We give a voice to the HR Profession in Belgium.

The only independent, not-for-profit HR Association in Belgium
is a proud member of the European Association of People Management (EAPM).

A vote was recently held in the Parliamentary Labor Committee to extend the Federal Learning Account registration requirements deadline to April 1, 2025 (instead of the original November 30, 2024, as stated in the law). The prospective Arizona coalition parties unanimously supported this motion. The persistent efforts by many, like the VBO-FEB, VOKA, and Axel Ronse, to name a few, have started to pay off over recent weeks and months.
However, with a second reading requested, this is just the first step towards securing a final delay. We hope a final vote can be reached in the plenary session soon.

The Federal Learning Account is a Kafkaesque administrative tool introduced solely to monitor private businesses. It does not contribute meaningfully to fostering a positive learning environment—in fact, it does the opposite. Hrpro.be has expressed its disagreement already in the early stages of this initiative. However, we did not find a willingness to organize a debate between the minister and the HR field.

HRPro is pleased that this initial step has been taken. Hrpro will continue to advocate for a modernized learning and development approach focused on effective reskilling and upskilling of employees. We repeat the following:
 

• Learning is not the same as training.
• There are many ways to make sure people are skilled.
• We should develop a learning culture in our society and companies, balancing the responsibility of the government and educational institutions, the employers, and the citizens.
• A training budget expressed in days is not a good measure. It leads to consumption and entitlement. And in some job roles, it requires much creativity to provide training year over year over year.
• If we need to create a learning account, it should add value and not create red tape. We should avoid problematic tools and processes that make it harder to develop that learning culture.
• The HR profession is ready to help achieve this.
   

So, Quo vadis FLA? We should start the debate all over again.