Free train ticket for jobseekers going for job interview

From now on, jobseekers who are going to a job interview can get a free digital train ticket. This has been made possible at the request of Flemish Minister of Employment Hilde Crevits. 

With this new measure, jobseekers no longer need to physically drop by the Flemish employment service VDAB or one of the train stations of the national railway company NMBS to obtain a ticket, which lowers the threshold for applying. 

"Mobility remains an important barrier for many job seekers to apply for a job. For example, we see that only 60% of jobseekers indicate in their VDAB profile that they have a driving licence B or higher. In order to tackle the shortage on the labour market, we want to remove as many of those barriers as possible, so that people can take the step to work more easily. That is why I am making it possible for jobseekers to apply for a free digital train ticket, so that they can get to their workplace easily", Flemish Minister of Employment Hilde Crevits said in a press release. 

Jobseekers can request a ticket via the VDAB service line, the free 0800 number. It is valid for job interviews, selection tests or an application for training. From now on, the request can be made up to one hour before the jobseeker has to catch his train. The train ticket will be available via the e-ID or as a PDF in an e-mail. 

To obtain such a train ticket, the jobseeker must keep the invitation to the interview as proof of date and place and ask the employer for proof of attendance. For those who wish, it remains possible to request a train ticket physically, via a staff member in one of the VDAB locations. In 2021, 2,300 cheap train tickets for job interviews were ​
​requested.

Press release Flemish Minister of Employment Hilde Crevits

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