SERV is pleased with the evaluation and monitoring of the demand led system of career vouchers but estimates that it is too early to draw conclusions. Adjustments, if need be, should only be introduced after an extended evaluation in 2018. Until then SERV calls for the continuation of the system that should be carefully monitored by VDAB.
The pilot project “school desk in the work place?? is setting up dual learning in the different study disciplines and training modalities. SERV agrees with the approach and suggests to limit the experiment to 2 school years before introducing a more definitive form of dual learning. In the meantime the statutes should not be changed. A lot of questions still remain open concerning the induction and implementation.
The action plan for public procurement of the Flemish government is a step forward if some preconditions are met. SERV asks for clarification of the content, the operational and the budgetary framework. Moreover, the plan needs to be adapted to the priority policy goals of the government. Therefore SERV advises to set up a central knowledge centre for public procurement.
Within the action plan two pillars need to be developed: “pre-commercial research?? and “demand oriented purchasing??. The objective of reaching more SME should be effectively realized and a demand oriented and phased approach should be developed. European levers and tools can help realizing the objectives.
The occupational profile database Competent has improved. The adjusted search engine facilitates looking for occupations. One single entry brings the visitor of the database to the right occupational files. From now on one can search for occupations according to the sector, according to the interest of the person or according to occupations that do not need any certification. In addition the advance search function has been enlarged.
SERV is concerned about the room of freedom the Flemish government takes in setting up the legal framework for the Flemish Social Protection. The broad room for manoeuvre makes it possible for the government to fix in separate decision procedures important topics such as concrete definitions, methods of application, criteria for approval and the amounts in the social care insurance, the benefit for helping aging persons or the basis support budget. The draft decree remains therefore unclear about the adjustments and the broader vision of the government. SERV is concerned about the impact in terms of legal security of people with care needs. Hence SERV is urging the government to submit the further implementation of the decree to the multipartite committee Welfare, Health & Family Policy, to the Strategic Advisory Council for Welfare, Health & Family Policy and to SERV.
Social partners formulated additional remarks on the further implementation and the general framework of the Flemish cluster policy. The areas of concern align with the previous SERV advice on the concept note on the cluster policy (September 2015). Social partners claim attention for the social evaluation criteria, for concrete incentives aimed at innovation of company networks and cutting edge clustering, for the formal criteria for cluster organizing, the representativity of the cluster organization, the range and the content of the competitivity program versus the action plans…SERV is in favour of rapid operationalizing and is ready to give advice on the firsts implementation decisions. The legal procedure should be concluded timely so that the decree can enter into force.
SERV notes that the concept note “temporary work experience?? diverges strongly from the Job Pact concluded by the Flemish social partners at the end of October. Agreements concerning the target groups, the duration, the modular setup, simulation of workplace, hiring incentives, art.60§7/art.61 (social integration allowance), PWA… are not met. Other important factors such as budget, targets and content in the trajectories, time paths, methods and procedures of orientation, appointing guidance persons, monitoring and evaluation are missing or only partly developed. SERV urges that the Job Pact should be effectively implemented and that all agreements should be honoured, as the minister has stated on a number of occasions. The Job Pact represents in fact the result of a well-balanced compromise between the Flemish social partners.
SERV is pleased with the Vision 2050 of the Flemish government. It deals with the long term future. However, the council fears that this strategy has the risk of being confined to government itself. SERV is convinced that the outline of a long term vision should be realized in true cooperation with all involved stakeholders. This is the only way to ensure the commitment over a long term period of succeeding legislatures. Hence the actual process should better be adjusted. The transversal policy document 2050 misses concrete prospects for actions and objectives towards 2030. SERV thinks that there is especially need for a broad support of strategic objectives for the horizon 2030 on the ground of well decided priorities.
On the14th of October SERV organized an open council presided by Caroline Copers on the topic: ??How can SME continue growing while keeping the decision centers in Flanders??. Staff of SERV introduced 2 advices of SERV concerning this topic to the audience. Guest speakers professor Leo Sleuwaegen (KULeuven) and Karl Verlinden (Qualiphar) elaborated the theme while the Minister for Work, Economy, Innovation and Sport Philippe Muyters presented different instruments aimed at helping growing SME. The Minister also highlighted the possible actions paths of the Flemish government to keep the decision centers of the SME imbedded in Flanders. The open council concluded with a questions and answer round.
SERV formulates objections and proposals for improvement to advance the transition of the AO( Agency for Enterprises) and the Agency for Innovation through Science and Research (IWT) into the new Agency for Innovation and Enterprises (AIO).
In the first place SERV wants to focus on the competenceses and the functioning of the decision committee of the Hermes Fund, the budget fund of the Agency. Social partners are urging for a rapid start of the committee that should get the competence to allocate economic instruments such as transformation aid and strategic ecological subsidies. The Council asks for a clear referential framework and a concrete timing for the transfer of the competences.
Secondly SERV is elaborating on the relation between both the Hermes decision committee and the advisory committee to AIO. SERV clearly expects a stronger advisory function in the case government should opt for an integration of both committees.