Belgium currently has 21,000 vacancies within the tech business sector, according to Bart Steukers, head of Agoria, the Belgian Federation of Technology Companies.
Belgium, and especially the Brussels-Capital Region, has an acute worker shortage in the sectors of construction, education, personal care, and IT. According to the region's employment agency Actiris, there are currently 113 professions in which employers are struggling to recruit – especially in technical fields.
In reference to the shortage in the tech sector, Steukers explained that it is not entirely a problem with the sector but rather presents an opportunity: "Our industry creates a lot of jobs. Rather than replacing humans with machines, for each job that disappears, three new jobs can be created. That is what we see right now."
Belgium's brightest and undeveloped talent
These tech vacancies require highly-skilled and often young people although Steukers stated that the sector is looking for both unqualified and qualified workers.
Alluding to the diversity of open positions, he explained that “There are jobs in everything from cyber-security to the manufacturing industry: machine operators, electromechanics, commercial jobs. There is something for everyone."
Of the qualified labour force, Steukers said that there was a distinct shortage of both men and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). To this end, there is a considerable industry focus on training.
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The tech sector manages to attract new talent, partly as a result of generous wages. In Belgium, positions within the tech sector are some of the best paid. Demand should remain high as the economy leans on the tech sector as it pivots towards environmental innovations.
"You need a lot of talent but also people that can learn on the job. That’s why the debate on career-long learning is so important."
The sector will ultimately need to tap into the rising youth unemployment in Brussels. Youth unemployment currently stands at 25% in the capital, many of whom will be considering future positions in the tech industry.
