Please cite as: Cedefop (2021). Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices - Belgium (FR). CareersNet national records. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/country-reports/inventory-lifelong-guidance-systems-and-practices-belgium-fl
Contributor: Claire Kagan
Reviewed by: Cedefop
Copyright: Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.
Disclaimer: Translations of titles/names for entities, country policies and practices are not to be considered as official translations. The facts and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with the official position of Cedefop.

Introduction

Belgium is a federal State with a complex institutional structure. The country is divided into a Flemish-, a French- and a German-speaking community.  In addition to the federal government, the country is organised according to the three communities (Flemish-speaking, French-speaking and German-speaking). Each community has its own legislative body and its own government, in addition to the federal government, and is responsible for education, culture and personal matters.

The French-speaking part consists of one community (French-speaking Community, also called Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles), and two regions (Walloon region and Brussels-Capital Region). All three have a role in matters related to guidance: the community has a role in education and training, as the regions have a role in career guidance matters related to employment. This framework results in a segmented landscape in guidance policies. A main issue to be tackled is the linkage and coordination of policies developed and operationalised by different bodies.

Coordination and collaboration among stakeholders

The French-speaking Community is in charge (finance and operational management) of guidance in schools, regional structure finance and guidance for adults. The Ministry of Education of the Community is responsible for guidance in the education sector. It transfers the responsibility for the actual design and implementation, with a great level of autonomy, to the organising authorities of the schools themselves. In primary and secondary education, schools are responsible for the guidance of pupils. The psycho-medico-social centres (Centres psycho-médico-sociaux, CPMS) offer guidance services to both the students in secondary schools and their parents. These are independent support services linked with schools and regulated by the Ministry of Education. These CPMS consist of multidisciplinary teams (psychologists, social and paramedic workers). They collaborate with health organisations and youth services.

Since 2017, reform has been in process for mandatory education (from age six to 18) (Pacte pour un Enseignement d’excellence, http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=28280). This reform aims to improve the education system in order to make it more efficient and more equal. The operational measures taken in the framework of this reform of the education system in French-speaking Belgium will be put in place (from 2018 to 2030) with the aim of improving quality in education at various levels:

  1. quality of the offering of skills and knowledge;
  2. quality of student courses, including guidance contents;
  3. quality of training and support to education actors;
  4. quality and efficiency of the education governance.

This reform also includes improvement of guidance services in schools while the need for collaboration between all stakeholders (higher education, regional guidance services) is emphasised.

The Ministries of Employment and Training (one for the Wallonia region, one for Brussels-Capital Region) are responsible for guidance in the employment sector.

Even though there is no formal national schema for coordination and cooperation, the generally accepted vision across stakeholders is that long-life guidance needs integration of guidance-related policies between compulsory education, higher education, employment and training. This vision is embedded in the implementation of current reforms which have not been yet finalised (2021). However, several mechanisms already contribute to the development of institutional cooperation between those sectors.

For instance, the ‘coordination basins’ (bassins enseignement/formation/emploi or EFE Basins http://bassinefe.be/ ) are dialogue platforms between education, training and employment sectors. Ten of these have been formalised since 2014 in a cooperation agreement between Wallonia Region, Brussels-Capital Region and the French-speaking Community. The EFE basins aim to reinforce synergies between education, vocational education, employment, and social partners and contribute to strengthening synergies between guidance actors. They also participate in career guidance activities in schools. An example of guidance-related activities in schools, can be found at the following toolkit here.

The multi-partnership of the one-stop services Cités des Métiers (cities of trades), created in 2015, also contributes to institutional collaboration between education, training and employment sectors. Four Cités des Métiers (in Brussels, Charleroi, Namur and Liege) are currently being developed in Brussels and Wallonia, all based on the initial model created in Paris in 1993 but differing in scope and functioning. They are counselling services set up by the PES to provide free career guidance to all individuals. They aim to strengthen cooperation among organisations active in education, training, employment and career guidance, gathering the information provided by these organisations at a single point of contact where people of all ages can find it in an easily accessible format. At the same time, they enable institutional collaboration between education (mandatory, post-secondary, adult), vocational training, and employment sectors to offer counselling and guidance services.

The Cités des Métiers are cross-sectoral and open to everybody seeking information or career counselling. Their access is open, anonymous and free of charge. Their main objectives are to:

  1. provide guidance to young people, jobseekers and workers and refer users to the appropriate resources;
  2. guide people towards vocational training;
  3. promote with career counselling ‘new’ professions (in growth sectors and new, emerging professions) and professions that are expected to grow in the future;
  4. encourage entrepreneurship and facilitate national and international labour mobility.

