ThEME 2: The role of training networks

During the second discussion round, participants were asked to consider the following questions:

• Discuss the role of the government, public agencies, business organisations, trade unions, training providers and education institutes on the functioning of a training system in East Flanders. What kind of interactions and projects currently exist? For training and skills development, there are two channels in Flanders. The first channel is training by private companies, who mostly provide a combination of coaching, consulting and teaching. These are non-subsidised and make private training corporations often unaffordable for SMEs, despite available funding. The second channel is public training by large accredited schooling providers. Government support is available for this

kind of training. Training from public agencies is available for everybody, but is sometimes too general and therefore not useful for the company. Industry funds do also exist and are specific for each sector. They have expertise, give advice and install trainings (e.g. safety course). In this way, all managers of companies in the sector come together and learn from each other experiences. This system allows to reach smaller companies.

The financial aid for training and skills development is provided in several ways by the government. The first possibility is educational cheques. A company receives an amount of cheques each year based on the number of cheques that have been used the previous year. Large companies are entitled to more educational cheques than small companies. Now, the system is gradually being replaced by the “SME Portefeuille”, which is a fund that contributes 50% of the cost of training or advice upon request. The procedure to apply for subsidies is perceived to be lengthy and complicated. Besides, there is no clear overview of the criteria to qualify for support.

Another tool is a grant for educational leave for employees who want to follow long- term external schooling. Mostly, this is inspired by personal ambitions, but companies can benefit from the training of the employees as well. Another possibility is the industry funds. These funds are semi-governmental organisations founded with the objective of bringing training closer to the companies. They organise training, raise awareness for the topic and try to provide an overview of the different training possibilities. On a financial level, the wage cost of employees during training is completely reimbursed. Finally, SMEs can also be considered for ESF projects from the European Commission. A significant number of East-Flemish SMEs in the sample participated in these projects.

• How effective are the current policies and existing programs?

One of the main insights from the workshop is that there are several inefficiencies in the current training policy. First of all, there is no clear overview of what kinds of train- ing exist in Flanders. It is very hard for companies, and especially for small enterprises, to know the offer on training and to find the specific education they are looking for. The website of the VDAB, called “Become what you want”, gives an overview of all trainings, but even here there is need for more structure and clarification. A solution to this problem could be the creation of a general governmental website or organisation that offers a clear overview of training in Flanders. A second recommendation for this problem is the use of more intermediaries or consultants that can guide the enterprises, and especially small firms and starters, in the broad supply of training systems.

Secondly, there is a lack of communication on the importance and value-added of training in companies. Therefore, the government must give, next to a clear overview of all possibilities, more information about training.

• How can the linkages between firms and training organisations be increased in East Flanders?

Although there is a broad awareness, the importance of networking and communication with other companies, institutions and organisations cannot be stressed enough. Working together and exchanging knowledge can be a win-win situation for both parties.

In East Flanders, there are a lot of possibilities to network. For example, the godfather pro- ject called PLATO, installed by VOKA, is an opportunity for young companies to learn from older enterprises. Some companies in specific sectors also send their newsletter to each other to see what happens in the industry. “The Belgian Positive Entrepreneurs” is an example, albeit still in embryonic stage, where entrepreneurs concerned about corporate social responsibility

come together and exchange experiences. Another example is Gent BC, which provides a plat- form that brings all companies in the technology industry together. This way, the participants can learn from each other and find solutions for problems.

All the participants of the workshop feel that it is important to work together in order to achieve good knowledge interaction. Today, there are some partnership between academic institutions and business organisations. Through the system of apprenticeships, students can be introduced to the ins and outs of companies. One problem mentioned on the workshop however, is that SMEs feel academic institutions are insufficiently flexible to help them with specific questions. The presence of universities and colleges in East Flanders can be noticed by the spin-offs in the region, but the interaction should increase even further.