“Brussels is missing out on talent.”
Between 2020 and 2024, the administrations of the Brussels-Capital Region recruited fewer than 30 people through recognition of prior learning (RPL). This is evident from recent answers from the government in the Brussels Parliament. The aim of the RPL pathway is to help jobseekers find employment more easily, but it is therefore hardly applied within the Brussels public services. Incomprehensible, according to MP Ilyas Mouani (Vooruit.brussels), who raised the issue.
‘Earlier acquired competencies’ were introduced to help job seekers without formal qualifications find employment based on work experience, informal training or self-study.. A similar system is that of admission tickets, which were introduced to give people without a diploma access to public service positions via an entrance exam. Both systems are important because they contribute to social mobility and labour market inclusion. “However, we must note that the public services of the Brussels-Capital Region are barely making use of these instruments,” says Ilyas Mouani (Vooruit.brussels). “Yet they are very useful for developing opportunities. What matters is the right man/woman/person in the right place, not just what's on your diploma.”
Faulty system
Although the Dutch and French-speaking validation centres (such as Syntra, Bruxelles Formation, VDAB and CVO Brussels) issued 7,851 competency certificates between 2020 and 2024, the figures show that these hardly lead to concrete recruitment in Brussels public services in practice. “Brussels is letting talent slip away,” Mouani continues, “It is clear that relevant work experience and valuable skills are considered less important than a diploma. When almost 8,000 competency certificates lead to fewer than 30 recruitments, you cannot help but conclude that this system is failing in practice.”
“Brussels is missing out on talent,” says Ilyas Mouani, Brussels MP for Vooruit.brussels, It is clear that relevant work experience and valuable skills are considered less important than a degree.“
The gap between recognition and employment
According to the competent government members, this is all due to the lack of new entry ticket tests, an unclear legal framework, and the fact that new provisions for bottleneck professions will come into force later this year. In the meantime, many government institutions continue to recruit through classic procedures, with the diploma at the centre. “These figures show that there is a gap between policy on competence recognition and its application within the public sector. Without concrete and ambitious implementation of the reforms, the potential of thousands of people in Brussels with relevant experience risks remaining untapped,” says Mouani.
| Organisation | Number of recruitments via EVCs |
| hub.brussels | 0 |
| citydev.brussels | 0 |
| Innoviris | 0 |
| Brupartners | 0 |
| DBDMH | 1 |
| urban.brussels | 0 |
| Property fund | 0 |
| Actiris | 0 |
| leefmilieu.brussels | 2 |
| port.brussels | 0 |
| Brussels Net | 7 |
| parking.brussels | 6 |
| Gob | 1 |
| talent.brussels | 0 |
| fiscality.brussels | 0 |
| Total | 17* |
The MIVB does not have this data.