In the western city of Kortrijk hospitality outlets looking for extra staff will now be able to call on foreign students, eager to make some additional income, far more easily. Until now it has often been more difficult for students from abroad to get a job here because all their administrative paperwork needs to be in order.
In Kortrijk the local council now wants to speed up the whole administrative process. It’s the idea of one of the city's hospitality operators. "It is quite simple: in the catering industry businesses are constantly looking for staff who can be set to work at a moment’s notice. Students too are often on the look-out for extra income" says alderman Kelly Detavernier (nationalist/N-VA). "For international students, it is difficult to get a job because all their administrative formalities need to be in order. They require a national registration number and getting hold of one can be a complicated procedure."
Student from Estonia
Anne-Marie Sanchez, who runs the Cubaan in Kortrijk, has already hired her first international student. "We hired someone from Estonia. He has already been here twice. We are constantly looking for people. For me, it's kind of cool to work with foreign students. I also help them. I know what it's like to go to another country without any family."
A total of 25 Kortrijk hospitality businesses have so far signed up for the initiative.