Sources

Déclaration gouvernementale Région wallonne 2019-2024:http:///www.wallonie.be/sites/default/files/2019-09/declaration_politique_regionale_2019-2024.pdf

 

Access to guidance

There are several guidance services, public or private, paid or free of charge.

Mandatory education (from the age of six until 18)

Teachers are responsible for guidance according to an official mission statement published in 1997. Article 8 clearly states that ‘each school (mandatory education) integrates guidance within the educational process, by encouraging the discovery of professions and informing pupils about education and training possibilities’.

Article 22 of the same decree further specifies that the conseil de classe (class council, teachers’ meeting in charge of continuous assessment) is responsible for guidance. Each pupil is guided in the development of a school and professional project. Each school elaborates a plan de pilotage (control plan) which includes the strategy for pupil guidance and the promotion of guidance tools along the school path. Teachers and psycho-medical-social centres work in collaboration to offer guidance activities to pupils throughout their schooling.

The Centres Psycho-médico-sociaux (CPMS, psycho-medical-social services) are independent free services within the education system, linked to each school. They have the following three missions: (decree 14.07.2006 https://www.gallilex.cfwb.be/document/pdf/31007_000.pdf):

  • promote the psychological, medical and social conditions which offer the pupils the best chances to develop harmoniously their personalities and to prepare them to assume their roles of autonomous and responsible citizens and to take their place in the social, cultural and economic life;
  • contribute to the educational of pupils, throughout their school career, by supporting the implementation of the means which will enable them to progress continuously, with a view to ensuring equal opportunities of access to social, civic and personal emancipation. In this respect, the centres will mobilize, inter alia, the available resources of the family, social and school environment of the pupils;
  • from a lifelong guidance perspective, support pupils in the positive construction of their personal, school and career projects, and of their socio-professional insertion

Ambitious reform (Pacte pour un Enseignement d’excellence) aims to improve the education system through better support to school pathways, greater empowerment of education professionals, improvement of skills and knowledge, and improvement of governance in education. This reform includes improving guidance in schools and reform the psycho-medico-social centres. Diversified guidance activities are to be set throughout the compulsory schooling to develop career management skills.

A portal dedicated to guidance is being developed within the school system.

Links are also to be strengthened between the school guidance system and access to information in specialised structures such as Cités des Métiers (Cities of trades). A counsellor, financed by the education sector (French-speaking Community) participates in each of the four Cités des Métiers to encourage those links and contribute to setting up guidance activities in secondary schools.

Higher education (post-secondary level)

Each higher education provider offers a guidance service (offering information provision, guidance and reorientation) coordinated by the academic Pôles . An academic Pole is a geographic grouping of high schools and is a place of consultation and dialogue between higher education institutions, located in the same geographic area. Its main mission is to promote and support all forms of collaboration among its members and to encourage them to work together to provide quality services to students.

There are partnerships, within the Cité des Métiers, between guidance professionals and academic experts:

The academic Pôle of Brussels, for instance, also participates in the Brussels Cités des Métiers, offering first line counselling about post-secondary studies, initiating reflection on study choice and then passing on to the guidance services of each higher education provider, considered as ‘second line’.

In Wallonia, DIORES is a multi-partnership project, jointly financed by the European Social Fund Agency (ESF), which aims to promote access to full-scale higher education or social promotion, throughout life. Its objective is threefold: to support citizens in the construction of their project; make information about higher education available in the Walloon Trades Cities and CEFOs; and to encourage links between guidance professionals, academic or professional integration experts

Sources:

https://www.mesetudes.be/enseignement-superieur/institutions/poles-academiques/

https://www.poleacabruxelles.be/aide-a-lorientation/services-dinformation-et-dorientation/

https://www.diores.be/

Employment sector

Vocational guidance is provided by several organisations in charge of vocational training and by the public employment service (PES). Regional services oversee guidance for adults. There are ‘mirror’ services developed in the two regions of Wallonia and Brussels.

FOREM (Formation Emploi – Office wallon de la formation professionnelle et de l’emploi) is the public service for employment and vocational training in Wallonia. It is the main service for the implementation of employment and training policy in the Wallonia Region. One of its main missions is to offer career guidance and counselling to every job seeker in Wallonia. FOREM provides jobseekers with personalised advice services, career planning and information designed to help them in their search for work or their professional development. FOREM also offers essais métiers (profession testing) which enable jobseekers to gain job experience in one or several professions (for one or two weeks) before engaging in a training session. Different partners complete this offer.

Another project developed by FOREM is the MISIP (stage de mise en situation professionnelle) which allows the jobseeker to gain experience in an enterprise for three up to 15 days. The offers for jobseekers are diversified and in geographic proximity to individual needs.

