The VDAB is preparing to offer personalised proposals to all unemployed individuals in Flanders who are set to lose their benefits, which could include job opportunities or training courses, as announced by Flemish Minister of Employment, Zuhal Demir (N-VA).
The National Employment Office (RVA) estimates that 57,400 people in Flanders will lose their unemployment benefits over the next two years.
While the VDAB currently assists these individuals, they will now receive tailored support as they approach the end of their benefits. To facilitate this, twenty job counsellors and thirty service line staff will be recruited.
The personalised support might involve matching individuals with suitable job vacancies or enrolling them in training programmes that lead to employment. Targeted training is often vital for those struggling to enter the job market.
Job counsellors will consider previous job search efforts, work experience, interests, skills, and personal circumstances. Additionally, province-specific action plans will address local job availability and involve local partners.
Minister Demir urges employers to focus on candidates’ experience and potential. “Don’t judge a fifty-year-old by their age, nor a young person by their lack of experience. Focus on what they can bring,” she advises.
Flemish MP Eva Platteau from the Green party criticises Demir’s plan as “too little, too late,” stating that the VDAB is only now starting what they should have been doing for years: guiding individuals into employment.
Platteau questions the feasibility of the plan, highlighting simultaneous budget cuts of around €80 million annually. She argues that a deeper reform of VDAB operations is needed, though it won’t benefit those losing benefits imminently.
