The number of students enrolling in construction and woodworking courses in Flanders is on the rise, according to a press release from Bouwunie, the organisation representing Flemish construction small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
This school year, 7,834 students are enrolled in construction or woodworking courses in Flanders (3rd grade and 7th year), 451 more than last year (an increase of 6%) and 824 more than in the 2022-2023 school year (a 12% increase).
Bouwunie has described these figures as very good news. “Each of these young people is a potential new entrant to our sector, which is crucial as construction continues to face a structural workforce shortage,” said Bouwunie CEO Jean-Pierre Waeytens. In recent years, the sector has worked on improving its image through a campaign to convince more young people to choose construction or woodworking paths.
Bouwunie believes that dual learning should take a more prominent place in construction education to make it even more attractive. Students in dual learning programmes, which combine school and workplace learning, are highly sought after by employers due to their increased work experience.
Additionally, Bouwunie regrets that schools have not yet concentrated construction courses by province or region. “The construction courses are currently too dispersed, and identical courses are offered within a few kilometres of each other,” they stated. Schools could use the sector’s resources more efficiently by consolidating these courses.
