Shows
PESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketFrom National to Local - Finland’s TE24 ReformThe latest episode of PESPod – the podcast of the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) – focuses on Finland which has recently undergone significant structural changes.
Finland’s TE Services 2024 (TE24) reform, which came into force in January 2025, transferred responsibility for public employment services from the national level to municipalities and employment areas formed by municipalities. This new PESPod episode brings listeners inside the transition and examines what the reform means for jobseekers, employers and local authorities.
In the episode, host David Poyser speaks with two guests at the centre of the process. Tiina Korhonen, Director General of the Finnis...
2026-02-0219 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketFair recruitment of third-country nationalsThe latest episode of PESPod – the podcast of the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) – explores how Public Employment Services (PES) can promote fair and ethical recruitment of workers from outside the European Union.
With skill shortages growing across Europe and many employers turning to third-country nationals (TCNs) to fill vacancies, this episode focuses on how PES can support recruitment that is transparent, rights-based and beneficial for both workers and employers.
In this episode, host David Poyser is joined by Regina Konle-Seidl, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nuremberg, Germany, and Metka Barbo Škerbinc, Direc...
2025-11-2726 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketAI, Algorithms and Digital Trends
The latest episode of PESPod – the podcast of the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) - explores the impact and transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) on PES.
In this episode, host David Poyser is joined by two guests to discuss how PES can utilise AI to enhance service delivery, improve operational efficiency, and discuss key learnings and best practices that PES can adopt when designing and implementing AI.
Joining him is Dr Willem Pieterson, author of the recently published PES Network Report ‘Opportunities of AI within PES processes and services’ exploring how these technologies can enhance service delive...
2025-05-1520 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketRegional Work Centres: How an innovative one-stop shop approach in the Netherlands provides better outcomes for jobseeke
The latest episode of PESPod – the podcast of the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) – shines a light on the strides being made in Regional Work Centres across the Netherlands.
Maarten Camps, Chair of the Board at UWV, the Social Security and Public Employment Agency of the Netherlands, shares how these new hubs could strengthen the labour market in the Netherlands.
In the episode, Mr Camps delves into the efforts made by UWV to enhance collaboration between municipalities, private partners, and other key stakeholders in the labour market. While the country’s unemployment rate i...
2025-02-2421 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketPES Network at 10 years: reflections and looking to the future with Network Chairs past and present
The special, extended episode dedicated to the PES Network’s anniversary features insightful discussion and reflections from Network chairs, both past and present.
This wide-ranging episode marks the development of the PES Network over the last decade including highlights, key achievements, milestones and the Network’s impact within the European labour market and policy landscape.
The episode’s guests, alongside host and journalist David Poyser, are:
Frank-Jürgen Weise: First Chair of the PES Network from 2014 to 2016 and former Chairman of the Executive Board of BA, the German PES;
Fons Leroy: Former Chair of the PES Network from 2016 to 2018, and former...
2025-02-2443 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketA Lithuanian Perspective on the Future of Work
Ms Balnanosienė's journey into the realm of employment services is not just a career choice but a legacy linked to her family history. Reflecting on her roots, she fondly recalls her grandparents, whose dedication to public service instilled in her a passion for helping others and contributing to her country. As she puts it, "New challenges are a great opportunity also for me as a person to grow every day.”
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the PES Network has developed an environment for knowledge-sharing and mutual support. Ms Balnanosienė commends the willingness of colleagues to shar...
2024-05-1616 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketSkills, Innovation and Initiatives from the Greek PES with Spiros ProtopsaltisThe Greek PES Changemaker Reflects on Challenges and Opportunities in the Labour Market
The latest PESPod episode explores persistent challenges faced by PES in Europe, including skills shortages and the transformative impact of the European Year of Skills, as well as how Greece is tackling the skills challenge and fostering a fair and inclusive labour market. Spiros Protopsaltis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greek Public Employment Service (DYPA), provides insights and navigates through critical issues, offering solutions and discussing promising strategic initiatives.
Spiros Protopsaltis underscored the transformative impact of the European Year of Skills...
2024-02-0726 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketTalking Mission and Ambition with PES Network Chair Caroline MancelPESPod episode 19 shares Network plans and priorities for 2024 and beyond
The latest PESPod episode #19 features the Chair of the PES Network, Caroline Mancel, discussing her background and what hopes and ambitions she has for the Network. Mancel, who assumed the role of PES Network Chair in July 2023, while continuing her role as Deputy Director General of Brussels-based PES Actiris, provides valuable insights into her journey, challenges faced by the European labour market, and next steps on her agenda. Mancel's background in international relations as well as her passion for fostering collaboration and making tangible progress shine through as she...
2023-10-2522 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketBenchlearning - a brilliant European endeavour
Listen to the latest episode of PESPod to hear from Kristina Fleischer from the Croatian PES (HZZ) and Bernd Becking from the PES Network Secretariat in the European Commission as they share their views based on nearly 50 peer PES assessments between them in the past seven years.
