Antwerp (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): In Antwerp, VDAB’s “De Werfkeet” trains people to fill 11,000 construction jobs for projects like the Oosterweel Link and Ringparken, with Lantis” Caroline Vanwanseele supporting local hiring.
In Vlijtstraat, Antwerp, the Flemish Employment Service (VDAB) has opened a temporary training center for the construction industry called “De Werfkeet.” This center was created to help meet the growing need for skilled workers due to big local infrastructure projects. It aims to offer specific training and support to get people ready for jobs in construction, especially with ongoing work on the Oosterweel connection and the Ringparken.
How is the Werfkeet training center addressing the construction labor shortage in Antwerp?
It has been said that opening “De Werfkeet” is a smart way to meet the need for workers created by big projects. The training center aims to give people the skills and qualifications they need, ensuring there are enough qualified workers for important infrastructure projects like the Oosterweel connection and Ringparken. This will help these projects be completed successfully.
There are a lot of job openings right now. Caroline Vanwanseele from Lantis, who is working on the Oosterweel project, said they need workers at all levels. They might even look for workers from other countries, but they want to encourage local people in Flanders to apply. Currently, there are around 11,000 job vacancies in construction, and this number will keep growing. Cut mentioned that they want to get people interested in construction jobs, which is why the training center is in the city center, close to job seekers. They want everyone to know there are different types of jobs available, not just in formwork, but also in areas like gardening.
It has been said that the construction industry has a bad image, but it has changed. Now, it focuses a lot on technology and safety, and many workers are proud of what they do. There’s more to construction than just hard work and long hours, it’s about building something meaningful. One day, someone hopes to walk through the Ringparken with their kids and say, “I helped build this.” The VDAB is making it easy for people to join the training center, where anyone can drop by anytime. They have activity days every two weeks for people to try different construction jobs and see what they like. They also run programs called Construction Baths for 20 days to help people learn about the industry, hoping they will continue with more training at VDAB.
