Naarjobs.be shows you the way to accessible jobs

Accessibility and proximity as a starting point

Traditional vacancy databases and platforms focus strongly on the specifications that a job seeker needs to perform a job. Think of professional competencies, the right diploma or the number of years of experience that someone has. Whether a suitable candidate gets to that job smoothly and safely often remains underexposed. This is why people sometimes ignore job opportunities, simply because they do not have enough transport options or are not sufficiently familiar with the existing options.

The online vacancy platform naarjobs.be, which Nazka Mapps developed in collaboration with Mobiel 21 and representatives from the employment sector, is changing that. Naarjobs.be literally puts vacancies on the map and shows job seekers the way to jobs in their area. Accessibility and proximity are the starting point of the interactive map. Each vacancy automatically shows how you can reach the place of employment, even if you do not have your own car. With the help of the search function, job seekers can search from their home address, explore a municipality or even filter vacancies based on travel distance and travel time.

An extra aid in the job coach's toolbox

Naarjobs.be was initially developed for job coaches and employment agencies. For them, the platform is a useful tool to guide people to a job more easily. A survey among VDAB job coaches shows that mobility is one of the most important bottlenecks in helping people find a job. “We not only inform job coaches about the mobility barriers for job seekers, but also teach them how to use the platform smartly in combination with other tools to help people find their way on the labour market and guide them to the right job,” adds Sanne Vanderstraeten, project employee at Mobiel 21.

Profit for employers

But the platform also offers opportunities for employers. They can use it to highlight their mobility options. In this way, job seekers can see all the mobility benefits of the company or organisation they are applying to at a glance: from bicycle leasing and bicycle allowances to bus passes and carpool systems. That is a win-win: while employers draw attention to the services they offer for smoother commuting, job seekers can immediately see how to get there.

Sustainable commuting

Furthermore, the platform wants to encourage employees to travel to work in a sustainable way. A survey by the FPS Mobility and Transport shows that more than half of the employees who live less than 15 kilometres from their workplace still choose to commute by car. “Now that the European Mobility Week, which runs from 16 to 22 September, is just around the corner, we want to point out that many commuting movements can be made more sustainable,” says Sanne. “Naarjobs.be makes it easier for people to discover and compare the sustainable travel options from their home to their work.”

Vacancies throughout Flanders

Naarjobs.be is part of the "Shift Your Mobility" initiative of the FPS Mobility and Transport. The platform's design was first tested for the Port of Antwerp in 2018 and then rolled out further in West Flanders. Now the interactive map is being expanded with extra functionalities and with extra vacancies spread across Flanders.

In addition to VDAB, naarjobs.be is also supported by POM West Flanders, POM Limburg, ABVV West Flanders, ACV West Flanders, Economic House Ostend, City of Antwerp, City of Bruges, City of Ghent and Travi. "By taking mobility and accessibility as a starting point, naarjobs.be is a real mind switch for the labour market," concludes Bram Bruggeman of POM West Flanders. You can reach the platform via naarjobs.be.

[Pers release together with Mobiel21 - Leuven - 13 september 2024]