Learn about how the heart of the benchlearning assessments is a PES Excellence Model comprised of 31 performance enablers that makes it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses for all PES, regardless of their size and level of maturity.
As Kristina Fleischer highlights: “Each of our employment services is good in one field… some...
2023-04-2626 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketStaff management mattersInterview with Lukasz Sienkiewicz
In the latest episode of PESPod, host David Poyser talks with Łukasz Sienkiewicz, lead author of the November 2022 PES Network survey-based report on PES staff management – challenges in the ‘new normal'.
Łukasz Sienkiewicz starts by highlighting the short-term changes caused by Covid-19 in terms of “the re allocation of staff towards the services that were needed the most”, but also the significant longer-term changes being seen in a context of “more digitalisation, of course, and automation, but moving to a blended delivery of services” which are part online and part on-site.
He identified a key trend as being...
2023-04-1319 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketPES Network responses to UkraineA story of European Solidarity
In the latest episode of PESPod, Johannes Kopf, head of the Austrian PES (AMS) and chair of the PES Network, is joined by Ewa Flaszynska, Director of labour market department at the Polish PES, to reflect on the Ukraine crisis one year on. Their discussions take us from their recollections of the breaking news of the invasion to the current phenomenon of the “waiting dilemma” facing many Ukrainian refugees.
Ewa Flaszynska recalls how, as thousands of refugees started crossing the border into Poland, they worked non-stop in the Ministry to organise emergency aid, but also...
2023-02-2428 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketUpskilling and reskillingLessons from Latvia
In the latest episode of PESPod, we talk to Evita Simsone, head of the Latvian PES (NVA), and HR expert Pārsla Baško about their recent efforts to understand and meet the needs of the future labour market in Latvia. Digital skills, graduate training and employment of recent arrivals from the conflict in Ukraine are some of the key topics discussed.
Learn about the findings of the Latvian Future of Jobs Conference 2022 on “Trends That Will Shape the Work of Tomorrow”. A key takeaway for Evita Simsone was the importance of personal autonomy. “We all must be...
2023-01-2621 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketStrength through diversityWhy a diverse workforce makes your company better
In the latest episode of PESPod hear how an employer and a PES not only share a vision of the importance of workplace diversity, but how they have worked together to put this into practice. We are delighted that for the first time since its launch, this episode of PESPod welcomes an employer as a guest.
Listen to Bjoern Storim, CEO of The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV, explain why he believes that “diverse teams are better” and how this became a key part of the bank’s vision for it...
2022-10-2724 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketBehavioural Science - a new tool for PES?How behavioural science can help PES help their clients
In episode 13 of PESPod, host David Poyser speaks to Mike Keesman from the Dutch PES (UWV) and Anne-Greet Keizer, Research Fellow at the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) on how a WRR report on behavioural science has helped to improve PES performance.
Anne-Greet Keizer explains how the WRR’s research highlighted the importance of understanding the “difference between what people are expected to do and what they are actually capable of.” This is not an issue of motivation or willingness, nor just a concern for vulnerable groups...
2022-09-2918 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketLabour shortageA Europe-wide academic expert chats with a national expert about overcoming labour shortage
In episode 12 of PESPod, host David Poyser speaks to Deputy Director Haakon Hertzberg from the Norwegian PES (NAV) about their latest practices and Tina Weber of Eurofound about their latest research in tackling labour and skills shortages – the topic of the recent PES Network Stakeholder Conference 2022.
Haakon Hertzberg tells us about the success the Norwegian PES has had working closely with young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in Norway – through both supported employment and working with partners in the mental-healthcare system. Listen out for...
2022-06-1624 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketBenchlearning assessment – Et vive Pôle emploiOne country's positive experience of bench learning assessments with the PES Network
In episode 11 of PESPod, host David Poyser speaks to three representatives from the French PES (Pole Emploi) about their valuable recent experiences of undergoing a peer assessment under the benchlearning methodology of the PES Network.
Hear Deputy Director-General, Paul Bazin, explain how “enriching” the peer assessment was overall: “At Pole Emploi performance is our daily work… to be sure that we deliver the right services to the right people at the right time.” In this context, “We welcome with great interest the advice and recommendations coming from the outside...
2022-04-2814 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketDomestic abuse - how PES can save livesHow the Swedish PES won an award for its work finding domestic abuse
How Arbetsformedlingen, the Swedish PES, trains its front-line staff to look for symptoms of domestic abuse in an online one-hour training session.
When the Swedish PES started this simple scheme to train its frontline staff to look for abuse among their job-seeking clients, they were amazed to find that their own frontline staff also came forward as victims of abuse themselves.
Article about the Award, the swedish PES won
The original Podcast of the swedish PES
Webpage of the swedish PES
Åsa F...
