digitalcity.brussels
Digitalcity.brussels brings together major innovation players in the Brussels field of digital technology and training in one innovation hub via a public-private partnership (PPP). With the memorandum for the PPP signed in 2018, the Digitalcity.brussels online space has been available since 2020 in both French and Dutch. With several labour union organisations and public ministries involved, including stakeholders and training providers from all areas of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, the initiative aims to builds a bridge between companies and jobseekers in the Brussels region and support the overall retraining and upskilling of the Belgian workforce. The initiative's main stakeholders include the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the French-speaking Brussels Government, and social partners throughout the digital sector.
Background and context
Digitalcity.brussels also aims to raise awareness about new digital professions of the future throughout the general population of Belgium, with a specific focus on the Brussels region. The ICT training and employment centre provides frequent qualifying trainings, short courses, professional support and events for everyone with experience or simply an interest in the digital sector. A wide variety of trainings and courses on subjects and/or sectors is also available, with opportunities targeting all levels of knowledge - from basic training to more advanced, including specific paths for digital experts interested in upskilling or knowledge-sharing.
Together with the provision of trainings, courses and qualifying programmes linked to digital, the centre also validates skills and supports companies in need of specific digital profiles, who often struggle with recruiting and training suitable candidates. This recruitment-oriented approach gives an added flexibility to the programme, as provided trainings can be tailor-made according to specific organisational needs. The centre is also equipped with state-of-the art technology, a digital media studio, and laboratories dedicated to work and projects around network technologies.
Why is this a good practice?
Since its launch, the initiative has achieved considerable impact on the target audience it addresses: more than 300 trainings on digital skills have been conducted and 50,000 certificates on digital skills have been issued. Digitalcity.brussels has also launched 30 courses, tailored to jobseekers, with different duration: from several weeks to months, combined with a work placement - with the aim of strengthening employment on a national level. Today, the initiative brings together more than 25 partner organisations and aims to integrate further synergies with academic institutions, universities, and research centres. Digitalcity.brussels has a sustainable approach to training, offering accessible and easy to navigate information, tailored to specific social groups, supported by continuous monitoring of labour market needs.
In 2023, digitalcity.brussels further solidified its intention of making sure opportunities in the digital sector can meet the needs of Brussels residents, whether they are unemployed or already working. With over 20 information sessions organised throughout 2023, the initiative succeeded in:
- Organising visits and information sessions for job seekers, guidance professionals and public and private sector actors in the field - digitalcity.brussels took part in the Training Fair Exhibition of the city of Brussels, and a plethora of other events: the Printemps du Numérique, the Orange Technical Discovery Day, the Brussels IT Job Day of the City of Brussels and the ELLE Active Forum;
- Job seekers in 2023, who benefitted from the initiative, were highly satisfied, with an average overall satisfaction rating of 83.8%.
- Digitalcity.brussels also succeeded in making a training catalogue with more than 100 offers for employees across sectors.
- Other achievements included: developing an experimental monitoring system to collect and analyze trends in job offers in the IT sector; loaning computer equipment to job seekers; and acquisition of digital infrastructure and equipment.
