As a result of a progressive regionalization of parts of the employment policy in Belgium, Regions take active steps in supporting job seekers in their research, while the budget for unemployment is being managed at federal level. In 2004 a new policy to put unemployed back to work was introduced at federal level, resulting in the empowerment of individuals regarding their job research; on the other hand, according to various sources, this policy has disempowered companies. The Solidarity Pact between Generations, approved in 2006 by the Federal Government and social partners, advocates a greater involvement of enterprises, but without much effect on the ground. Training policies for job seekers and socio-professional (social economy enterprises,…) policies are a regional competence, but we note that traditional companies and employers’ organisations are in fact little involved in actions on the ground, which is paradoxical. These observations were made in 2010 especially at the local level of Vielsalm and its catchment area, as part of a working group with development actors. Local networking and short supply chain solutions may help remove this paradox, and therefore the progress project comes at a very good time for the Belgian partners.
The Belgian Partnership:
- OL-Write (webmaster and communication manager)
Olivier Lambert
contact@olwrite.be - IDELUX
Henry Demortier
henry.demortier@idelux-aive.be - Filstrans
Laurent Berbach
lb@filstrans.org - Les Hautes Ardennes
Yves Gabriel
Yves.gabriel@leshautesardennes.be