On 24–25 June 2026, Network4Work partners gathered in Varberg, Sweden, for the second transnational meeting of the project. Hosted by the Municipality of Varberg, the event marked another important milestone in the network's "Understand" phase, bringing together representatives from all partner organisations to continue the transfer journey of Nyíregyháza's Employment Forum Good Practice.
The meeting centred on a simple but fundamental question: How can cities better understand the needs of the people and organisations they aim to support?
Throughout the two-day programme, partners reflected on the findings of the city visits carried out earlier this year by the Lead Expert and the Project Coordinator. These visits formed the basis of the project's Transferability Study and highlighted an important lesson: effective local employment policies must be built on a thorough understanding of stakeholder needs, expectations and local realities. This requires collecting not only quantitative ("hard") data, but also qualitative ("soft") insights gathered through dialogue and active engagement.
Although the seven partner cities differ in size, economic structure and labour market conditions, the discussions revealed many common challenges. Skills mismatches, labour shortages and the continued outflow of talented people emerged as recurring issues across the partnership. Participants agreed that successful local implementation should deliver genuine value to stakeholders and that understanding their perspectives begins by engaging with them directly rather than expecting them to come forward on their own.
Beyond the thematic discussions, partners reviewed the progress of their URBACT Local Groups, exchanged experiences from local activities and discussed the next steps of the project, including communication, dissemination and overall network management.
A highlight of the meeting was the study visit to Derome, one of Sweden's leading timber construction companies and a major regional employer with around 2,500 employees. Participants explored how the company combines innovation, AI-supported building processes and sustainable construction while maintaining a strong commitment to environmental responsibility by planting at least two new trees for every tree harvested.
The visit also showcased Derome's close cooperation with Campus Varberg, a municipal higher education institution. Their long-term partnership demonstrates how education providers and employers can work together to align skills development with labour market needs, creating benefits for students, businesses and the wider community.
For the Network4Work partnership, the Varberg meeting reinforced a central message of the project: effective employment governance is built on cooperation, mutual trust and a genuine understanding of local needs. The insights gained during the meeting will now support partners as they continue adapting Nyíregyháza's Employment Forum model to their own local contexts.
The Network4Work partnership extends its sincere thanks to the Municipality of Varberg for hosting an inspiring and well-organised meeting. Special appreciation goes to Gerda Jalmarsson and Sandra Kellander Löwenadler, whose dedication, professionalism and warm hospitality greatly contributed to the success of the event.
