The Flemish Government does not measure whether an employment program through the Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS/OCMW) leads to sustainable employment.
Answering the question from MP Michiel Awouters (Vlaams Belang), the Employment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) said that data on long-term employment after such programs are not measured.
"I cannot say how many people on social assistance have been employed after six or twelve months or longer following a Temporary Work Experience program, because this isn't measured," Demir stated.
She has confirmed that neither the VDAB, Flemish Employment Agency, nor the OCMWs have exact figures regarding the duration of employment.
OCMWs have various tools at their disposal to help job seekers receiving social assistance find work. For example, these social welfare centres can legally employ people, making them available to non-profit organisations, public services, or private companies.
Other tools include workplace learning, training, guidance and coaching by a social worker. In theory, this increases the chances of those without work experience of finding a job in the regular economic sector.
Recently, 31,712 of these employment programs were terminated, and 15,956 new programs were initiated between early 2022 and mid-2025. However, it is unclear whether these employment programs also offer the prospect of sustainable jobs.
Awouters argues that the lack of such data is "mind-boggling considering the sheer resources and manpower invested in these programs."
He called on the Flemish Government to urgently implement a structured follow-up system – measure how many people are still effectively employed 6, 12, and 24 months after the OCMW program, and eliminate programs that show little or no results.