FOREM counsellors and decentralised Maisons de l'Emploi offer a first level of guidance for jobseekers: information on training offers or interregional mobility. Their mission is to define the needs of the public and to propose job seeking or training pathways, skills assessment, screening or connection to another service. Maisons de l'Emploi are local structures, in partnership with towns and communes. They can offer jobseekers personalised support in collaboration with local socioeconomic actors. They also collaborate with local actors: agences locales pour l’emploi (ALE), agences de développement local (ADL), non-governmental associations working in training and professional integration, adult education, and Missions regionals pour l’emploi (MIRE). Workshops and information sessions are organised in collaboration with partners. Jobseekers can also have personal meetings with a counsellor.

CEFO (Carrefours emploi formation orientation) offers specialised guidance with individual or collective advice for professional project setting. They are supported by a Convention Cadre as from July 2013 as a guidance multipartenarial service. They form a structural partnership with:

  1. FOREM (PES Wallonia service);
  2. the Agence pour une vie de qualité (AVIQ, agency for a quality life, counselling for insertion of the people with disabilities);
  3. several professional integration services;
  4. adult education;
  5. dual training operators (IFAPME, Institut wallon de Formation en alternance et des Indépendants et des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises);
  6. local missions for employment (MIRE, missions regionals pour l’emploi).

The CEFO served as a base for the development of Cités des Métiers (one-stop multipartenarial services in current development). Their mission is guidance, finding a training opportunity or creating their own activity. CEFO are considered as local relays of the Cités des Métiers set in three towns in Wallonia (Namur, Liège and Charleroi).

For the Brussels-Capital Region, ACTIRIS is the public service that oversees employment and training. Some of the services of ACTIRIS include:

  1. Bruxelles Carrefour Formation (training opportunities for job seekers);
  2. EFPME: https://www.efp.be/ dual education service offering information about training opportunities they organise;
  3. Missions locales pour l’emploi: https://be.brussels/travailler-et-entreprendre/travailler/un-emploi-a-bruxelles/missions-locales-dinsertion-socio-professionnel linked with municipalities carry out activities of information, guidance and orientation for low qualified jobseekers.

For both regions

Four Cités des Métiers (Cities of Trades) (Brussels, Charleroi, Namur and Liege) are currently being developed in Brussels and Wallonia. They organise institutional collaboration between education, vocational training, and employment sectors to offer counselling and guidance services. They are a shared space between actors in training, employment and teaching at the service of any public in search of information, advice and guidance on trades and professional life. Their mission is to guide users to all means of developing and achieving professional objectives and to accompany them in their choices. The public benefits from interviews with professionals from institutions in the fields of orientation and professional self-service documentation on employment, trades and training, and information days, seminars and meetings organised by partners or jointly produced with external partners.

The Brussels Cité des Métiers is one of the career counselling services set up by the Brussels-Capital Region PES to provide free career guidance to all citizens in one central location. It includes a new 1100 square metre interactive space - the biggest in Europe - for accessing counselling and guidance. The initiative presents significant challenges as it is the first project to bring together all the guidance, employment, training and education stakeholders (both French- and Dutch-speaking) in the Brussels Region. Since the institutional context in Brussels involves many stakeholders, the aim is to provide local residents with a single point of contact, so they can be sure which stakeholder to contact.

The Brussels Cité des Métiers has a single purpose for primary school pupils, jobseekers, those wishing to retrain and recent graduates: to provide better lifelong guidance and counselling. The service offers people who are looking for information or advice, the resources they need to develop their professional career; it is open to all, anonymous and free of charge. Visitors receive guidance on how to draw up an education or career plan and can take advantage of ultramodern ICT equipment, individual consultations and a wide range of group activities (such as information sessions, CV workshops and job days). The project is organised jointly by:

  1. Bruxelles Formation: the public body responsible for vocational training for French-speaking jobseekers and workers in Brussels;
  2. Actiris: the public employment service (PES) in Brussels;
  3. VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding Brussel): the public body responsible for vocational training for Flemish-speaking jobseekers and workers in Brussels.

These three institutions have pooled their resources to provide the people of Brussels with expert advice in the following five main areas:

  1. education;
  2. training;
  3. employment;
  4. entrepreneurship;
  5. mobility.

Cité des Métiers forms part of the Brussels Regional government’s 2025 Strategy and 2020 Training plan, which specifically recommends the creation of a shared space for providing more personalised advice and the establishment of a one-stop information shop. The Cité des métiers of Charleroi http://www.cdmcharleroi.be/ is already creating activities to discover the world of work and tools to encourage positive training choices. They also develop online services and offer various guidance activities:

  1. self-knowledge workshops aimed at the school public (end of secondary upper school) as well as to adults wishing to redefine their work project: the mission of these workshops is to help participants to know themselves better, in order to help them to define and implement their projects.
  2. individual face to face meetings;
  3. activities such as ‘real life, real challenges’ where young secondary schools pupils are put in the shoes of a young adult, based on 39 trades listings. These activities help tackle prejudice, gender and labour market issues;
  4. information sessions on various topics;
  5. a new application ‘videobox’, allows exploration of trades and skills that lead to them.

