APG stands for a society in which your background does not determine your future. As a partner of JINC, APG therefore invests in the talent development of children in South Limburg. This collaboration will be extended to Amsterdam, where employees will volunteer for the various projects of the non-profit organization. Annette Mosman, CEO APG, signed a new collaboration agreement for this. “Young people are the future, so if we can make a difference for a number of young people, we have made the world a little more beautiful.”
JINC is fighting for a Netherlands where the zip code is no longer a predictor of success on the labor market. The non-profit organization speaks of hundreds of thousands of Dutch children who grow up in an environment with a lot of unemployment and few role models. With the new cooperation agreement, APG is now also giving concrete form to social involvement in the Amsterdam region and helps to give children a good start in the labor market. For APG, the expansion is a very logical step. Annette Mosman: “I learned from home that you have to be there for your neighbors and people in your area. APG's roots are in Amsterdam and Heerlen, which is why I think it's so cool that, in addition to all the great things we already do as an organisation, we also want to make an impact in our immediate environment."
Boss of tomorrow
APG employees who work at the Heerlen office have been working on various projects on a voluntary basis in the South Limburg region since 2019. During the Lightning Internship, pupils from primary school, pre-vocational secondary education and practical education visit a number of departments of the organization. During the job application training courses, APG employees teach young people how to prepare for a job interview. And on the day of the Boss of Tomorrow, a student may take the place of a manager. In this context, APG received fifteen-year-old Danique from Kerkrade this week.
Hidden Qualities
Mosman notes that the collaboration with JINC cuts both ways. By dedicating itself to JINC, APG also invests in the talent development of its own employees. Mosman: “For example, they learn how to get young people on board with simple language, humor and the ability to put things into perspective. In addition, employees learn about society, about young people, but also about themselves. Because anyone who starts working as a trainer or coach often comes across all kinds of hidden qualities.”
Make a difference
The collaboration is also in line with APG as a pension provider. “We work with pride and conviction for the 4.6 million participants of our funds. We want to make a difference for these participants by ensuring a good pension and by making our contribution to a liveable world. Our pension system contributes to reducing income inequality. So making a contribution to reducing social inequality suits us very well.”
In addition, the extension of the contract fits in with APG's sustainability ambition. Local social involvement is one of the four topics that the organization focuses on. Mosman: “We want to support a liveable, vital and inclusive society with a sponsor budget and the voluntary commitment of employees. JINC's activities fit in well with this.” At the forefront, however, are the more than 65,000 primary and pre-vocational secondary education students who are given the opportunity to grow through the efforts of companies. As a result, they discover which professions exist, which activities belong to them and what they like and dislike. “And that's important,” adds Angelique Middeldorp of JINC. “Children have to choose where to go at a young age, and many of them barely know what's for sale in the labor market.”