EPO pilots partnership with Emma at Work initiative

EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan and the Director of Emma at Work, Juliette Hasselbach

The EPO has launched a new pilot project with Emma at Work, a Dutch social enterprise. Emma at Work supports young people with chronic conditions or physical disabilities to develop their talents and access sustainable employment.

EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan and the Director of Emma at Work, Juliette Hasselbach, met at the EPO’s premises in Rijswijk. They not only signed the contract concerning the two organisations’ joint work but also discussed a range of issues concerning the challenges in accessing employment for young people living with disabilities. Steve Rowan said "We are thrilled to be engaging with Emma at Work. This partnership is representative of our Office’s commitment to supporting wider access to employment. We look forward to collaborating to build a labour market where everybody thrives."

The partnership forms part of the EPO’s broader commitment to an inclusive workplace culture. In 2026, this commitment includes the strengthening of local partnerships in the Netherlands to broaden access to career opportunities for underrepresented talent groups.

The collaboration with Emma at Work complements the EPO’s existing work with myAbility in Austria and Germany and further expands EPO initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion across the organisation. As part of this pilot work, EPO representatives take part in "Emma Meets" events.

First "Emma Meets" talent matching event

The first Emma Meets event involving the EPO took place on 26 February at the Haaglanden Environment Service in The Hague. This informal talent-matching session brought together young talents with disabilities and chronic illnesses together with representatives from participating organisations, creating an open space for open exchange about skills, ambitions and career opportunities.

Some participants from this event will be invited to attend a shadowing day at the EPO premises in Rijswijk later in the year. This day is aimed at providing first-hand insights into the working environment and daily activities of EPO staff.

About Emma at Work

Founded 19 years ago, Emma at Work supports young people with chronic physical conditions in their personal and professional development and helps them to find suitable employment. The organisation works with a small team and collaborates closely with a wide network of public and private partners, including ABN AMRO, Schiphol Airport, KPMG, Pfizer, ING, Coca-Cola and several Dutch university medical centres including Amsterdam UMC, Leiden UMC and Utrecht UMC.

In the Netherlands, around 550 000 young people live with a chronic or physical condition, with approximately 80 000 of them involuntarily unemployed.

By partnering with Emma at Work, the EPO is supporting the implementation of the Office’s Diversity and Inclusion vision and contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), while promoting fairer access to employment opportunities by helping to address structural barriers in the labour market.