WCC joins the EU Pact for Skills
Utrecht – NL, June 10, 2024. WCC is proud to announce that we have officially joined the European Commission’s Pact for Skills.
The Pact for Skills is one of the flagship actions of the European Skills Agenda and it aims to support public and private organizations with upskilling and reskilling, so they can thrive through the green and digital transitions.
The Pact for Skills encourages collaborative efforts to maximize the impact of investments in upskilling and reskilling. It urges a great variety of players at national, regional and local level to collaborate and commit to investing in training for all working-age individuals in the EU. These players include: national, regional and local authorities, businesses, social partners, chambers of commerce, education and training providers, and employment services.
Skills are vital for developing a resilient and competitive workforce, and for navigating the digital and green transitions. Both large and small businesses require skilled individuals to innovate and grow. However, the dynamic nature of the labor market can lead to skill mismatches and shortages, which can be factors that contribute to high unemployment rates. This concern is widespread among different age groups with 40% of younger employees (40 years old and under) feeling frustrated by insufficient resources and skill tools. Thus, it is necessary to provide them with the right tools and foster a sense of empowerment which leads to the development of the workforce and could create a significant potential benefit for the businesses. This is specifically true for frontline workers, we talked about it in detail here.
This is why initiatives such as the Pact for Skills are crucial.
About Software Combined
Software Combined is an international group that invests in successful B2B tech companies with a long-term vision. The company, originally Australian, was founded by three Dutch entrepreneurs (Niek Hoogenhout, Evert den Hollander, and Stefan Jansen) and manages its European operations from Amsterdam.
Software Combined's approach differs fundamentally from traditional investors. Preserving culture and autonomy is central: acquired companies retain their own brand, management team, and daily operational independence.
Software Combined acts as a strategic partner, providing resources that support sustainable growth. These resources include capital for growth, shared expertise in international expansion, refining go-to-market strategies, and professionalizing processes.
This "buy-and-hold" strategy allows companies to focus on long-term value creation without the pressure of a forced exit. Software Combined is building a community of like-minded tech companies that want to grow.
About Avedon Capital Partners
Avedon Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm with offices in Amsterdam and Düsseldorf. Avedon supports growth companies in the Benelux and DACH regions and works closely with entrepreneurial management teams to accelerate organic growth, international expansion, and buy-and-build strategies. The investments are focussed in four core sectors: business services, software & technology, smart industry, and consumer & health.
About WCC Group
Since its founding in 1996, WCC Group has been a pioneer for nearly three decades, providing intelligent workforce solutions that fundamentally transform the way organizations connect people and jobs. From its headquarters in Utrecht (Netherlands) and a strategic offce in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), WCC Group serves public employment services, staffng agencies, and large enterprises globally.
The company offers two solutions: Employment Solutions support public employment services and staffng agencies in matching candidates with jobs or training, while its HR Solutions simplify talent retention and internal talent management for large enterprises to reduce external recruitment and onboarding costs.
At the core of these solutions is the cloud-native ELISE Search & Match Platform, delivering meaningful, ranked results within a second. WCC Group's software impacts half a billion people daily and powers large-scale labor market initiatives worldwide, including MyFutureJobs in Malaysia (300,000+ job seekers, 30,000+ employers) and the recruitment activities of Robert Half in the United States, where it has established the company's reputation for innovation and effciency.