- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
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- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
Brussels is characterised by a dynamic labour market, which requires knowledge of French, Dutch or English or a combination of these languages. Equipping citizens with the needed language skills improves their chances of finding a job.
Objectives
Strengthen the language skills of jobseekers to improve the employment rate, especially for low-skilled people.
Description
Bruxelles Formation (BF), the French-speaking public service in charge of vocational training in the Brussels Region, has a training centre dedicated to language learning: BF langues.
BF langues provides training in French as a foreign language, Dutch and English for employment purposes at its training centre and at the vocational training centres run by Bruxelles Formation and its partners.
The teaching approach is skills-based, occupationally targeted and interactive and the methodology is particularly well suited to the needs and difficulties of jobseekers. This approach encourages integration into the job market.
The centre also offers language immersion courses lasting six to eight weeks: these enable trainees to take a step into the professional world and put their language skills in Dutch, French or English into practice.
Finally, BF langues is an approved centre for taking the French language test when applying for Belgian nationality.
The language training offer is adapted each year in BF langues training catalogue (programmes, number of training sessions, number of places available, etc.) to offer a range of services tailored to the needs of people active on the job market.
All residents of Brussels over the age of 18 can take advantage of online language courses and personalised coaching. Brulingua offers independent, dynamic and interactive training in 24 languages, including English, Dutch, French and German.
As part...
Bruxelles Formation (BF), the French-speaking public service in charge of vocational training in the Brussels Region, has a training centre dedicated to language learning: BF langues.
BF langues provides training in French as a foreign language, Dutch and English for employment purposes at its training centre and at the vocational training centres run by Bruxelles Formation and its partners.
The teaching approach is skills-based, occupationally targeted and interactive and the methodology is particularly well suited to the needs and difficulties of jobseekers. This approach encourages integration into the job market.
The centre also offers language immersion courses lasting six to eight weeks: these enable trainees to take a step into the professional world and put their language skills in Dutch, French or English into practice.
Finally, BF langues is an approved centre for taking the French language test when applying for Belgian nationality.
The language training offer is adapted each year in BF langues training catalogue (programmes, number of training sessions, number of places available, etc.) to offer a range of services tailored to the needs of people active on the job market.
All residents of Brussels over the age of 18 can take advantage of online language courses and personalised coaching. Brulingua offers independent, dynamic and interactive training in 24 languages, including English, Dutch, French and German.
As part of the Strategy 2025 for Brussels, Brulingua:
- promotes employability and professional mobility;
- increases the language skills of the people of Brussels;
- stimulates the economic and tourist appeal of the Brussels-Capital Region;
- and reinforces its internationalisation.
The development of the language test digitised in FLE, Prim 'test, was finalised and started to be implemented in 2019. The tool will be available for Bruxelles Formation and its partners.
In 2020, the Brulingua training tool was adapted to smartphones. A new app now allows the learners to practice new languages whenever they want. The app gives access to Speaky, a social network allowing getting in touch with native speakers in Dutch, French, English or German.
At Bruxelles Formation, the implementation of the digital language test in French as a foreign language 'Prim'Test' was interrupted due to the health crisis.
The digital version of the nationality language test to get the Belgian nationality is under development (the test existed in paper format only).
The offer of language guidance and support before, during and after the training course offered by the Bruxelles Formation langues training centre, is being improved by developing synergies with other centres and partners. This applies also for the language training of French as a foreign language in the centres.
The language training offer is continuously being developed at Bruxelles Formation. 2021 activities concerned:
- participation in the development of the future Cité des Langues (City of languages), a space dedicated to help improve language skills throughout life;
- the development of partnerships in the Brussels Region for Alpha and French as a foreign language training programmes;
- the development of blended-learning.
Since May 2021, Bruxelles Formation has been participating in the 'French as foreign language +' (FLE+) mobility project set up as a consortium and led by Proforal asbl. Its aim is to promote French language learning for adult migrants by improving FLE training provision in the Brussels Region. The project offers mobility grants to literacy and French as a foreign language trainers in Brussels to:
- observe migrants' integration and training practices with European partners;
- follow structured training courses in partner organisations.
In 2022, the language training programmes are continuously being offered at Bruxelles Formation (French, Dutch, English & work-oriented for some sectors). The Cité des Langues project has been put on hold.
In 2023, Bruxelles Formation continues to offer language training programmes in French, Dutch, English, and work-oriented courses for specific sectors. Promoting language learning also remains a key priority in the collaborative policies of Bruxelles Formation and Actiris, the Public Employment Service in Brussels. Together, they provide a variety of language-learning solutions for jobseekers, including the Language Plan, which serves as the cornerstone of their joint strategy, and Brulingua, an online self-training platform.
The Language Plan, funded through a non-institutional horizontal cooperation agreement between Actiris and Bruxelles Formation, offers 850 job-oriented language training spots in French as a foreign language, Dutch, and English, specifically reserved for jobseekers.
In 2023, 1 220 jobseekers received training at BF Langues, with 771 referred by Actiris or the Cité des métiers under the Language Plan. Additionally, the Brulingua platform, which provides free online training in 24 languages, including Dutch, English, French, and German, for which 23 867 new users were registered, bringing the total number of active users to 30 857.
In 2024, Bruxelles Formation continues to offer language training programmes in French, Dutch, English, and work-oriented courses for specific sectors. Promoting language learning also remains a key priority in the collaborative policies of Bruxelles Formation and Actiris, the Public Employment Service in Brussels.
Bodies responsible
- Bruxelles Formation (Brussels Institute for Vocational Training)
- Brussels Public Employment Service (Actiris)
Target groups
Learners
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category is about the way learners learn, how the learning is delivered to them, and by what means. Programmes become more accessible through a combination of adaptable and flexible formats (e.g. face-to-face, digital and/or blended learning), through digital learning platforms that allow better outreach, especially for vulnerable groups and for learners in geographically remote or rural areas.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Language training provision to facilitate integration into Brussels labour market: Belgium-FR. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28039