The Brussels Parliament greenlit a mandatory skills audit for all city job seekers on Friday.
To better align job seekers with the job market, the audit will assess professional, linguistic, and digital skills. The goal is to help job seekers be better matched to the employment market.
A staggering 61% of job seekers in Brussels have been unemployed for extended periods, while 71.4% only possess secondary diploma qualifications, struggling in a job market that increasingly demands high-level qualifications.
Brussels Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Bernard Clerfayt, emphasized the necessity of such measures. “It’s urgent to upgrade the qualifications level of job seekers. Training or internships in companies are essential to achieve this,” he said.
Breaking down the skills audit
The initiative aims to boost the support provided by Actiris, the city’s job center, to job seekers. The skills audits will evaluate the compatibility of a job seeker’s skillset with the market demands.
The initiative also includes a comprehensive route to employment through company internships and/or training. Priority will be given to job seekers registered for over a year, as well as to young people and women.
The skills audit initiative and its accompanying employment routes will commence from 1 September.
Despite the initiative’s overwhelming approval, some members, such as Clémentine Barzin (MR party) argued for additional language training measures for those with poor skills assessment outcomes. Her group abstained from voting.
