At present, the training of retail management is organised by Fedis itself, with more than 2,000 employees making use of the system last year. At the same time, there were 7,000 unfilled vacancies in retail positions – more than half (60%) requiring no formal qualifications.

For those who do undergo training, the possibilities are limited. In Flanders, an employee who successfully completes a training course can be offered either a contract for an indefinite term or one for at least a year. In Wallonia, by contrast, companies are allowed to offer shorter-term contracts to training graduates, which achieves more flexibility.

At the same time as jobs in the sector were growing in general, there were also more vacancies coming up requiring a higher level of training, such as the bachelor’s degree in retail management offered in the Netherlands and France, but so far not in Flanders. “It can’t be right that we have to go looking for staff across the border,” Michel said.