Belgium: Construction trade and skilled labour jobs

The Lotto Sports Arena, Antwerp, a 7,500 capacity sport and concert venue built in 2007




Ageing workforce presents recruitment challenge

Belgium is divided in to three regions:

The Dutch speaking region of Flanders or Flemish region in the north;

The French speaking southern region of Wallonia in the south and;

Brussels, the capital region, in the centre, which is predominantly French speaking

Unemployment rates vary considerably between the regions. Brussels was 19% at the end of May, 2007, Wallonia 13% and Flanders only 5.6%. Flanders accounts for about 60 % of the Belgian economy and 60 per cent of the Belgian construction industry.

Employment challenge
Due to an ageing population, particularly in Flanders, a major challenge for the Flemish construction sector is that of replacing workforce. 46% of the construction workforce is now 40 years and older.
Nationally the Belgian construction industry needs an annual skilled workforce intake of about 17,000 new workers to replace those who leave each year. In the next few years, this will increase as a larger number move towards retirement than ever was the case in the past.

Bottleneck vacancies
VDAB is the Flanders public employment service, and each year it compiles a list of ‘Bottleneck’ vacancies. Bottleneck vacancies take longer to fill than average. Because of serious skills shortages pretty much every vacancies in the Belgian construction industry is considered such.
At the moment from a trades perspective in terms of Bottleneck vacancies carpentry and furniture making are the hardest posts to fill. This is followed by stonemasons and finally maintenance people.

Top 10 Most Difficult Belgian Construction Vacancies to Fill

• 1. Carpenters/furniture makers (2,456)
• 2.Masons (1,566)
• 3.Building maintenance people (1,040)
  
• 4.Painters/interior decorators (822)
  
• 5. Roofers (789)
  
• 6. Plasterers (586)
  
• 7. Civil engineers (485)
  
• 8. Industrial painters (416)
  
• 9. Pavers (411)
  
• 10. Formworkers (410)

A few shortages are of a qualitative nature and due to a lack of competences or specific technical skills. This is particularly so in the case of building maintenance personnel, painters and formworkers. But the main reason for most Bottleneck vacancies is a shortage of candidates. There are just too few candidates available on the Belgian labour market.


Belgian Construction Outlook
Over the past two years Belgium has experienced a small decrease in activity in the residential construction market, particularly in Flanders. Non residential building activities have taken over as the motor of the construction industry in Belgium.
Key areas of development include the construction of new industrial sites, logistic and commercial centres, offices and hospitals. It is anticipated that this will continue for some time.

Over the coming years the Belgian government will undertake a number of ambitious investment programmes which will result in the construction of new schools, infrastructure and social housing. The majority of this construction work will be carried out in the Flanders region.

Sources: VDAB (Flemish Public Employment Service), Belgian Confederation of Construction Enterprises, EURES (EU job mobility association),

Minister’s Gaffe increases pressure on Irish Government to deliver NDP

CIF Director General, Tom Parlon chats to Irish Environment Minister John Gormley and CIF President, Hank Fogarty at the FIEC conference in Dublin Castle


Judging by the commentary in newspapers over the weekend Stephen Staunton can relax, as there is a new ‘Gaffer’ in town. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan’s somewhat undiplomatic proclamation that the Irish economy has come to a “shuddering stop” was greeted with unease by the delegates gathered for the FIEC European Construction Conference held in Dublin last weekend.

Addressing the conference in Dublin Castle, Construction Industry Federation (CIF) president Hank Fogarty argued that reducing infrastructure spending would be a very negative reaction. He said: “Across Europe the best solution has been to invest in infrastructure and planning to ensure future economic success.”

There is growing pressure on the Irish Government to deliver creative solutions in maintaining momentum on the €184bn National Development Plan (NDP) as opposed slamming the till shut. With the levels of employment in the Irish Construction industry still very high, it will be difficult to re-establish some level of momentum once overall market conditions improve if cutbacks in spending is the only solution the Government can present.

Hank Fogarty also challenged the Irish and other European governments to lead by example in the drive to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment.

He said: “There are a range of issues that should be used by the government to help bring about more reductions in our energy consumption. The most recent report from Sustainable Energy Ireland added to the record price for crude oil, should serve as a wake up call to all sectors of the economy with regard to tackling climate change. With the introduction of new building energy regulations from 1 July, which set out improvements in energy efficiencies of new residential buildings, there is an ideal opportunity for the Government to lead by example in the battle on energy usage. The Government, through Local Authorities, State Agencies and Government Departments has the largest property folio in the country and there is a ready-made opportunity for them to lead by example with regard to energy saving initiatives. By spearheading a programme aimed at the stock of exiting buildings the Government can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve our environment in the most efficient and cost effective way possible.”

