Two years after the bankruptcy of bus manufacturer Van Hool, three out of four employees are back at work. This is according to figures released by Flemish Minister of Employment Zuhal Demir.
According to the N-VA minister, the figures show that targeted guidance, outplacement, and training through VDAB, a Flemish government agency that matches labor supply and demand, are making a significant difference.
Impressive success
Two years ago, the iconic bus manufacturer in Koningshooikt near Lier closed its doors. The impact was significant: 2,404 people lost their jobs. More than half of the employees were over 45, and 266 were over 60.
Nevertheless, many former employees, despite their long careers, have managed to find new jobs. Today, 1,793 former employees are back at work. Only 1 in 10 employees is still looking for work and is actively supported by the VDAB. The remaining former Van Hool employees are no longer active in the labor market, mainly due to illness or retirement.
However, there is a cost involved: Europe invested 8 million euros in counseling, training, and support, and the VDAB also contributed more than 1 million euros.
‘Encouraging figures’
“The figures two years after Van Hool’s closure are encouraging,” says Flemish Minister of Employment Zuhal Demir. “The most important thing is to reach out to people quickly and not let go of them. A layoff has a severe impact on people, but also on their immediate family members.”
The Minister also refers to the intensive support provided by VDAB. “The fact that VDAB acted quickly and creatively contributes to these positive figures,” she notes. For example, VDAB opened three temporary locations near Van Hool where affected employees could seek information and guidance close to home.
VDAB also organized Flanders’ largest job fair, in collaboration with various partners, featuring more than 250 companies at the Nekkerhal in Mechelen.
VDAB spokesperson Bjorn Cuyt points to a broader explanation for the success in re-employment. He attributes the results at Voka, the Flemish network of companies, to three factors: the resilience of the employees themselves, the health of the regional labor market (at the time of the bankruptcy, there were 500 jobs available for technicians or maintenance mechanics), and the speed with which some companies adapted, in part through Voka.
Voka Mechelen-Kempen is currently also focusing on the redevelopment of part of the available Van Hool site. There is a risk that the site will be divided into many small plots of land, while Voka advocates that the site be allocated to industry, partly because more companies in the region have since found themselves in the danger zone – in addition to all the layoffs at Van Hool itself, up to 973 jobs were also at risk among Van Hool’s suppliers.
