College and university students taking on part-time or flexible jobs to sustain themselves are in high demand in Brussels this summer.
Student employment agency Deltaworkx saw a 90% increase in applications from the catering and event sector in Brussels, Bruzz reports - nearly double the demand compared to pre-Covid-19. The same goes for other Belgian cities.
“The corona crisis, but certainly also the current labour shortage, has redrawn the work landscape for job students,” says Jeroen Poels, CEO of Deltaworx. Many restaurants and cafes in Brussels are faced with a staff shortage.
Due to the return of festivals and other events, the catering and event sector are back after two years of inactivity, and that requires more students who are looking for these types of jobs.
But it is precisely those sectors, that are traditionally popular among students, that turn out to be increasingly less attractive to today’s students. This year, only half of the students at Deltaworx looked for a job as a waiter or event host.
More attractive sectors
Meanwhile, other sectors are also looking for staff, as demand for job students across all sectors has increased by a quarter, both in Brussels and other regions.
Students therefore have plenty of choice from jobs that suit their lifestyle and preference, as they can opt for jobs that are in line with their studies. “This gives them more opportunities to gain relevant experience,” Poels explains.
“Due to the much larger offer of student jobs, job students have also become pickier. They prefer a job that is close to home and more comfortable.”
The cause of the shift, according to Deltaworx, is that students were forced to look for jobs in other sectors during the pandemic, which often happened to guarantee a fixed wage and hours.
“Jobs in retail and logistics work with a clear schedule. This gives students certainty about when and how much they can work and therefore how much they can earn. Something that the catering industry and events often cannot offer with their ad hoc schedules.”
