Diversity and Inclusion
It makes us better.
When people from different backgrounds, different cultures, with different beliefs and ideas, work together, we not only become more successful, but also more innovative and creative. We are convinced of that.
Active diversity policy
We have long been a champion of greater diversity and inclusion. We have an active diversity policy and the aim is to achieve a balanced and diverse composition of our staff at all levels. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is convinced that this is necessary to attract the best people. Diversity contributes to the quality of our people, better decision-making and to greater agility and innovation. Therefore, we work to create a safe and open culture where everyone can voice their opinions and have the opportunity to develop their talent.
We try to increase our diversity with each recruitment. This is how we work towards gender balance in the workplace and in management positions. We are also trying to attract more and more people with a distance to the labour market, with disabilities, from different cultural backgrounds, people from various age groups and people from the LGBTQI+ group. Social return is included in certain tenders for support services, such as administrative and facility services. And every year, we make room for at least fifty interns and six to eight trainees every two years. Five places are structurally reserved for people with a distance to the labour market. There are also occasional apprenticeships and sheltered workshops, for example for refugees or people who have been ill for a long time.
Inclusive port
We embrace the differences between people. Not only within our own organisation but also at the port. We have incorporated this in our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) statement. Part of this is our commitment to and involvement in people and work. We are investing in an inclusive port where people can develop their talents and where everyone is welcome. This way, we try to create a good working environment for everyone. We want to encourage employees, employers, pupils/students and people without jobs to work in and around the port of Rotterdam. We do this by promoting the port, promoting labour mobility and creating port experience places and helping people finding (future) jobs, among other things.
What’s important is that people keep their jobs or find jobs through retraining and updating their skills. We have also entered into apprenticeship agreements with partners through which we create 250 career start guarantees and 200 entry-level jobs for Rotterdam residents on welfare benefits. Furthermore, we invest in apprenticeships such as the training plant at RDM that hundreds of students make use of every year. This allows many people to find jobs in the port every year. We try to help people with a distance to the labour market find jobs in the same way. By investing in social return, the Port of Rotterdam Authority contributes to an economically and socially healthy port and city.
Partnerships
We work together with various partners in the Rotterdam region, which gives us access to a broad network and a knowledge platform on which relevant knowledge and experience is shared in the field of diversity and inclusion. An increasing number of Rotterdam businesses are stressing the usefulness and necessity of diversity and inclusion: cooperation is key in this. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is happy to contribute to this.
Diversity Charter
Port of Rotterdam Authority has joined the Charter Diversity in Business (Charter Diversiteit in Bedrijf). By doing so, the Port Authority indicates that it considers diversity and inclusion important and wants to take steps to improve it in the company. To this end, a programme was set up, built on five pillars: commitment, empowerment, communication, recruitment, measurement = knowledge. Activities are being developed in each of these pillars to increase diversity and inclusion on five dimensions: work ability, cultural diversity, gender, age and LHBTI+.
Knowledge network 010 Inclusief
The Port Authority has become a proud partner of 010 Inclusief. With this affiliation, we are also participants in the (inter)national and the Rotterdam knowledge network to which several employers are affiliated who strengthen diversity and inclusion within their own companies and encourage others to do the same. Two years ago, we joined the Alliance on Cultural Diversity at the Top (Alliantie Culturele Diversiteit in de Top), highlighting the importance of having more executives with a migration background.
JINC, opportunities for all children
JINC fights for a society where every child has opportunities. Every year, JINC helps some 65,000 children aged 8-16 get a good start in the labour market. Every year, dozens of Port Authority employees voluntarily provide job interview training and flash internships for schoolchildren in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in and around Rotterdam.
Hallo Werk reduces distance to the labour market
We are involved in further developing the Hallo Werk platform that directly connects jobseekers with a distance to the labour market and employers. The Hallo Werk platform started in 2020 and now nearly 10,000 people are registered on the platform. More than 500 matches have been made.
Furthermore, we contribute to social initiatives such as benefits for kids and Rotterdammers 4 Rotterdammers.