Three out of every four Belgian employers say they have training budgets, the RH Acerta consultancy firm reports, based on a survey of 469 chief executive officers (CEOs) and managers of small, medium and large-scale companies. The March 2017 Law on Feasible and Manageable Work obliges Belgian companies to organize at least two days’ training per employee annually, Acerta recalls. The ultimate goal is to budget, on average, at least five days’ training per employee each year.
“Last summer, when we asked CEOs which training sessions were planned for their staff, 75% said they had training budgets, but 25% of employers still devote little attention to training,” says Benoit Caufriez, Multi HR Manager at Acerta. “They do not plan for that, which does not mean that the workers receive no training, but that no specific budgets are set aside for that.”
Some 48 % of the CEOs thought it useful for their staff to go on training. More targeted questions on their wishes for the future of their staff show that employers find it important for employees to continue to enjoy their work, while 25% expect the current knowledge and skills of their staff to become outdated in three to five years.
In 25 % of cases, the head of the company decides alone which training programmes the staff should follow while, in 70%, that decision is taken in consultation with the employee. Among blue-collar workers, close to one employee in three decides on the training (s)he will follow.
The Brussels Times
