In-depth
6
minutes reading time
Work in progress - Brainport for Each Other
Photography by: Bram Saeys
The Brainport region is developing at lightning speed. This creates opportunities, but also challenges. At Brainport Development, we work every day to advance our region economically. Since 1 July 2024, a social branch has been added with the founding of the association Brainport for Each Other. In this section, employees talk about how they contribute to this.In this episode: Iris Gerards-Bex, project leader at Brainport for Each Other.
'After years of working in the commercial sector, I wanted to be even more meaningful. I quit my job and started working as a project leader at Brainport for Each Other. Here I can definitely make an impact. At Brainport for Each Other, we implement the social agenda of the Brainport region. We want everyone to be able to benefit from the economic growth of this region. To achieve this, we need each other: governments, social organisations, educational institutions and the business community.
We are increasingly working towards this multi-helix approach. This is important because it is not only municipalities and social organisations that are responsible for social issues. The business community is too. Fortunately, there are already many (family) businesses that see it as self-evident that they also fulfil a social role. But there are also those that we still need to make aware of this. Moreover, there is even more room for collaboration. We encourage this as Brainport for Each Other.
As a project leader, I am involved in the basic skills pillar, which covers subjects such as writing, reading and digital skills. Not having these basic skills can have major consequences, such as financial problems. Together with partners in the region, we are trying to increase the importance of these skills among employers and encourage them to pay attention to them by developing employees or helping them with challenges. This is also part of being an attractive employer. What's more, someone may not need these skills directly in the workplace, but they can lead to problems at home. People often take these challenges with them to work.
One of the basic skills is also the ability to speak Dutch. With more and more international residents, more attention needs to be paid to learning Dutch. Employers can also do more here. English as a functional language is of course fine, but to ‘land’ socially, Dutch is really necessary. In addition to promoting language courses, we also work with language buddies at work: colleagues who are proficient in the language and who practise Dutch with less proficient colleagues. This project demonstrates the importance of working together, of being a buddy and of social cohesion. After all, we need language to understand each other and to connect with each other.
As Brainport Voor Elkaar, we therefore focus on the power of cooperation. That is why we are also an association, with 74 members to date. These members – companies, municipalities, social organisations and educational institutions – all want to contribute to the general welfare of the region. For, by and with each other. I hope they inspire others. The ultimate goal is that we as Brainport Voor Elkaar are no longer needed, because then working together on social issues will be so natural.'