The Cités des Métiers of Liège https://www.cdmliege.be/fr and of Namur https://www.cdmnamur.be/ have been developed on the same model and provide various guidance services on site or online.

Sources

ACTIRIS http://www.actiris.be/tabid/173/language/fr-BE/A-propos-d-Actiris.aspx

Agence pour une vie de qualité (AVIQ) https://www.aviq.be/

Bruxelles Formation. https://www.bruxellesformation.brussels/

Carrefours Emploi Formation Orientation. https://www.leforem.be/contact/carrefours-emploi-formation-orientation.html

Cité des métiers Brussels. https://www.citedesmetiers.brussels/

Cité des Métiers de Charleroi. http://www.cdmcharleroi.be/

Cité des Métiers de Liège https://www.cdmliege.be/fr

Cité des Métiers de Namur https://www.cdmnamur.be/

https://www.cdmnamur.be/services/en-ligne/

Découvrir un métier - Essais métiers. https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/tester-metier-essais-metiers.html

Décret définissant les missions prioritaires de l'enseignement fondamental et de l'enseignement secondaire et organisant les structures propres à les atteindre. https://www.gallilex.cfwb.be/document/pdf/21557_039.pdf

Le FOREM https://www.leforem.be/what-can-le-forem-do-for-you.htm

Institut wallon de formation en alternance et des indépendants et petites et moyennes entreprises (IFAPME). https://www.wallonie.be/fr/acteurs-et-institutions/wallonie/autres-acteurs-publics-de-la-region-wallonne/institut-wallon-de-formation-en-alternance-et-des-independants-et-petites-et-moyennes-entreprises

Les Agences de développement local. https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/developpement-local/agences-de-developpement-local.html

Les Agences Locales pour l'emploi. https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/creation-demploi/agences-locales-pour-lemploi.html

Maisons de l'Emploi. https://www.leforem.be/contact/maisons-de-l-emploi.html

Mise en situation professionnelle (MISIP). https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/tester-metier-mise-en-situation-professionnelle.html

Missions régionales pour l’emploi (MIRE). http://www.missionsregionales-emploi.be/

Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding Brussel (VDAB). https://www.vdab.be

 

Quality assurance

Quality assurance mechanisms for guidance in schools include:

  1. inspection for school guidance in CPMS;

there are general ethical rules (included in profession rules of the staff of CPMS) but not a specific deontological code for counsellors;

  1. quality assurance mechanisms for guidance in post-secondary education are referenced in the quality standards for higher education (AEQES);
  2. AEQES (Agence pour l’évaluation de la qualité de l’enseignement supérieur), an independent public-sector agency, practising formative evaluation based on a dialogue between stakeholders within the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The agency is responsible for assessing the quality of higher education and working for its continuous improvement.

The Cités des metiers have to conform to a charter that ensures that a CDM is focused on the public’s needs. They also require all staff to receive formal training. Public employment services, FOREM or ACTIRIS, are bound by an agreement signed with the Wallonia or Brussels Government. This agreement sets out the rules and conditions on which FOREM or ACTIRIS carry out their functions and set out the obligations of both parties. These services (FOREM or ACTIRIS) undertake statistical studies to monitor and ensure the quality of their services.

Sources

Agence pour l’évaluation de la qualité de l’enseignement supérieur (n.d.). http://www.aeqes.be/agence.cfm

Contrat de Gestion entre le Gouvernement wallon et l’Office wallon de la formation professionnelle et de l’emploi 2017-2022 (n.d.). https://www.leforem.be/MungoBlobs/1391423804365/20170131_Contrat_de_gestion_2017_2022_du_FOREM,0.pdf

Contrat de gestion 2017-2022. Garantir la qualité pour tous et toutes (n.d.). http://www.actiris.be/Portals/37/Contrat_de_gestion_Actiris_2017_2022_Garantir_la_qualit%C3%A9_pour_tous_et_toutes.pdf

 

Career management skills

The mission statement of compulsory education (July 1997, revised in 2012 and 2016) integrates (article 8,6°) guidance within the education process, helping pupils to know about professions and to be informed about education opportunities (see section Access to guidance). In this framework, the class council (teachers’ meeting in charge of continuous pupil’s assessment) is responsible for providing the guidance, in collaboration with the PMS centres: multiprofessional – psychologists, social workers, nurses - teams including career counsellors. Each school must set out an action plan which, since 2016 (article 67), has to describe and report precisely the strategies, built in collaboration with PMS Centres, for pupil guidance and how to promote guidance tools throughout the education path.

