Precariousness plan – incentives for vocational learners in Brussels

In 2020, the implementation of the action plan continued.

In 2021, the action plan was implemented and runs as a regular practice. Moreover, a study on the living conditions of trainees and the obstacles to training was published and the training allowance was increased from EUR 1 to EUR 2 per hour for all trainees.

Trainee welfare: recruitment of two social workers and creation of a social support service; creation of thematic brochures about trainees’ rights, aid available from existing social services; establishment of social permanencies in all training centres requesting it; language therapist and neuropsychologist available for trainees (pilot programme). Continuous supply of a social/health resource platform in support of the staff in charge of social support for interns, organisation of support workshops for interns with learning difficulties.

Distance training: loan for personal computers for unequipped trainees. Reflection on the implementation of an action plan for inclusion and digital autonomy of trainees.

In 2022, the decision was taken to focus on the training activities for trainers on the learning difficulties, a problem that they find very difficult to deal with. The following training modules were introduced:

1. general introduction and awareness-raising webinar on learning difficulties,
2. our brain, an 'unexplored' treasure: neurosciences at the service of learning in adult education,
3. discovering multiple intelligences: a tool for learning and motivation,
4. how to (de)motivate trainees through feedback.

These new training actions for the staff of Bruxelles Formation and its partners have started in 2022 and will continue in 2023.

New actions to prevent the digital divide: in 2022, the Management Committee of Bruxelles Formation validated an action plan for the digital inclusion and autonomy of trainees. The Plan is in line with Bruxelles Formation priorities, which aim to increase the digital skills of our users and staff and to support the inclusion of everyone in this major challenge.

The action plan is structured in four axes:

1. facilitate access to training and retainment of digitally vulnerable jobseekers.
2. give access to digital equipment to trainees in a situation of digital divide (distance learning).
3. reinforce the digital autonomy of trainees, knowing that basic digital skills and their effective use have become indispensable for integration into a sustainable and quality job, as well as for the full exercise of their citizenship.
4. intensify communication and information towards the public in a situation of digital divide and position itself as a player in the digital empowerment of the people of Brussels, and of the jobseekers.

In 2023, Bruxelles Formation continued its efforts to combat the precariousness faced by its trainees. Among its numerous initiatives, to combat food insecurity, meals were provided for trainees at training centres: one centre offered a daily hot soup service for approximately 50 learners over 180 days, while at the other a project introduced an affordable food truck stationed at the centre for approximately 250 learners in 2023.

Additionally, continuous training for trainers working with vulnerable populations (BF/OISP) was expanded, focusing on support for people with learning difficulties commonly observed among socio-economically disadvantaged learners. Issues like lack of study methods, low motivation, negative perceptions of learning, limited metacognitive skills, and high mental stress from difficult social situations were core topics. This cycle of training, which involved 114 participants, including 45 from partner organisations, received positive evaluations for its practical approach and valuable tools, prompting a rerun in 2024.

Bruxelles Formation also ramped up its digital inclusion efforts: a new role, the Digital Inclusion and Autonomy Advisor, was created in July 2023, significantly advancing the 'Inclusion and Digital Autonomy for Trainees' plan.

Finally, a report titled Precariousness of Trainees at Bruxelles Formation and its Partners: A Snapshot of the Living Conditions of Job-Seeking Trainees was published on October 17, 2023, aligning with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This report, based on two sets of data collected in previous years from job-seeking trainees (excluding those incarcerated), provides a detailed analysis of the economic and social conditions affecting this group.

In 2024, the initiatives within the different areas of the precariousness action plan continued to expand. Amongst multiple activities, there was the coordination of a shared network involving Bruxelles Formation and its partners, designed to address issues of precariousness experienced by learners. This effort included active participation in a working group organised by the Help and Litigants network (Réseau Aide et Justiciables, RAJ), focusing on training for (ex-)detainees.

On 1st February 2024, a reflection day was held at the Cité des Métiers to discuss training access for (ex-)detainees, building on the release of a guide titled Training an Audience with a Judicial Past: Insights and Resources. This guide, coordinated, published, and funded by Bruxelles Formation under the current agreement, serves as a valuable resource for training professionals working with (ex-)detainees in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The actions under the ‘precariousness plan’ continued throughout 2025. This plan led to the creation of a social support service for participants, helping them access their social rights, and the rollout of an ‘Inclusion and Digital Autonomy’ plan. The latter included a laptop loan system for trainees and activities aimed at strengthening basic digital skills.

Alongside these initiatives, Bruxelles Formation has been examining the issue of learning difficulties and disorders, exploring suitable approaches and partnerships to raise awareness among staff and to better support trainees facing such challenges.

By the end of 2025, the ‘precariousness plan’ was integrated into a broader ‘Equal Opportunities’ action plan, which also includes measures to promote gender equality and to improve access to and retention in training for vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, single parents, parents of young children, and individuals in contact with the justice system.

In 2025, Belgium amended its unemployment benefit legislation: starting in 2026, unemployment benefits in Belgium are strictly conditioned and limited to a maximum of two years (with certain exceptions), while integration benefits (accessible after completing studies to people under 25) capped at one year. The social support service concentrated on informing and assisting learners affected by the new government measures.