A total of 2 170 skills credentials were issued by the Skills Validation Consortium in Brussels in 2018. With this outstanding performance the Brussels Region successfully met the targets of the Training plan 2020, which aimed at issuing 2 000 skills credentials per year by 2020.
Introduced more than 15 years ago, skills validation makes it possible to grant recognition of skills acquired outside conventional training pathways. It mainly targets people who are unskilled or who have no or only low qualifications, or whose diploma is not recognised in Belgium. The programme was consolidated in 2014, marking a 200% increase in results over the past four years, mainly thanks to the efforts of organisations in direct contact with people who can benefit from it, including Actiris [1], Bruxelles Formation [2], EPS[3], EFP [4] and local centres.
An undeniable success
Since 2003, when the programme was set up, more than 8 700 skills credentials have been issued in the Brussels Region in no less than 20 occupations offered in 2018 (compared to only 13 in 2014), including car maintenance mechanic, hairdresser, forklift truck operator, administrative employee, barman and house painter, across 12 Skills Validation Centres [5].
Open to anyone over the age of 18, skills validation has proven to be an essential resource in supporting and assisting jobseekers, workers and companies. The programme makes it possible to guarantee and safeguard skills, while leaving room for certifying new ones throughout a person's working life. In this way, it makes returning to training and employment easier while at the same time fostering worker mobility.
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[1] Actiris is the Brussels Public Employment Office (SPE).
[2] Bruxelles Formation is the public body responsible for vocational training for French-speaking Brussels jobseekers and workers in Brussels.
[3] Enseignement de Promotion Sociale (EPS) offers adult courses at secondary and higher education level.
[4] EFP is a linked work and training centre for SMEs in Brussels.
[5] The full list of centres and occupations offered can be consulted at validations des compétences