In the framework of the reform (Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence), the development of career management skills is emphasised (for further information see avis n°3 pp 68-74) to improve student ‘positive’ orientation. The common core curriculum is to be extended until the age of 15 (instead of 14), reinforced and diversified. This allows students in the common core to try different practices (technological, technical, scientific, artistic, democratic, physical) and to test their different talents, in order to enhance and develop the skills and strengths of everyone. It also aims to integrate activities promoting knowledge of trades and the discovery of the world of work by observations or contents of teaching activities. Transversal domains explicitly refer to the development of career management skills (apprendre à faire des choix, learn to make choices) and activities from the start of the common core and to the development of entrepreneurship and creativity. There is special attention on revaluing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and the image of technical and manual sectors and trades.

There are four main initiatives to be developed in the framework of the reform:

  1. develop a web orientation portal to ensure quality information about studies and professions;
  2. put in place ‘guidance symposiums’ to study and share innovative approaches in terms of orientation;
  3. integrate contents linked to career management skills (capacité à s’orienter) to school activities and in teacher initial training;
  4. implement in schools the Approche orientante model (whole school guidance approach), inspired by Quebec, including:
  1. specific guidance strategy must be provided in each school action plan;
  2. structural partnerships are to be developed between education and employment and training sectors to support teachers and the PMS centres and build together guidance activities:
    • a specific actor is financed by the education ministry to work in each one of the Cités des Métiers and contribute to the promotion of guidance activities in schools. Cités des Métiers are multi-partner structures consisting of institutional collaboration between education, vocational training, and employment sectors to offer counselling and guidance services. Collaborations are encouraged between them and schools to offer pupils information and guidance activities throughout education paths;
    • some existing projects have been extended in the framework of the Youth guarantee, such as JEEP (Jeunes, Ecole, Emploi, tout un programme), a collaborative project between the Brussels-Capital Region and the French-speaking Community (education) aiming to improve the transition between school and active life. Guidance activities, designed for students at the end of mandatory education, consist of heightening awareness to work reality, helping with to student job experience and linking to enterprises.
    • the Walloon PES is offering guidance activities to secondary schools, aiming at better knowledge of professions (Les métiers vont à l’école, professions go to school).

Sources

Déclaration gouvernementale Communauté française 2019-2024 http://www.federation-wallonie-bruxelles.be/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&g=0&hash=d46c9f4830a54be6e1cd75d62c91dbd4bfd19b73&file=fileadmin/sites/portail/uploads/Illustrations_documents_images/A._A_propos_de_la_Federation/3._Gouvernement/DPC2019-2024.pdf

Décret définissant les missions prioritaires de l'enseignement fondamental et de l'enseignement secondaire et organisant les structures propres à les atteindre. https://www.gallilex.cfwb.be/document/pdf/21557_039.pdf

Jeunes, Ecole, Emploi: tout un Programme. http://www.jeepbxl.be/

Les métiers vont à l’école. https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/metiers-vont-ecole.html

Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence (2017). http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=28280

Approche orientante. http://approcheorientante.be/

 

Career information, ICT in guidance

There is no single website for career information. In the framework of the current reform, the education sector is developing (and implementing in 2022) a portal dedicated to orientation, to guarantee structured and complete information about the specificities of each learning path, in a lifelong guidance (LLG) perspective, of professions and realities of job market. This is expected to have an impact on strengthening cooperation agreements with the employment sector. Various websites by sector are presented below.

  1. Education
  • Mon école, mon métier: On February 26, 2019, the World Labour School Relations Directorate launched a new website entitled My school, my trade (https://monecolemonmetier.cfwb.be/ ) which as a qualifying enhancement action carried out by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation is an informative site for secondary school pupils and their parents, as well as teaching and career guidance professionals. The site offers a description of more than 80 qualifying teaching options, along with practical information on qualifying-related subjects (stages, alternating courses, diplomas). The general public can also learn about the actions and events organised in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation thanks to the news and the agenda, which is regularly updated
  • A portal dedicated to career guidance is being developed within the reform Pacte pour un Enseignement d’excellence and is expected to be operational in 2022.

 

  1. Employment

Wallonia

Brussels-Capital Region

These portals are being currently redesigned in the framework of the newly created Cités des Métiers (see section Access to guidance), which aim to strengthen cooperation between organisations active in education, training, employment and career guidance, gathering the information provided by these organisations at a single point of contact where clients can find it in an easily accessible format.

