Eurociett Stakeholders Conference

On 23 June, Eurociett held its bi-annual European stakeholders conference entitled “EU2020 From Strategy into Action: How the Agency Work Industry can get More People Back to Work”. The event will take place at the Residence Palace in Brussels.

This event brought together attendees including EU decision-makers, NGOs, labour organisations, and journalists. The objective was to discuss the contribution that private employment agencies can make to a better functioning EU labour market.

In this context, key issues such as job creation, flexible yet secure work and social inclusion were raised during 2 panel discussions. The high-level speakers were drawn from EU Institutions, Business Community and Civil Society.

The programme is as follows:

8:30-9:00: WELCOME, REGISTRATION & COFFEE

9:00-9:30: INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFERENCE

Annemarie Muntz | President | Eurociett

9:30-11:00: First Panel discussion - “How to ensure a more inclusive labour market?”

Europe 2020 puts forward as one of three priorities “Inclusive Growth: Fostering a high employment economy delivering social and territorial cohesion”. What can be the role of agency work to increase labour market participation as well as to facilitate the entry of the most disadvantaged workers in the labour market (especially young people)?

Is agency work a trap for poverty and social exclusion or does it represent a stepping stone to the labour market and facilitate upward mobility? How to develop partnerships between labour market institutions to improve the match between supply and demand of work? What could be the contribution of agency work to the Flagship initiative “An agenda for new skills and jobs?”

Setting the scene: Göran Hultin | Caden Corporation S.A.

Csaba Öry | MEP | Member of the EP Employment Committee

Steven D’Haeseleer | Director Social Affairs | BusinessEurope

Giuseppe Porcaro | Secretary General | The European Youth Forum

Wallis Goelen | Head of Unit Employment Services | DG Employment

Kevin Green | CEO | UK Recruitment and Employment Confederation

11:00-11:30: Coffee Break

11:30-12:45: Second panel discussion - “How to secure the right balance between flexibility and security in the labour market?”

The need to balance flexibility and security in the labour market remains a priority of Europe 2020 Strategy: “Implementing flexicurity principles and enabling people to acquire new skills to adapt to new conditions and potential career shifts will be key”.

Training, life-long learning, portability of rights, flexible and reliable contractual arrangements, effective active labour market policies and modern social security systems providing adequate income support during transitions are all key issues to be tackled in order to modernise the European labour market

How can the Agency work industry contribute to address these challenges? To what extent temporary work agencies can be seen as “transitions brokers” in the labour market? What should be the role of social partners to define the right level of flexibility and security?