NS exerts a positive socioeconomic impact on society by developing the knowledge, skills and talents of its staff, by aiming to keep them in sustained employment, and by being a diverse and inclusive organisation. The social benefit of training at NS comes from the improvement in the economic value of the potential capacity of its workforce after they have left NS. The social benefits of this in 2017 were approximately €12 million, which is up on the previous year. This is caused by the growth in the number of staff who have improved their potential at work through training.

Education and training

Incapacity for work limits the employability of employees. This has negative social costs, for example because of higher hospital costs and costs of benefit payments, and the loss of productivity and purchasing power. NS wants to improve that impact. NS wants to be a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone feels welcome. Diversity produces social role models and recognition for e.g. women, people with occupational disabilities and people from migrant communities. In addition, diversity ensures that NS is more aware of what is happening within society, which lets us adjust our policy to suit. We are doing more and more to expand the social benefits of diversity.