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Small businesses struggle to find suitable staff

12:21 16/02/2015

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium report that finding suitable staff is the biggest obstacle to their growth, according to a survey by employers’ organisation Unizo.As many as 87% of SMEs have a difficult time finding the staff they need, confirmed Unizo director Karel Van Eetvelt.

Van Eetvelt is calling for more focus on education that prepares students for the labour market. "Students need to gain more experience,” he said. He also calls for an end to subsidies for courses that aren’t directly linked to a job.

"And those who receive long-term unemployment benefits, even if they have two diplomas, should be required to work as a cashier, for example," said Eetvelt.

Flanders Public Employment Service (VDAB) is aware of the staff shortage problem, especially for technical occupations. "But this school year there were already more enrolments in technical subjects," according to a VDAB spokesperson.

Written by Robyn Boyle

Comments

Mikek1300gt

Priceless. Half the country not working and firms can't get staff. To suggest this is a new phenomenon and the situation is now being rectified is laughable. It's been like this for decades. The problem is easy...Too many people who can't be bothered to work and don't need to because money is thrown at them, too many kids (kids of 26 years old!?) doing subjects that are useless to employers.

Young lady friend and I frequently had discussions on the way things are in Belgium and she justified her free to the age of 26 education on the basis that her high qualification means automatic high salary, so automatic high taxation.

Still unemployed 2 years after leaving school with some fancy diploma in classic literature. Meanwhile she is under virtually no pressure at all to take any job that is not related to the subject she qualified in, while there are thousands of jobs on the VDAB website that remain unfilled. And we pay her to do nothing.

Belgium is too hard on those working and too soft on those who are not, that is the problem.

Feb 16, 2015 12:17
CM

How much does your young lady friend get from social security, Mike?

Feb 16, 2015 21:49
Mikek1300gt

I have no idea.

Feb 16, 2015 22:46