SROI programme teaches life lessons to young people in ’s‑Hertogenbosch

The Dutch municipality of ’s‑Hertogenbosch recently selected ABN AMRO as a financial services provider. This particular municipality requires that the businesses it collaborates with contribute to a more inclusive labour market. In practice, this often means that businesses partner with job creation programmes and take on individuals with poor job prospects. Since ABN AMRO already has its own dedicated programme (B-Able), it offered to pursue a slightly different approach, one that Relationship Manager Tim Romaniuk describes as ‘locally based and self-powered’.

Group training and coaching

As a result, ABN AMRO teamed up with the community service scheme MDT School des Levens to develop its SROI programme in ’s‑Hertogenbosch, commonly known as Den Bosch. Young people participate in a six-month action plan, spending eight hours a week organising community activities in their city. They also receive group training and individual coaching from stakeholders including ABN AMRO.

“The municipality was enthusiastic about our proposal right from the start,” says Tim. “Mentoring and coaching young people, especially in entrepreneurship, is a perfect fit for ABN AMRO and ABN AMRO Foundation, since we’re essentially tapping into the strengths and ambitions of these young people.” ABN AMRO Foundation, for its part, is providing support and guidance to the project participants.

Discovering one’s own talents

Many of the young people participating in the programme are dropouts or come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The MDT School des Levens offers them a chance to discover their own talents, work together, develop as entrepreneurs and expand their network. The community activities take place in what will soon be the Bossche Stadsdelta, a new urban district of the city that is undergoing rapid development.

“We’ve opted for a somewhat unconventional approach,” explains Kirsti Pol of the MDT School des Levens. “The municipality is keen to create a platform for young people who want to present their own initiatives, but may not always know how. So we’re helping them with this aspect. Many have developed terrific ideas, initiatives or even their own businesses, but just don’t have the network to take these to the next level.”

Esports clubhouse

A group of young people are currently working to open an esports clubhouse where they can game together and socialise. Another initiative focuses on cleaning up the Dieze river, using water purification. Some fifty young people are involved in the programme.

“There’s often a gap between our colleagues with their banking background and the daily lives of these young people,” admits Mandy Beck, a project manager with ABN AMRO Foundation. “But those differences in experience are actually very conducive to meaningful dialogue and insights. ABN AMRO Foundation often supports one-off activities and single-day events. Now we’re providing long-term guidance and mentoring. Our commitment and dedication are allowing us to build a relationship of trust with these young people.”

Sharing experiences

It’s not always plain sailing either. Young people can be moody, not show up for an appointment or clash with one another. And that demands a lot from the bank’s employees, who are required to complete a training programme before joining the project in Den Bosch.

“In tricky situations, we try to be there even more for the young people,” Tim says. “We do everything we can to establish a line of communication with them. One way is by sharing with them how we deal with similar situations at ABN AMRO, how we try to engage everyone. That’s a great way to transpose lessons learned in the context of a large corporate bank to that of the everyday lives of these young people. We’re not just teaching them about entrepreneurship – we’re also equipping them with soft skills. This is how we build a give-and-take relationship with them – one that can accommodate discussions of difficult topics.”

Banking for better

The positive response among the young people has been striking, say representatives of both the municipality and ABN AMRO. Kirsti says, “The municipality is wildly enthusiastic. They’re so excited to see what’s blossoming and taking shape here. The job creation programme has now asked the young people to additionally help organise an annual youth festival.”

Mandy adds, “Employees at the bank are thrilled to be contributing to the project, too. Some are using their banking-for-better days – a set number of days each year an employee can put towards social initiatives.”

Kirsti continues, “We’re seeing the very first glimpses of pride and self-confidence emerging among these young people. Not to mention a growing professionalism. There’s also more discipline, a clear division of roles, and external communication. But most importantly, they’re taking away a lesson for life: you’re not alone. It’s OK to ask for help. These young people will never forget that.”

Tim concludes, “It’s also exciting that this model can work for other companies and organisations, too. How do you leverage an organisation’s strength and the power of procurement? How do you boost social impact? We look forward to engaging with our clients so that we can help one another make an even greater impact on society together.”