Digital job coach helps train more technical professionals
The AMP is more than just a digital tool. It functions as a digital job coach for people who want to take their first step into the technical sector. They receive tailored guidance toward a job in the energy transition. The initiative was launched by Alliander in collaboration with Enexis, KPN, Stedin, TenneT, Van Gelder, and Van Voskuilen. The ambition: to match 10,000 technicians within five years.
Pattiasina: “Our goal is to create the perfect match through insight into skills. The AMP puts the candidate first and focuses on what suits their skill set.”
To achieve this, the AMP combines technology with a human touch: an advanced platform and job coaches work together to guide candidates with care.
From baker to meter installer
During the annual Make Hydrogen Work event, Pattiasina explained how skills-based matching can help people move into technical roles without relying on diploma requirements. The AMP creates a transparent ‘skills map’ that reveals overlaps between different roles. The example of a baker and a meter installer may seem surprising, but when Pattiasina explains the shared competencies, it starts to make sense.
Pattiasina: “We see that many people are willing to switch to a technical career, the so-called career changers, but the path is often complex.
They ask themselves questions like: do I need to go back to school? Do I need a network? Will I need to invest? The AMP is the starting point for making that switch. It provides targeted support for job seekers. At the same time, it opens up a new group of candidates for employers. The AMP also serves technicians who might not yet see their next career challenge. We need to keep them engaged, because we need all these professionals.”
Regional approach
The AMP is being rolled out regionally, because a good match within one’s own region is essential for sustainable career paths and to avoid mobility mismatches. “We’re currently active in the Arnhem–Nijmegen, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Groningen regions,” explains Pattiasina. “Our goal is to become active nationwide, but always with a regional approach.” That’s exactly what GroenvermogenNL’s Human Capital programme stands for: a regional approach with national coordination. GroenvermogenNL’s Human Capital Agenda works regionally because the energy transition — and in particular the development of hydrogen — requires tailor-made solutions depending on the available infrastructure, companies, and educational institutions. By strengthening regional ecosystems, education and career paths can be better aligned with local demand for hydrogen professionals. Through initiatives like Make Hydrogen Work, GroenvermogenNL promotes collaboration between governments, knowledge institutions, and companies to provide targeted training and long-term job placement.
Scientific validation
The AMP is also working on scientific validation of the effectiveness of skills-based matching. “Does our skills-based method actually help people with a distance to the labour market find jobs faster? Are vacancies being filled more quickly?” asks Pattiasina. To answer those questions, two PhD candidates at Erasmus University and Tilburg University have begun researching skills-based interventions, as part of a programme in collaboration with the Employers’ Association for Energy, Utilities and Waste Companies (WENB) and the Training and Development Fund for the Dutch Water Companies.
Visit the AMP here
Questions? Reach out to Njord Pattiasina.