finance

Brussels Businesses Access Training Support After Actiris Critical Functions List

The July 2026 publication of critical functions by Actiris creates openings for firms to address skills gaps through established support mechanisms.

By Brussels Business Desk · Published 25 July 2026

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Brussels Businesses Access Training Support After Actiris Critical Functions List — Photo by loranger / flickr (by)

On July 1, 2026, Actiris published a new official list of critical functions in the Brussels Capital Region that identifies professions facing labour shortages.

Skills Mismatch in Focus

The Brussels labour market faces a skills mismatch with shortages of specialist skills in various sectors and strong demand for cross-disciplinary skills. This situation creates opportunities for businesses to build capabilities in areas highlighted by the Actiris list. Training and employment centres coordinate employment and vocational training policies to support key economic sectors under the Go4Brussels 2025 strategy and 2020 Training plan.

Support Mechanisms for Firms

Businesses in Brussels can access training cheques, ICT cheques, language cheques, and reimbursement for paid educational leave to support staff training. These tools allow companies to address the specialist and cross-disciplinary skill needs identified in the critical functions list without developing programmes from scratch. The coordination role of training and employment centres helps align these measures with the Go4Brussels 2025 strategy and 2020 Training plan.

Employment Context

Brussels has an employment rate of nearly 60% in 2022, which lags behind the OECD average of 69% despite significant post-pandemic recovery. The gap underscores the value of targeted training initiatives tied to the Actiris list of critical functions. Firms that use the available cheques and leave reimbursements can contribute to narrowing this difference while meeting immediate workforce requirements.

Next Steps for Companies

Businesses seeking to respond to the July 2026 Actiris list can contact training and employment centres to identify relevant support under the Go4Brussels 2025 strategy and 2020 Training plan. The combination of the critical functions list and existing funding tools offers a direct route to tackle the documented skills mismatch in the Brussels Capital Region.

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.