2022-03-3124 min
PESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketDawning of the Age of DataHow collecting data helps people to find jobs
In episode 9 of PESPod, Federico Muniz, Deputy General Director of Statistics and Information and Maria-Jose Arias, Head of Guidance and International Programmes at SEPE, the Spanish PES inspire us with the story of how they developed Send@ – their new data management system aimed at helping jobseekers to find the right jobs or training opportunities for them.
Hear the story of how Send@ emerged following a recommendation of the PES Network around three years ago and a process of “getting inspiration from different tools and situations”. Already at this relatively early stage, the sy...
2021-12-1617 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketInterview with Commissioner Nicolas SchmitOn Digitalization, a greener economy and the future after COVID
In Episode 8 of PESPod, European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit reflects on the “huge challenges” facing Europe’s labour markets, and the important roles that the PES Network and PES have to play in responding to labour market crises and managing transitions.
Commissioner Schmit shares his recollections of the unfolding drama of the Covid crisis and the EU’s efforts to find the right solutions. “The SURE measure was really put into place in a very short period. I’m very glad that we managed this. Millions of jobs could be saved.” He r...
2021-10-2817 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketThe secret of successful change managementThe Lithuanian PES becoming one
In 2010 the Lithuanian PES were 46 separate organisations, and they merged to become to 11 separate organisations. In 2018, they took a bolder step when those eleven organisations all unified to become just one body.
This wasn’t just an 'administrative change'. The number of purely admin jobs massively decreased and in just two years the Lithuanian PES achieved a remarkable increase of 30% in the number of staff who talk to clients.
Inga Balnanosiene, Head of the Lithuanian PES, talks about how this was achieved.
We would love feedback from our listeners! Let us kn...
2021-09-1612 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketHow participative management is transforming a Belgian Public Employment Service
Though Actiris is a very small PES (it is only responsible for one town - Brussels), many PES observers feel that it has made great strides forward in 'participative management' (a less hierarchical approach to management). One of the Leaders of this approach is Caroline Mancel, their interim Director General, who talks about the process of adopting participative management at in a PES in this podcast.
The book recommended by Caroline in the interview is 'Reinventing Organisations' by Frédéric Laloux (its full title is Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next St...
2021-07-0117 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketDigitalisation of the Greek PES
The PES Network has benefited from different experience all over the EU. Before returning to his native Greece, Dr. Spiros Protopsaltis spent 24 years in the US as a Professor and adviser to a US Senator working with the Obama administration before coming back to serve Greece as Head of its PES Network. Greece famously suffers from higher unemployment levels than the EU average, but when Covid hit, Spiros describes how they used the crisis to rapidly speed up digitalisation in the Greek PES rather than postpone it. The result was successful, and the Greek PES is now leading the...
2021-06-0319 min
PESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketBenchlearning is fun
The PES Network has had a very successful bench-learning programme for many years now. This episode has general lessons gained for all PES, from two experts who have travelled all over Europe listening to different PES, writing up reports on how they could benefit from the experience of other PES. The lessons learnt come not simply from discussing strategies with the Head Offices, but also from the employment counsellors working ‘at the coalface’ in the regional offices. Erik Oftedal is a sociologist giving strategic advice to the Head of the Norwegian PES. As part of his learning from the PES...
2021-05-2020 min
PESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketHow will the future work?
The strength of the PES network is the way all the different Public Employment Services can learn from each other. Luxembourg, for example, may be one of the smallest countries in the EU but many countries have learnt a lot from its “Future Skills Initiative” where the PES has worked with many employers to retrain employees for future jobs, particularly jobs resulting from digitalisation. This has not been easy as every employer has said for many years that digitalisation is changing the jobs market, but they have not been clear how this will happen. In this episode, Isabelle Schlesser, Head...
2021-05-0420 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour marketLessons from the Pandemic
There are many lessons for PES to learn from the pandemic. Digital skills have improved as PES staff across Europe learnt to work from home; the reputation of many PES has improved with jobseekers and employers; rapid coordination with governments was essential to establish crisis management, so across Europe PES can build on this. PESPod was lucky enough to be able to speak to Maarten Camps, Head of the Dutch PES, and how he worked from home on a Sunday afternoon with the government Minister devising a scheme that within a few days helped millions of people newly unemployed...
2021-03-2324 minPESPod - the insiders' guide to the EU labour market2020 - the most challenging year in the PES Network’s history
In this very first edition of the PES Podcast, the Austrian PES Managing Director Johannes Kopf, current chair of the PES Network, reflects on 2020, the most challenging in the PES Network’s history. How did the pandemic effect the work of European PES? How did they react to the developments in their labour markets and what lessons can be learned from this crisis? Find the answers to these questions - and a lot more - in the first PES Podcast!
We would love feedback from our listeners! Let us know your comments and suggestions:
2021-03-1119 min