Belgium hosts fifth edition of OECD's 'Skills Summit'

Representatives from some 40 countries and various international organisations gathered in Brussels on Wednesday for the first Belgian edition of the Skills Summit. The event, a biennial initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), aims to share "best practices" on skills development in a rapidly changing world.

In a speech, Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said that technological innovations such as artificial intelligence, climate change and demographic trends will lead to the disappearance of certain jobs, while new ones will be created. One example is Belgium's flexi-jobs, "a simple system that has helped fill hundreds of thousands of jobs," De Croo said.

Flanders represented

Belgium's regions were also represented at the summit, with the aim of introducing other countries to initiatives to tackle the talent shortage. Flemish minister for Employment and the Economy Jo Brouns will present the Green Energy Park in Zellik, which is developing training courses focusing on future skills such as drones or green energy.

Meanwhile, Wallonia will open the doors of Aptaskil in Seneffe, a leading training centre for manufacturing professions in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The Brussels Region will organize a visit to MolenGeek and Art2Work, which focuses on the Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) generation.

The Skills Summit runs until Thursday at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels.

^{© BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE / BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS}