On 18 September 2025, a dynamic hybrid symposium successfully brought together over 90 participants - including European policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and experts - to explore strategies for closing the labour market gap and fostering inclusion for vulnerable groups across Europe. Held as part of the EU Horizon Еurope Synclusive project, the event facilitated rich discussions, hands-on workshops, and cross-European knowledge exchange.

The Synclusive project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated, interdisciplinary systems approach to support the inflow, retention, and career development of vulnerable populations in the labour market. This symposium served as a key milestone in that effort.

The symposium opened with a keynote lecture by Agnès Parent-Thirion, Senior Research Manager at Eurofound and a leading expert on job quality and working conditions. In her presentation, titled “Job Quality of Vulnerable Groups: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Employment?”, she explored the structural factors influencing the employment prospects of marginalized populations and emphasized the importance of sustainable job quality for long-term inclusion. The case study of Amersfoort was also presented in-depth.

Following that, participants engaged in one of three parallel online workshops, each focused on sharing best practices and actionable insights drawn from across Europe, including the Synclusive living labs in Netherlands, Finland, Bulgaria, and Portugal.

“Building Strong Local Coalitions” workshop examined how local governments, NGOs, employers, and community organisations have successfully collaborated to implement inclusive labour market strategies at the regional level.

“Developing and Testing Labour Market Interventions” discussed innovative labour market interventions that had been piloted and tested — highlighting key successes, challenges, and lessons learned for future implementation.

“Barriers and Drivers for People Aged 50+” provided new insights into the drivers and barriers affecting labour market participation among vulnerable individuals aged 50 and above, with a focus on tailored strategies to improve engagement and retention.

With over 30 participants on-site and more than 60 attending online, the symposium fostered a collaborative environment where participants exchanged practical tools, shared local experiences, and built connections across borders. The event highlighted the importance of a system-level, inclusive approach to employment and strengthened the European community working toward fairer and more sustainable labour markets.

The symposium was wrapped up by Irma … with EC’s DG Employment, who shared her impressions how Synclusive contributes to the Commission’s current initiatives, including the forthcoming first Anti-Poverty Strategy. She emphasized the importance of tailored approach, of sustainable funding and of success stories, among other factors.

The symposium marked an important step forward in driving inclusive employment strategies and reinforcing European collaboration for systemic change.

For more information about Synclusive and its upcoming activities, visit https://synclusiveproject.eu and follow us on LinkedIn and X.