As can be seen in the above figure, the project has gone through several social innovation “phases”, which were often taking place in parallel. For instance, the technical development, testing and scaled delivery of the online platform (and its underlying assessment modules and matching engine), corresponded with phases 3 (“prototyping”), 4 (“sustaining”) and 5 (“scaling”). This was not a linear process: the skills assessment, for example, progressed through these stages at a faster pace than the matching algorithm. Different levels of complexity and unforeseen hurdles account for these differences. To illustrate the latter, the matching algorithm is highly sensitive in terms of GDPR legislation: for it to mature into the scaling and systemic change phases, it has to be ensured that the resulting matches are both accurate and non-discriminatory.
Another core activity of the project, technical development aside, is its contribution to a national skills language. Most of the relevant activities take place in the systemic change phase, with matters of institutional governance and a culture shift towards the skill based economy being central to the project activities.
With the project nearing its final stages, a key research activity of Tilburg University has kicked off in April. In the beginning of the project, the university assigned KPI’s to each of the above-mentioned phases of the project. A lot of these KPI’s are related to the added value of the Passport for Work platform for job seekers, job coaches and employers and are tested during the last six months of the project.
Jobs and skills in the local economy