Some Cités des Métiers have established partnerships to develop and offer access to ICT tools such as:Emploi box (https://www.emploi-box.be/). This tool, developed by FOREM, gives access to different online services:

  1. build a professional project using advice from specialised sites: career guidance, labour market situation, ideas for trades;
  2. find all the services to develop an international experience or career: advice, immersion, studies, internships, employment, development cooperation, volunteering;
  3. services to find training that meets your professional project and leads you to employment;.
  4. find job offers that match your profile, file your CV online, prepare for job interviews, create attractive resumés;
  5. find useful services for starting a business: advice on how to make an idea a reality, starting a business, developing the business;

Another example is the Videobox developed by the Cité des Métiers of Charleroi, giving access to online exploration of trades: https://videobox.cdmcharleroi.be/index.html#!Home!home

There are also private services such as the Service d’information sur les études et les professions SIEP, a non-profit organisation having public support from the regions and the French-speaking Community. It provides information about professions and training in multiple formats (text, web, video).

Sources

Dorifor http://www.dorifor.be/Mon école, mon métier. https://monecolemonmetier.cfwb.be/

Emploi box https://www.emploi-box.be/

FORMAPass. https://www.leforem.be/FORMAPass/catalogue-des-formations-insertions.html

Horizons emploi. https://www.leforem.be/HE/former/horizonsemploi-index.html

Information sur le Marché du Travail à Bruxelles. http://imtb.actiris.be

Video box https://videobox.cdmcharleroi.be/index.html#!Home!home

Service d’information sur les études et les professions (SIEP) https://www.siep.be/

 

Training and qualifications

There is no specific initial training for guidance counsellors; most are currently psychologists. Some universities have introduced specific guidance topics in the training of psychologists:

  1. first cycle specific module Counselling and career guidance, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Psychological sciences and Education (5 credits - 36 hours); https://www.ulb.be/fr/programme/2020-psyc-e3044
  2. second cycle specific module School and vocational guidance, Université de Louvain (UCL) Faculty of Psychology and Education sciences (6O hours);
  3. the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Mons develops research and projects in the Approche orientante in schools (inspired by Quebec model) which is to be implemented in schools in the framework of the current reform (Pacte pour un Enseignement d’excellence). This will require specific initial training for teachers, which should be included in initial training and professional development for teachers.
  4.  Postgraduate career guidance training has recently been created in Université de Louvain (UCL): https://uclouvain.be/prog-2020-orsp2fc

Counsellors of Centres PMS (who are psychologists or social workers) are entitled to ten days of professional development training in matters related to guidance. In the framework of the current school system reform, tools and training related to guidance will be included in initial and professional development of teachers; the goal is to enable them to incorporate careers topics in their teaching activities.

Each Cité des Métiers (one-stop guidance services) is developing guidance counsellor training for their workers. Other initiatives are aiming for better training of counsellors, as the Points Com (Points Connaissance Métiers), used at FOREM (Belgian Walloon PES) since 2013. Its aim is to contribute to the development of the socio-economic knowledge of FOREM counsellors by strengthening their knowledge of the professions/sectors. Participation in a CoM Point allows advisors and trainers to be made aware of the evolution of the key trades in the job and training market, but also to have a space for exchanges between colleagues.

Sources

Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence. Avis No 3 du Groupe central (2017). http://www.pactedexcellence.be/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PACTE-Avis3_versionfinale.pdf

https://uclouvain.be/prog-2020-orsp2fc

 

Funding career guidance

School guidance (teachers and Centres psycho-médico-sociaux (CPMS)

The mandatory school system is funded by the general education budget. One person is also provided to each Cité des Métiers (see section Access to guidance) to make links between schools and guidance activities developed by Cités des Métiers. The counsellors working in Cités des Métiers come mostly from the PES services; the others come from other partners. Each partner pays the salary for the people on their payrolls.

FOREM (PES Wallonia) is a public service placed under the supervision of the Walloon Government represented by the Walloon Minister of Employment and Training. FOREM is under independent management. It operates with the regional allocations received by the Minister of Employment and Training as part of the total budget of the region voted by the Walloon Parliament.

ACTIRIS (PES Brussels-Capital Region) is a public service placed under the supervision of the Brussels Government represented by the Brussels Minister of Employment and Economy. ACTIRIS is under independent management. The Agency signs an agreement with the Brussels Government. This contract plans the missions and objectives for the period covered. It receives allocations from the Government to implement its missions. There are public subsidies to private services, such as SIEP (Service d’information sur les etudes et les professions) (see section ICT in lifelong guidance).

 

Guidance for unemployed adults

In Belgium, the individual follow-up support provided to jobseekers continues to be the main measure taken by the public employment services (PES) in collaboration with local organisations.

