The 3 regional governments have been formed! The programme for Wallonia

Since the elections of 26 May, negotiations have been well under way at the various levels of government. The three regions and the federal level all had the same objective: to form a government and agree on a common programme.

For the three regions, the die is cast. Each regional government presented its government statement.

After Brussels, let's take a look at Wallonia, where priority is given to training and increasing the employment rate.

Training and guidance of the worker looking for work

The Walloon government wants to offer training leading to positive prospects in terms of sustainable employment and quality. To this end, alternating training will be reformed.

Measures supporting recruitment and guidance of workers will be strengthened in order to facilitate rapid and effective integration into companies and lasting cooperation between the company and its new workers. This includes investing in training for professions in demand (promising and forward-looking professions) and simplifying the exemption for jobseekers to look for work when they want to train for a profession for which there is a demand or which has a high potential for development (to avoid future labour shortages).

The aim is also to improve cooperation between the various parties involved in vocational training (Forem, competence centres, IFAPME, CISP, MIRE and sector funds) and to review the missions of the Forem.

Finally, existing support measures for lifelong learning (adjustment credit, paid educational leave and training vouchers) will be evaluated and, if necessary, adapted to current realities.

Job creation

The government wants to further increase the employment rate. Various measures will be taken to this end:

• evaluating existing employment support measures and redirecting the least effective measures and those causing deadweight effects;
• reviewing the 'Article 60' and 'Article 61’ measures;
• strengthening the 'youth guarantee ' by offering every young person a internship and/or training and/or job offer within 4 months after the end of his studies;
• reforming the APEs;
• granting a financial stimulus after an uninterrupted period of one year in a bottleneck profession;
• creating a single virtual file containing all the steps to find a job;
• setting up pilot experiences for areas with 'zero long-term unemployed persons';
• creating a legal framework that organises the rules for field testing to combat discrimination in recruitment;
• facilitating access to employment for people with disabilities;
• encouraging the recruitment of persons of foreign origin through the Explort programme;
• continuing the integration path;
• improving coordination between Forem and the federal government in order to make the procedures for the granting of work permits more efficient.

We will inform you as soon as there is more news about these measures.

Source: Policy Statement Wallonia 2019-2024.