Also speaking at the conference CIF director general Tom Parlon said that house building needed to return to a sustainable level of about 50,000 new homes a year saying “house building is a big contributor to the exchequer and these revenues would dry up if the industry stalls.” He said that trick was to get to a sustainable level of production that will keep people employed.

International recruiters compete for construction workers in Dublin

Depending on what statistic you read, anywhere between four and 17 per cent of migrants who came to Ireland in search of work after the Accession States joined the EU in May, 2004, have left the country in the past year.

On 13 and 14 June, FAS hosted a ‘European Construction Jobs Fair’ at its offices in D’Olier Street, Dublin. In attendance were employment advisers from Government agencies in the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, Norway and Denmark, each advising construction workers on the numerous employment and career development options available within the construction sector throughout Europe.

There were also two recruitment agencies in attendance offering construction jobs in the UK, construction jobs in Netherlands and construction jobs in Poland to name a few places.

Competition to attract construction recruits was great with a number of stands offering flights and accommodation to the right job candidate.

A representative on the Polish stand told constructionjobs.ie that they expect to see a marked increase in construction activity in Poland next year when work begins on stadia for the European Championships 2012. This they say will kick start a construction boom in the country, which will result in huge investment in the development of road and rail infrastructure, hotel construction and residential development.

An advisor from the Scottish jobs agency said there were considerable construction job opportunities in residential development in Aberdeen – a vital support to the North Sea oil industry. She said there were also huge construction job opportunities in Edinburgh, particularly with the ongoing development of the new Edinburgh tramway system on track (Excuse the pun).

The FAS offices in which the event was held were packed to capacity with majority of stands targeting tradesmen and skilled labour. But there was also big demand for engineers. I will be publishing updates on opportunities in individual countries over the coming weeks.

€17bn scheme to deliver massive Spanish construction jobs boom

Over 65,000 jobs are reportedly to be created with the development of a new spy-themed leisure complex in Aragon, Spain. With construction of the Gran Scala leisure complex planned to start by the end of 2008, it is expected that there will be a massive construction recruitment drive in Spain and elsewhere over the coming months.
The international development consortium behind the scheme recently unveiled plans for the €17billion Gran Scala complex and they were enthusiastically welcomed by locals and Government.
Despite global market uncertainty and doubts about economic growth, the Gran Scala development will be a huge boost for construction job opportunities in Spain. The Spanish Government has also committed to an infrastructure roll-out programme. The local government in Zaragoza has agreed to invest €250million in transport links, power and telecommunications for the project which will result in a boom for civils jobs in Aragon.
Developers of Gran Scala say the scheme will be built in three stages, cover an area of 2,025 hectares and employ 65,000 people. The first phase will start in late 2008 and will last about two years. This will comprise the construction of three theme parks and a group of casinos. The second phase will consist of the development of a fourth theme park and other casinos and the final stage is scheduled to be completed in 2023. There will also be a golf course, horse racing, conference centres, museums and concert halls.
Most of the investment will be on building 32 themed casinos, 70 hotels and five theme parks.

Experienced construction professionals required to deliver ambitious developments in Romania

Irish Construction developers operating in Romania are looking to recruit Irish construction professionals to advance their ambitious schemes in the country. Key professionals they are looking to recruit include project managers, quantity surveyors and site managers.
For more information please click Romania Construction Jobs

Deals worth E2.2bn to bring Olympic jobs boom to Southern Russia

The Russian construction industry will be undertaking a massive recruitment drive in to meet to deliver infrastructure targets for the 2014 Winter Olympics Sochi, in the southern region of Krasnodar.

Construction deals for southern Russia worth a total of 2E.2bn have been signed at an economic forum in the city of Sochi in southern Russia.

for more information in regards to this article please log on to Russian Construction Jobs

