The top 15 hardest jobs to fill

Why are they hard to fill?

These are jobs for which employers find it particularly difficult to attract suitable profiles. There are 3 reasons for this:

● Quantitative shortage: Not enough young people are leaving education with the right qualification or the right skills. Often, not enough people are interested in these courses.
● Qualitative shortage: The candidates who are finishing their studies do not have the right skills. All too often, education does not focus enough on the skills which are required in practice.
● Specific working conditions: Some jobs are extremely difficult, demand huge flexibility or are underpaid. Hardly any candidates tend to apply for these jobs.

What jobs are the hardest to fill at the moment?

There are 2 official lists of hard-to-fill jobs, which do not entirely match. First of all, there is the list by the VDAB (the Flemish Public Employment Service), but there is also a list by the RVA (the National Employment Office). We have listed the top 15 below:

1. Construction workers
2. Central heating installers
3. ICT profiles
4. Call-centre staff
5. Network administrators
6. Retail store managers
7. Representatives
8. Technical managers
9. Electromechanical technicians
10. HVAC technicians
11. Technical draughters
12. Woodworkers
13. CNC operators
14. Logistical employees
15. Nursing and care staff

Choose your studies carefully

If you have not yet started your studies or are thinking of re-training, these occupations mean you will almost certainly get a job. With the right qualification, you will have many options. And although there are many technical jobs on the list, it also includes many jobs that are easier to access such as call-centre staff and representatives.

People often end up in these jobs straight from school without even applying and need no experience whatsoever to get started. The right attitude and skills are often all you need to get a chance on the employment market.