01
Be seen in context
Meet recruiters and company representatives through guided, practical interaction.
Your career didn't disappear.Let's make it visible again.
Show how you think, communicate and solve problems in front of recruiters and companies with real vacancies and traineeships.
Apply before September 30
Three practical labs. Real employers. Real vacancies and traineeships.
Starting October 27
Helmond
Why this lab exists
A CV cannot carry your whole story.
You may have years of experience, valuable skills and the motivation to build your future in the Netherlands. But when you enter a new labour market, it can be difficult for employers to understand the full value of what you bring.
Your previous job title may be unfamiliar. Your qualifications may need context. You may still be developing your Dutch and building a local professional network. None of this means that you are less capable. It means that your experience needs more space to be understood.
The talent is already here. We're making sure it doesn't stay invisible.
Skills Bridge Lab creates a different starting point: a practical opportunity to show how you work, meet employers in person and make the connection between your experience and their needs clearer.
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What is Skills Bridge Lab?
A practical space where talent and employers meet.
Skills Bridge Lab is a small pilot that brings international professionals, recruiters and local companies together.
Through guided activities, practical challenges and meaningful conversations, you can make your strengths visible and build professional connections in a more complete first meeting.
The lab is built around practical challenges with companies that have open vacancies and traineeships, and are ready to explore a match. A job or traineeship cannot be promised, but the opportunity is real.
02
Show your talent
Demonstrate how you communicate, collaborate, solve problems and take initiative.
03
Leave with clarity
Receive feedback that helps you understand your strengths and next professional step.
About Driessen Groep
Driessen Groep helps make work more meaningful.
Over more than 30 years, Driessen Groep has grown from a company with three employees into a family of companies and social initiatives, now bringing together more than 750 colleagues. What began as a small organisation has grown into a diverse group united by a shared commitment to making work better for people.
Together, the companies support HR professionals, directors and leaders of purpose-driven organisations with challenges in HR and employership.
For more than three decades, Driessen Groep has believed in work happiness, not as a trend, but as a principle deeply rooted in the way it works.
The group creates working environments where people can experience work happiness themselves, allowing that positive energy to benefit the organisations and people its companies support.
More about Driessen GroepWhat you will experience
Three sessionsto make your nextstep clearer.
Across three practical sessions, you test your skills in context, receive feedback and have more informed conversations with employers.
01
27 October - 10:30-13:00Make your skills visible
Recognise your transferable skills and find clear language for the value you bring.
02
3 November - 10:30-13:00Work with others
Take part in a practical group challenge where communication, teamwork and initiative can be seen.
03
10 November - 10:30-13:00Show how you approach work
Respond to a company inspired challenge and receive structured feedback from recruiters and employers.
Eligibility
Is this for you?
We are looking for international professionals who are actively building their career in the Netherlands, and want to explore opportunities that connect with the skills companies need now.
Brabant based
You live in Brabant.
And you are ready to explore your next professional step.
Dutch level
Dutch at A2 to B1 is a good starting point.
Fluency in Dutch is a real advantage and can open access to more roles. For this pilot, you do not need to be fluent yet. You should be willing to keep improving and comfortable communicating in English.
Who can apply
You live in Brabant.
You are ready for a better match.
Unemployed, working below your skills, or in a field that does not match your background.
You can attend all three Tuesday labs in Helmond.
What employers value
More than a diploma or job title.
Employers value people who can think critically, communicate clearly, take ownership and work well with others.
What matters is your professional foundation, willingness to learn, ability to adapt and confidence to show what you bring.
Commitment
Attend the three sessions and make a 30 euro contribution.
Selected participants make a small contribution as a shared commitment to arrive prepared and take part fully.
Lab rhythm
Three Tuesdays in Helmond.
Practical challenges, guided conversations and recruiters in the room.
Backgrounds that fit
01
People and HR
Recruitment, talent sourcing, employee support, workforce planning or client advice.
02
Digital and Technology
Software, systems, data, testing, cloud solutions or digital improvement.
03
Project, Process and Business Support
Planning, operations, coordination, process improvement, customer support or administration.
Timeline
From open call to first lab.
A short selection route before the program begins in Helmond on October 27.
1
September 11
Open call
Applications open.
2
September 30
Applications close
Last day to apply.
3
October 5-9
Interviews
Short intake conversations.
4
October 16
Final selection
Selected participants confirmed.
5
October 27
Program starts
First Tuesday lab in Helmond.
FAQ
Questions before you apply.
Ready to apply?
Let people see what you bring.
Take a more active first step towards your next work or traineeship opportunity in Brabant.