Textiles Sector Alive & Kicking!

We can say that many jobs have been lost in the textile sector in Belgium over the past 50 years.

Hundreds of textile companies disappeared. Production remained more or less stable but the work is now being done by ¼ of the workers of the time due to improved organization of production, the modernization of machinery and, above all, the reorientation of production toward higher value-added products and activities.

The shift to technical textiles and carpets gave birth to companies such as Balta, Ontex, Beaulieu, Domo and Sioen, characterized by family shareholdings. Textiles were able to endure due to the strong position of Belgian textile companies in precisely those markets of interior textiles and technical textiles.

A delocalization to low-wage countries was almost unthinkable due to high transportation costs, organizational flexibility and problems of quality and delivery times. Not a cloud in the sky it seems. Yet the industry is experiencing structural staffing and qualification problems

The reason often cited is that too few students graduate from textile education. Only a few schools such as pti-Kortrijk, vti-Waregem and vibso-Waregem offer this course and also at the Ghent university and college of higher education, the number of students is always pathetic. Fortunately, the sector took matters into its own hands and organized the workplace learning that took off rapidly in recent years. But this was not enough. For example, Belgian textile companies are ogling at foreign workers in countries where textiles are firmly established.

And with Poland being the third largest employer in the sector in Europe with 116000 people employed, there are opportunities. After all, the Polish clothing and textile market is one of the most attractive in Central and Eastern Europe. Some 60000 companies in Poland are active in this industry, and 5 percent of these are actually large. There is a long tradition of sewing workshops and a qualified workforce. Not surprisingly, names such as Wioletta and Monika often appear in Belgian textile companies.

Link2europe can find these people for you and guide them logistically and administratively through their employment.

Stitchers, machine operators as well as higher technical qualified personnel.....you may ask us and we will look for your missing talent!

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