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EVTA Member Update: How Flanders assists the thousands of temporarily unemployed

EVTA Member Update: How Flanders assists the thousands of temporarily unemployed

Because of COVID-19 a lot of businesses had to shut down activities. Think about the restaurants and the bars that were closed during lockdown and the event sector for example. Closed businesses also mean a lot of temporarily unemployed people. The number is gradually going down, but still more than 200.000 Flemish employees are affected today.

Time to think about your career

VDAB, the Flemishpublic employment service, stepped in to help temporarily unemployed people to take their career in their own hands. Therefore VDAB sent all affected employees an e-mail or a letter with different options to strengthen their skills for the future.

The first one is (online) training and education. A lot of people enrolled in a (digital) course, to enhance their capacities within their field. Think about airport staff that follow language courses and bar personnel that follow cocktail workshops.

Another option is to temporarily work at another firm. This not only pays off in working experience, but also in financial terms. The Flemish government made it possible to combine your allowance with a salary. VDAB encouraged the temporarily unemployed to work in health care or in local agriculture, since these sectors had the most vacancies and suffered extra pressure due to COVID-19.

The last option is to reflect on your career. In Flanders, temporarily unemployed people can apply for career counseling, to make the right decision for their future career.

Lotte Landuyt, Communication expert, VDAB – 25 May 2021