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How can you empower workers with the digital skills they need for tomorrow? As part of the FutureFit programme, led by Nesta and supported by Google.org, a group of butchers and construction workers in the Netherlands will be trained on basic digital skills. This is organised by FNV, a federation of trade unions in the Netherlands, together with SBI Formaat. Researchers from Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��’s Future of Work Hub will study the participants to understand what works best. 

The project uses innovative training interventions with a focus on adult learning, upskilling and reskilling. Participants are selected by FNV. Researchers from Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� will join Nesta in conducting interviews with the participants, to evaluate the impact of the training on their lives. The project starts at the end of September. 

Ready for tomorrow's labour market

The aims of FutureFit are to help workers in creating a digital mindset, to make them feel more confident about their skills and to see how employees are developing in the labour market, after completing this training. The programme is focused on improving outcomes for workers with union representation who are vulnerable on the labour market, because of possible job displacement or change in their role; and people whose uptake of training is usually low and who experience challenges in using digital tools to better their lives. 

Utrecht’s interdisciplinary research into the future of Work

Programme leader on behalf of Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� will be sociologist Thomas Martens, who is also manager of the Future of Work hub at the university. “We study the consequences of ongoing innovation for individuals’ working lives from various disciplines. I am very curious to find out to what extent people who are struggling with the digital world, can be trained on digital skills and what effect this will have on their job and career perspective.” 
 

I am curious to find out what effect this will have on people's job and career perspective.” 

Utrecht will have one postdoctoral researcher, dr. Sergio Lo Iacono, working on FutureFit, who will be assisted by Professors Tanja van der Lippe (Sociology) and Professor Joop Schippers (Labour Economics), and supported by other senior researchers and research assistants connected to Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��. The team is eager to help answer some of Nesta’s central questions in the project: What workers are willing to participate in training? Who will complete such a training and who drops out? And what are the effects of a training like this on employee performance in the long run? Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� can be of particular value in the analysis of the data that FNV and Nesta are collecting in the project. 

Collaboration with FNV and Nesta

FutureFit is being delivered across five different European countries. In the Netherlands workers are invited and recruited by FNV, a federation of trade unions, and also a partner of Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��’s Future of Work hub. 

Wilma Daams - van Geijn, union manager at FNV strongly believes in the project. "We have chosen to first invite employees from the butcher industry and from the construction sector. The Nesta project makes it possible to measure results and to conduct research. If the results are positive, we will also continue to offer this course in other sectors. Within this training course, employees can acquire and practice basic digital skills, at entry level. The course helps participants with looking up information online, with using the Dutch government identification system DigiD, using social media and sending email .I think this training makes employees more self-confident and it helps them to feel more at home in the digital society. In addition, it will help people to develop their career and to assert themselves a spot on the job market."

I think this training makes employees more self-confident and it helps them to feel more at home in the digital society.

The employers organisations within the butcher companies and meat processing industry in the Netherlands have a training fund that makes it possible to follow the course during working hours. I would also like to thank the trade association Koninklijke Nederlandse Slagers for their positive contribution in the preparations of this training. They also see the societal value of people developing their digital skills." FNV and training company SBI Formaat, a partner of Nesta’s Future Fit programme have together designed the courses that are offered in the Netherlands.

Nesta and Google.org

is a global innovation foundation based in The UK, that helps people and organisations bring bold ideas to life by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills. is a major training and research project led by Nesta and supported by , focused on creating an effective adult learning system to help tackle inequality and social exclusion. In partnership with some of Europe’s largest unions, leading researchers, employers and adult learning experts, FutureFit is upskilling over 1,000 workers and conducting a large evaluation about what works, so that solutions can be scaled.

Whilst COVID-19 is impacting workers and businesses on a huge scale, we believe this to be a crucial time to harness new forms of learning.

“Whilst COVID-19 is impacting workers and businesses on a huge scale, we believe this to be a crucial time to harness new forms of learning for millions of people who can or need to learn new skills to cope with the disruption. This is an exciting opportunity to promote innovation in competence building initiatives, and ultimately to inspire governments, unions and educators across Europe to foster a culture of lifelong learning for all.", said , Senior Programme Manager at Nesta.

Results from the Netherlands

For the Dutch part of the FutureFit research, Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� will monitor and evaluate the programme in the Netherlands and produce a final report of their findings. The project starts this fall. The first results are expected in March and definitive results in June 2021.