Employment in the Vlaamse Rand

The Vlaamse Rand is still a centre of growth

Vlaams-Brabant is the driving force behind employment in Flanders. The growth of the service sector has been explosive: at least 82% of the jobs are in this sector. The closure of the Renault factory in Vilvoorde and the bankruptcy of the Sabena airline in Zaventem have now been largely absorbed. Vlaams-Brabant has the lowest unemployment percentage of all the Belgian provinces.

Powerful assets

This region has some powerful assets. The proximity of Brussels is a magnet to international investors. As a knowledge centre, Leuven and its university stimulate innovative spin-off companies. Zaventem airport and Brucargo freight airport are strong attractions: it is estimated that 60% of the jobs in the private sector are linked to the airport. On the other hand, the expansion of the airport has been put in jeopardy by the noise pollution caused by commercial night-flights. For this reason the Flemish Government has launched the START project, which is intended to set up a sustainable scenario for the growth of the airport.

Dutch for a job

Despite its powerful assets, the region has an underlying level of unemployment that cannot be ignored. It is mainly a question of insufficient knowledge of Dutch. 38.5% of the jobseekers in the Vlaamse Rand are non-Dutch speakers. Among the unskilled and semi-skilled this rises as high as 66%. The Flemish Department of Employment (VDAB) and other bodies are therefore developing a scheme in which non-Dutch-speaking jobseekers can take a course in Dutch as a second language. In addition, the Flemish authorities have appointed extra shopfloor Dutch instructors on whom companies can call when necessary.