New labour policy will focus on skills and talents
Labour minister Philippe Muyters has announced a reform of its policy for finding jobs for unskilled and long-term unemployed people, with more support for both employers and job-seekers and a focus on tackling discrimination
“Talents, not shortcomings”
The decree has been in existence for 13 years and is ripe for an overhaul, Muyters said. The new approach has three main components: made-to-measure support and accompaniment for job-seekers; support for companies in developing an employment policy based on competences; and the removal of prejudices.
The government intends to increase the employment rate in Flanders from just under 72% at present to 76% by 2020 – which means finding or creating 150,000 new jobs. However, Muyters admits that some people are more difficult than others to place in work. The decree was created with them in mind, “but we have to dare to be honest and recognise that those instruments do not always work well enough,” he said. “That is why I have opted not for a multiplicity of measures but for three distinct and mutually supportive tracks.”
Those are the creation of a job-seeking plan for each person, based on their skills and abilities. One candidate might benefit from a course in Dutch, while another requires extra training or work experience.
Employers, too, need support in developing the right kind of human resources policy geared to making the most of workers’ talents. The removal of prejudices is the final step, not only in questions of combating discrimination but also in creating a positive approach to diversity.
“I am convinced that with this all-in approach we will be able to achieve the goals of the decree more rapidly, to give a boost to those people who are still far from finding a job,” Muyters said. “That’s crucial, because everyone deserves an equal chance in the job market.”
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