In Wallonia, these are Centres d’insertion socio-professionnelle (CISP, socio-professional integration centres), Maisons régionales pour l’emploi (regional employment offices) and Carrefours emploi-formation-orientation (employment training orientation offices). Wallonia also signed the Pacte pour l’Emploi et la Formation (employment and training pact) with the social partners in June 2016; this targets poorly or medium-qualified young people under 25 years and the long-term unemployed The framework agreement between FOREM and the Federation of CPAS (Centre public d’action sociale, public social services centre) renewed in July 2016 sets out the framework for motivation, socialisation and orientation actions with the opportunity for internships in companies and active job search activities

Brussels works with Missions locales pour l’emploi (local missions for employment) and Organismes d’insertion socio-professionnelle (OISP, socio-professional integration organisations). Following an interview with a counsellor and the creation of a project or career plan based on their profile, jobseekers can be provided with free remediation, training - in a public or partner training centre - or individual vocational training at a company. Support for the long-term unemployed and/or their training can also be handled by non-profit organisations (ASBL/VZW).

Sources

Les Centres d'Insertion Socioprofessionnelle (CISP) https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/formation/cisp.html

Les Missions Régionales pour l'Emploi https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/creation-demploi/missions-regionales.html

Carrefours emploi-formation-orientation https://www.leforem.be/contact/carrefours-emploi-formation-orientation.html

Missions Locales http://missionlocalebxlville.be/

Organismes d’insertion socio-professionnelle http://www.verviers.be/vivre-a-verviers/sante-social/vie-sociale/emploi-et-formation/organisme-dinsertion-socio-professionnelle

Pacte pour l’Emploi et la Formation (2016). https://www.codef.be/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2016-06-16_APE_GT-CODEF_PPT-Pacte-reorganisation-aides-a-lemploi.pdf

Centre public d’action sociale https://www.belgium.be/fr/famille/aide_sociale/cpas

 

Guidance for NEET

Youth guarantee plans have been implemented in 2014 in the regions by public authorities, ACTIRIS in Brussels and FOREM in Wallonia. There are seven different parts ranging from information for jobseekers to training and education. It is part of each stage of the young person’s transition to employment.

The public French-speaking training service (Bruxelles Formation) developed a new information outreach tool the Form Truck project, which was inaugurated in 2017 by Bruxelles Formation. It consists of a mobile information centre, which travels around the capital to inform, attract, guide and enrol particularly NEETs into training, validation of skills or education pathways.

Sources

https://www.leforem.be/a-propos/projets-garantie-jeunesse.html

https://www.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/mandats-et-reseaux/

Bruxelles Formation (n.d.). https://www.bruxellesformation.brussels/

“Le Formtruck, outil mobile innovant” (2017). https://www.bruxellesformation.brussels/le-formtruck-outil-mobile-innovant/

 

Sources

“Le Formtruck, outil mobile innovant” (2017). https://www.bruxellesformation.brussels/le-formtruck-outil-mobile-innovant/

ACTIRIS : https://www.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/

Agence pour l’évaluation de la qualité de l’enseignement supérieur (n.d.). http://www.aeqes.be/agence.cfm

Agence pour une vie de qualité (AVIQ) https://www.aviq.be/

Approche orientante. http://approcheorientante.be/

Bassins enseignement – formation – emploi (EFE) http://bassinefe.be

Bruxelles Formation. https://www.bruxellesformation.brussels/

Carrefours Emploi Formation Orientation. https://www.leforem.be/contact/carrefours-emploi-formation-orientation.html

Centre de ressources en matière d’orientation et de sensibilisation aux métiers. Répertoire d’outils. https://www.bassinefe-wapi.be/files/pdf/Oser%20en%20Wapi/Oser%20en%20Wapi%20brochure%20r%C3%A9actualis%C3%A9%202018.pdf

Centre public d’action sociale https://www.belgium.be/fr/famille/aide_sociale/cpas

CENTRES PMS: http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=0&navi=365

Cité des métiers Brussels. https://www.citedesmetiers.brussels/

Cité des métiers de Bruxelles https://www.citedesmetiers.brussels/fr-BE/Home

Cité des Métiers de Charleroi. http://www.cdmcharleroi.be/

Cité des Métiers de Liège https://www.cdmliege.be/fr Cité des métiers de Liège : https://www.cdmliege.be/fr/

Cité des Métiers de Namur https://www.cdmnamur.be/ Cité des métiers de Namur : https://www.cdmnamur.be/

Contrat de gestion 2017-2022. Garantir la qualité pour tous et toutes (n.d.). http://www.actiris.be/Portals/37/Contrat_de_gestion_Actiris_2017_2022_Garantir_la_qualit%C3%A9_pour_tous_et_toutes.pdf

