In future newcomers that don’t have secondary school qualifications will be obliged to take a vocational training course for a so-called “shortage profession”. Thursday’s editions of ‘Gazet van Antwerpen’, ‘De Standaard’, ‘Het Belang van Limburg’ and ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ report that the new measure that is designed to get more newcomers into work has been given the green light by the Flemish Government.
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Newcomers without qualifications to be obliged to take vocational training
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The measure was proposed by the Flemish liberal Minister Bart Somers, whose responsibilities include integration. Mr Somers hopes that it will enable low-skilled newcomers to take up jobs in profession where there are currently labour shortages such as, for example, lorry driving, nursing and child minding.
They have to learn the trade through on-the-job training. In what Mr Somers describes as "A kind of apprenticeship. They will work, get paid and in the meantime acquire professional competences", Mr Somers said.
The apprenticeships for low-skilled newcomers will be part of their integration process. This already includes Dutch lessons, a social orientation course, compulsory registration with the Flemish employment service VDAB and the buddy scheme in which newcomers are pared with a Fleming who helps them with any issues or questions they might have about life in Flanders.
"It will be mandatory. If a newcomer still wants to stay at home afterwards, they will be able do so, but their own expense. This is a way of helping people stand on their own two feet more quickly", Mr Somers said.
According to the latest figures, 35% of newcomers do not have a secondary education certificate. Despite labour shortages in some sectors, Flanders is finding it difficult getting low-skilled newcomers into work. Currently, just 17% of low-skilled female newcomers find employment within two years. Among low-skilled male newcomers this is 36%.