Godfather employment scheme helps migrants in Switzerland

Engineers recruited from a abroad to fill vacancies in Switzerland are benefiting from a Godfather scheme, which partners new foreign recruits with established Swiss workers to help smooth their integration in to the company.
According to www.swissinfo.org, the mentoring scheme known as the "Godfather system" is helping foreign employees integrate into the workforce of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland.Swiss firms are increasingly having to look abroad for staff to expand their ranks, but SMEs have less experience in recruiting internationally. Godfathers are seen as one way around the problem.A recent survey by Swiss banking giant UBS revealed that the country's industrial sector is working at 91.4 per cent capacity and that 40 per cent of firms are looking to recruit new personnel.With the economy booming, the supply of skilled Swiss workers can no longer meet demand, particularly in the engineering sector, which has led to more foreign recruits crossing into Switzerland.Unlike international firms such as Novartis, Nestlé or UBS, smaller companies have less time, resources and experience to cope with the demographic changes in their workforce.The Godfather system, developed at the ZfU International Business School in Thalwil on the outskirts of Zurich, pairs up new foreign recruits with established Swiss workers to help smooth the integration process.The Godfather mentor should be someone with an interest in the foreign colleague's country of origin, ZfU chief executive Christophe Soutter told swissinfo. But the scheme has also been devised to be a two-way street between both parties."The Godfather can explain how Swiss people live and [describe] the cultural and political system to help the new recruit acclimatise," he said. "But the Godfather should also translate the recruit's culture and philosophy to other Swiss employees."

€185m expressway contract boosts job opportunities in Poland

Construction company Budimex has signed a contract worth 677mn zlotys (€188m) with Poland's state motorway agency (GDDKiA) for the construction of an expressway in the west of Poland. The road will run between the city of Szczecin on the German border and Gorzow Wielkopolski.

Skilled migrants targeted with EU jobs Blue Card

A new EU Blue Card visa proposal could open up the European jobs market for skilled construction professionals from non EU countries.
The European Commission has proposed setting up a new ‘Blue Card’ system to attract much-needed highly skilled workers to the EU. The aim of the proposal is to get the best brains from non-EU countries to come to Europe rather than automatically opting for the US.“Highly skilled workers from all over the world are welcome in the European Union," said commission president José Manuel Barroso, announcing the proposals. The Brussels proposal envisages a fast-track scheme for foreign workers so long as they have a minimum one-year work contract guaranteeing earnings of at least three times the national minimum wage, professional experience and health insurance.Thousands of skilled migrants from Asia and Africa could be handed visas to live and work in Europe, under the new plan and cardholders would have the opportunity to set up permanent residence after five consecutive years of living in any EU state.However not all countries are fully behind the proposal. Ireland will not automatically participate in the scheme but has to indicate within three months whether it would like to take part. The UK, with a huge skills gap in construction, is likely to opt out of the scheme, as it sets its own policy on immigration. The EC has stressed it will not dictate to member states how many migrants they must take.Globally, only 5% of skilled migrants currently migrate to the EU, compared with 85% of the world’s unskilled migrants.The blue cardholders will also be able to add up their work periods in different member states so that they can eventually be granted long-term residency in the EU

Deals worth E2.2bn to bring Olympic jobs boom to Southern Russia

The Russian construction industry will be undertaking a massive recruitment drive in to meet to deliver infrastructure targets for the 2014 Winter Olympics Sochi, in the southern region of Krasnodar.
Construction deals for southern Russia worth a total of 2E.2bn have been signed at an economic forum in the city of Sochi in southern Russia.
The deals cover a range of developments including hotels, entertainment complexes and shopping centres. The new developments will be built in the region of Krasnodar.The Sochi Economic Forum has been held every year since 2002 and it brings together top-ranking government ministers, regional officials, and investors in the southern resort.This year’s forum was focused on infrastructure and construction projects for Sochi, which will host the Winter Olympics in 2014.

Germany and Denmark multi billion euro bridge to bring jobs windfall

Denmark and Germany will build a road and rail bridge across the Fehmarn Strait in the western Baltic Sea, which will land link the two countries by 2018. According to a statement by the Danish Ministry of Transport and Energy the bridge will be owned and financed by Denmark, and paid for by tolls from users on the direct route from Hamburg to Copenhagen.In a statement, Danish Transport Minister Flemming Hansen said: "A permanent connection across the Fehmarn Strait will link Scandinavia and the European continent together for the benefit of Europe as well as Denmark and Germany. Quicker and more efficient transport will benefit people and businesses on both sides of the strait." Subject to agreement by the German and Danish parliaments, Denmark is to finance the construction of the 19-km (12-mile) bridge between Roedby, on the Danish island of Lolland, and Puttgarden, on the German island of Fehmarn.
The Danish Government is to provide a loan guarantee of DK.35bn (E.4.7bn/$6.3bn) in funding, while the German Government says it will invest around E1.2bn ($1.6bn) on the German side. Agreement to build the bridge has been a decade in the making and construction is now expected to begin in 2011. The bridge will have four lanes for cars and two for trains.