Pushing the right

BUTTON

Towards tailored policy measures to attract and retain highly educated

workers Frans de Man, Project Manager

Arnoud Lagendijk, Project Leader

BUTTON policy aims

The attraction and retention of qualified 'human capital' in the region along four lines

• retain (under)graduates from local educational institutions by active labour market and housing & amenities policies (amongst others)

• attract graduates from elsewhere a.o. by the facilitation of (long-distance) commuting, supported by place-marketing

• encourage re-migration of local citizens who moved out to study and work elsewhere.

• attract of undergraduates by the establishment of graduate education institutions (like outposts from established university course) 

BUTTON project objectives

• Specify the 'brain flow' problem and its regional manifestations• Explore policy options• Develop regional policy strategies and approaches tailored to

the Button regions• Reach out to regional stakeholders to share views on problems

and solutions• Provide practical policy tools with (on-line) accessibility.

BUTTON steps

• Review of attraction and retention– concept and factors of attractiveness, drawing on the baseline project– regional analysis and factsheets (partner regions)– debating regional problems and policy scope with stakeholders

• Policy review– policy inventory, drivers and impact (general evidence)– knowledge exchange through International Network of Expertise 

• Policy development and integration – policy development and integration (partner regions)– consultation with regional stakeholders (regional CoPs)– drafting and discussion of regional strategies

• Toolkit online

BUTTON platforms

BUTTON team

Institute Staff Core Tasks

RU, Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)

Arnoud Lagendijk, Frans de Man

Coordination and communication

UT, University of Twente (NL)

Frans Coenen Regional analysis and factsheets

IAT, Institute Work & Technology (DE)

Dieter Rehfeld. Alexandra DavidSaskia Dankwart

Policy development and integration

NASURSA (ES) Marifé Zudaire Policy review

REGIO BASILIENSIS/ BakBASEL (CH)

Urs MüllerAndrea Wagner

Regional factsheets

ENRI, Eastern Norway Research Institute (NO)

Atle Hauge, Asgeir Skaalholt 

Policy Toolkit

BUTTON results

• Problem awareness and understanding amongst regional stakeholders.

• In-depth knowledge of policy approaches and measures and their basic 'working conditions‘

• Creation of evidence-based regional policy approaches and strategies

• Improved approaches to policy integration and instrumentalisation, resulting in modernisation of policy-making

• A sustainable (after-project) learning environment for reviewing and developing policy approaches and measures