Contrat de Gestion entre le Gouvernement wallon et l’Office wallon de la formation professionnelle et de l’emploi 2017-2022 (n.d.). https://www.leforem.be/MungoBlobs/1391423804365/20170131_Contrat_de_gestion_2017_2022_du_FOREM,0.pdf

Déclaration gouvernementale Communauté française 2019-2024 http://www.federation-wallonie-bruxelles.be/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&g=0&hash=d46c9f4830a54be6e1cd75d62c91dbd4bfd19b73&file=fileadmin/sites/portail/uploads/Illustrations_documents_images/A._A_propos_de_la_Federation/3._Gouvernement/DPC2019-2024.pdf

Déclaration gouvernementale Région wallonne 2019-2024:http:///www.wallonie.be/sites/default/files/2019-09/declaration_politique_regionale_2019-2024.pdf

Découvrir un métier - Essais métiers. https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/tester-metier-essais-metiers.html

Décret définissant les missions prioritaires de l'enseignement fondamental et de l'enseignement secondaire et organisant les structures propres à les atteindre. https://www.gallilex.cfwb.be/document/pdf/21557_039.pdf

Dorifor. http://www.dorifor.be/Mon école, mon métier. https://monecolemonmetier.cfwb.be/

Dorifor: http://www.dorifor.be/

Emploi box https://www.emploi-box.be/

Euridyce (2019) Belgium-frenchcommunityoverview

FOREM: https://www.leforem.be/

FORMAPass: https://www.leforem.be/FORMAPass/catalogue-des-formations-insertions.html

Horizons emploi. https://www.leforem.be/HE/former/horizonsemploi-index.html

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/belgium-french-community_en

https://uclouvain.be/prog-2020-orsp2fc

https://www.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/mandats-et-reseaux/

https://www.cdmnamur.be/services/en-ligne/

https://www.diores.be/

https://www.leforem.be/a-propos/projets-garantie-jeunesse.html

https://www.mesetudes.be/enseignement-superieur/institutions/poles-academiques/

https://www.poleacabruxelles.be/aide-a-lorientation/services-dinformation-et-dorientation/

Information sur le Marché du Travail à Bruxelles. http://imtb.actiris.be

Information sur le Marché du Travail à Bruxelles: http://imtb.actiris.be  

Institut wallon de formation en alternance et des indépendants et petites et moyennes entreprises (IFAPME) . https://www.wallonie.be/fr/acteurs-et-institutions/wallonie/autres-acteurs-publics-de-la-region-wallonne/institut-wallon-de-formation-en-alternance-et-des-independants-et-petites-et-moyennes-entreprises

Jeunes, Ecole, Emploi: tout un Programme. http://www.jeepbxl.be/

Le FOREM https://www.leforem.be/what-can-le-forem-do-for-you.htm

Les Agences de développement local. https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/developpement-local/agences-de-developpement-local.html

Les Agences Locales pour l'emploi. https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/creation-demploi/agences-locales-pour-lemploi.html

Les Centres d'Insertion Socioprofessionnelle (CISP) https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/formation/cisp.html

Les métiers vont à l’école. https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/metiers-vont-ecole.html

Les Missions Régionales pour l'Emploi https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/creation-demploi/missions-regionales.html

Maisons de l'Emploi. https://www.leforem.be/contact/maisons-de-l-emploi.html

Mise en situation professionnelle (MISIP). https://www.leforem.be/particuliers/tester-metier-mise-en-situation-professionnelle.html

Missions Locales http://missionlocalebxlville.be/

Missions régionales pour l’emploi (MIRE). http://www.missionsregionales-emploi.be/

Organismes d’insertion socio-professionnelle http://www.verviers.be/vivre-a-verviers/sante-social/vie-sociale/emploi-et-formation/organisme-dinsertion-socio-professionnelle

Pacte pour l’Emploi et la Formation (2016). https://www.codef.be/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2016-06-16_APE_GT-CODEF_PPT-Pacte-reorganisation-aides-a-lemploi.pdf

Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence (2017). http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=28280

Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence (2017-2030) Avis n°3 http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=28280

Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence. Avis No 3 du Groupe central (2017). http://www.pactedexcellence.be/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PACTE-Avis3_versionfinale.pdf

Service d’information sur les études et les professions (SIEP) https://www.siep.be/

The Brussels-Capital Region public employment service is ACTIRIS: https://www.actiris.be

The Wallonia public employment service is the FOREM (Formation Emploi – Office Wallon de la formation professionnelle et de l’emploi) https://www.leforem.be/ )

Video box https://videobox.cdmcharleroi.be/index.html#!Home!home

Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding Brussel (VDAB). https://www.vdab.be

Country-specific report details