sustainable and inclusive labour market, with an explicit focus on disadvantaged and underprivileged groups.
Can't that just be done through Woord en Daad?
"I am convinced that the private sector and a business approach can ensure sustainable results from development initiatives. That is exactly what Job Booster Enterprises focuses on. Woord en Daad is an entrepreneurial player in the landscape of development organisations, which likes to pioneer itself. This initiative takes this a step further. That's how we strengthen each other."
So how do the two support each other?
"Our approach has been developed and tested in Woord en Daad's Job Booster projects. With the social enterprises, we develop services tailored to the situation in different countries: for employers, jobseekers and for young entrepreneurs.
We also specifically target hard-to-reach groups such as young people in disadvantaged situations. For example, these first come in through one of Woord en Daad's projects, after which we can help them further. We are a company, which means young people, and companies, pay for our services. Not every underprivileged young person can afford that right away. That is precisely where the project plays an important role.
As a company, once established, remains present in the sector, we stay involved. We provide retraining, further training and refresher training as part of a long-term partnership. There are several phases in a young person's career. Some, for instance, switch between entrepreneurship and contract work. We offer guidance on their journey into subsequent phases, such as becoming an employer. For companies, we offer support in recruitment, as well as HR support and services to strengthen CSR strategies. This includes training, guidance, due diligence of partners and evaluations of initiatives of companies in these countries"
"We provide retraining, further training and refresher training as part of a long-term partnership. There are several phases in a young person's career. Some, for instance, switch between entrepreneurship and contract work. We offer guidance on their journey into subsequent phases, such as becoming an employer."
Are all the locations as successful as the one in India?
"Not yet," says Victor, with a smile. "Our social enterprises are start-ups. Using the company as a driving force, we are expanding the approach to areas where there is a huge demand for reliable job placement. Areas where young people fall prey to dishonest or even criminal brokers, for example. In Chad, things are also going well, and there we focus more on entrepreneurship. In Chad, we now have a network of hundreds of entrepreneurs we have mentored, and for whom we have arranged access to finance in some cases. Our office there is a co-working space where we offer all kinds of training. This year we are expanding to southern Chad where we offer our services to young entrepreneurs in rural areas. Especially in insecure areas in the Sahel, the challenges are great. I am therefore happy with the motivated teams in the different countries, who know exactly where the opportunities and challenges lie."
"During visits, I notice that young people, as well as companies and other organisations, see our model as innovative and also promising."
Job Booster BV is still relatively young. How do you look back on recent times?
"In a relatively short time, we have established a network of social enterprises that advocate the same approach and use it within the specific context of each individual country. We share lessons and innovate together. We also do this in countries where it is unsafe and where the economic situation leaves much to be desired, such as Burkina Faso and Chad.
During visits, I notice that young people, as well as companies and other organisations, see our model as innovative and also promising. We emphasise people's self-reliance. We are not there to hand out things or tell them what to do, but we support them in their own development process. I think this is the most sustainable way to bring about positive change. Entrepreneurship always involves personal development as well."
"I think this is the most sustainable way to bring about positive change."
Why does the Job Booster approach suit you?
"My professional interest is in using business models and business practices for development purposes. I lived and worked in Africa for over a decade.
I have also always been interested in the target groups of women and young people. With these groups, it is less obvious that they are included in the economic process in a way that also benefits them and enables them to develop themselves. In recent years, I have started to focus more on youth employment and entrepreneurship. Two topics that come together perfectly in my position as managing director of Job Booster BV."
How do you look to the future when it comes to youth employment globally and how do you see Job Booster Enterprises' role in it?
"It is undoubtedly a hot topic. This is partly driven by rapid population growth and higher levels of education in a number of countries, bringing many hundreds of thousands of young people into the labour market every year. In those countries, people have quickly realised that too many young people out of work can lead to political unrest. In the West, people have realised that migration can be stemmed if young people can find what we call 'decent work' in their own countries and shape their lives.
All those young people can use their potential to contribute to important collective issues. I am thinking, for example, of the climate issue, which is a good example of an issue where we urgently need innovation and solutions. Younger generations are increasingly in charge when it comes to these kinds of issues.
Organisations such as Job Booster Enterprises can demonstrate that the social enterprise model can help reduce youth unemployment. As we reach a larger scale, we can enter into more (international) collaborations and serve new countries.
Our plans for the future are to expand and strengthen our network of social enterprises and to further improve our services. I am focusing with our teams on increasing the impact of our products and services. We will continue to develop and refine our model. We also want to establish more collaborations with other organisations that have the same objectives as us. Think of vocational schools, recruiters and training providers. This way, we can inspire others to also contribute to development in a business-like way."
Job Booster Nederland BV was founded in 2019 by the Stichting Woord en Daad Foundation. The aim of the company is to sustainably bring together labour supply and demand in middle- and low-income countries, with an explicit focus on underprivileged and disadvantaged groups.
Job Booster Netherlands BV invests in these Job Booster social enterprises ('social employment agencies'). The aim: to develop a sustainable and inclusive labour market, with an explicit focus on disadvantaged and underprivileged groups.
As a social enterprise, Job Booster Enterprises does not focus primarily on profit, but on impact. For young people, for their families, for organisations and for society in the countries where it operates.
