The Ministry of Defence will recruit 1,570 new employees in 2018 - one-third more staff than in 2017. The increase is mainly due to the number of posts to be filled in the military and the marine sections. The number of jobs has doubled in these roles. Recruitment days, promotion on social media and a new website should attract new recruits.
“The Ministry of Defence is going to war,” the Minister for Defence, Steven Vandeput, launched on Wednesday, opening the new recruitment year. Mr Vandeput flagged up, “‘The war of talents’ is one of the challenges for the Ministry of Defence. Nowadays, every organisation is fighting for the best talent. As an organisation, we must therefore also do so to recruit the best people. Our benefits as an organisation are that the Ministry of Defence takes care of its staff, and offers both a good salary and opportunities that cannot be found elsewhere. It is possible to work abroad, with an element of adventure, and all within a team spirit.”
In terms of staff demographics, the Ministry of Defence wishes to move towards both injecting young blood into the organisation and the feminization of its staff. Mr Vandeput indicates, “The current average age is 41 in the armed forces and we wish to decrease this to 34 by 2030.” So as to attract more women, the Ministry of Defence is organising a recruitment day, specifically designed by female staff for women, this coming October 31st at the Heverlee Barracks (in Flemish Brabant). Currently, the Ministry of Defence only has an 8% female personnel composition, with the remainder being men.
All information concerning recruitment can be found on the new website at travailleraladefense.be.
The Brussels Times
