The Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel wants to hire 1,400 new employees by 2020. It hopes to contract 500-600 new staff by the end of this year. The reason for the massive hiring campaign is the high percentage of retiring staff among its current workforce.

Infrabel started the campaign, which it as dubbed ‘We Need You’, on Friday 30 August. It is the most important campaign it has ever launched, as it will be difficult to carry out its current mission -improving mobility- without these new employees, the company stated.

Technical staff and women

The infrastructure manager is looking for technical employees, such as electro mechanics, electrician, engineers and various positions in the construction sector. At the same time it wants to hire people who will be trained to carry out tasks such as traffic control from the various signalling centres.

Infrabel is also looking for more women, in order to enjoy more diversity and better reflect the society. Women can receive equal payment, training opportunities, internal promotions, continued improvements with regards to well-being on the workfloor, working close to home and the possibility to engage in social projects, the company described. The workforce consisted of 10,11 per cent females in 2010, compared to 7.37 per cent in 2010. On management level females occupy 21 per cent of the positions.

Training and Job Days

Contrary to some other countries, the Belgian education system does not offer a specialised rail technology study. This is why Infrabel invests in providing its own training courses. In 2020 these courses will be centralised in one modern education centre: Infrabel Academy, situated in Molenbeek.

The new campaign of Infrabel is not the first towards hiring staff. In 2017 it launched its Job Days formula. These are organised days on which people interested in working with Infrabel are introduced with the company, and make an appointment for an interview right away. This campaign has resulted in 1,156 new employees. The Job Days will continue to be organised in cities like Gent, Antwerpen, Namen and Bergen.