Forces affecting employment dynamics in Groningen; Case study in a lagging rural region in the Netherlands
In this report the focus is on employment dynamics in Drenthe since the beginning of the 1980s. This study is part of an EU wide research project on employment development in leading and lagging rural regions of the EU. Total employment in Drenthe increased by 24,500 jobs or with over 20% in the period 1984-1996. Nearly 40% of employment growth occurred in the community, social and personal services sector, 25% in the trade, restaurant and hotel sector, 14% in the financial services sector, 13% in the construction sector and 12% in the manufacturing sector. A substantial part of employment growth consists of part time jobs. Employment in the agricultural sector declined by over 2,000 jobs in this period. Employment development is the result of many interacting factors. As strengths have been identified the beautiful landscape, which attracts tourists, labourers, entrepreneurs and retirees, the location of the region near the city of Groningen, the strategies of policymakers to create favourable preconditions for firm settlement, like zones of economic activities, low land prices and investment subsidies. Weak points in the employment situation are the peripheral location of Drenthe relatively to main economic centres, the cautious and risk averting attitude of many entrepreneurs and the relatively thinness of the economic structure. Opportunities for further employment growth are the congestion in the Randstad, improvements in infrastructure like the doubling of the N37 and the development of tourism. Threats are competitiveness with low wage countries and changes in EU agricultural and structural policies.
Migration Intentions of Rural Youth in the Westhoek, Flanders, Belgium and the Veenkolonien, The Netherlands.
‘Should I stay or should I leave my home region?’ is one of the key life course questions that many young people must address as they grow to maturity. Social mobility increasingly presupposes geographical mobility, especially in rural areas. The consequences of the selective out-migration of socially mobile young people (‘brain drain’) are seen as a threat to the economic development and reputation of rural areas. The out-migration of young rural people is often related to participation in higher education and entrance into the labour market. This paper focuses on the migration intentions of pupils in secondary education in two peripheral rural areas: The Westhoek in Flanders, Belgium and the Veenkolonien in the Netherlands. It analyses, by means of logistic regression analysis, the migration intentions of 611 pupils in the Westhoek and 294 pupils in the Veenkolonien in relation to their social background, migration history, perceptions of employment opportunities and the way they identify with their home region. In both regions, perceived employment opportunities and local attachment appear to be the most important factors explaining migration intentions. In the Veenkolonien, in contrast with the Westhoek, migration history, educational level and representations of the region are also important factors determining the migration intentions of young people. These results can be explained by differences in the structure, culture and landscape of the two regions.
The Game Planners: Transforming Canada's Sport System.
The Game Planners studies the policy-making process in six Canadian national sports organizations, each of which deals with a different high-profile Olympic event. The authors argue that the creation of a "high-performance" sport system in Canada is due to pressure from three areas: the Canadian government, the physical education profession, and the sports community.