Introduction

The Governments of the French Community, the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region (the Examination Board of the French Community Commission) plan to develop consolidated lifelong learning opportunities, in particular by developing synergies between education and training providers and developing a range of high-quality vocational education and training that is accessible at all levels, with a particular emphasis on dual vocational education and training, qualification-stream education and adult education.

Adult education and training is mainly provided in two types of institution : schools and training or education centres.

Adult education is provided in 157 institutions for adult education, throughout the territory of the French Community (decree 16/04/1991). Though usually provided in school premises, it may also under certain conditions be provided in workplaces or in any other place where people seeking education can gather.

Part-time secondary arts education (ESAHR) is provided in 111 establishments in the French Community, generally known as ‘academies’. Thus these two types of education are largely decentralised.

The decree changing the name from ‘Social Advancement Education’ to ‘Adult Education’ has been adopted in March 2025. This new name marks a decisive step in the modernisation and promotion of this type of education, which, with more than 135,000 learners, is the largest provider of adult education and training in French-speaking Belgium.

Vocational training for school-leavers, adults, job-seekers, re-skillers and workers is taught in training centres  throughout the territory. In some cases, it allows learners to carry out dual training and may include work placements. Wallonia has 22 competence centres spread over more than 50 sites and structured around different strategic areas of activity, as well as 7 IFAPME training centres organised in ASBL and spread over 24 locations across Wallonia. For the French-speaking public in Brussels, 11 training centres on a sectoral basis are managed by Bruxelles Formation.

The positioning of further education organisations is not centrally coordinated, but centres tend to be more common in towns and cities.

Finally, distance learning and vocational training make it possible, by definition, to follow a training course independently of one’s place of residence, whether in Belgium or even abroad: lessons and assignments are exchanged by post or digitally. Such courses are accessible in particular to those in hospital, in prison, resident abroad, etc.

A variety of target groups and goals

Adult education

Adult education is part of the dynamic of lifelong education in the French Community.
Adult education in the strict sense of the term provides learners, often with very varied backgrounds, a wide range of courses at secondary or higher education level, as well as an opportunity to acquire recognised qualifications (certificates and diplomas) that they failed to obtain in their initial education.
Thanks to the flexibility of its organisation, this type of teaching allows students to combine studies and employment and meets a variety of individual and collective needs: initiation, qualification, improvement, retraining, reorientation, specialisation, personal development.
It has two main aims :

• to contribute towards the individual’s personal development by promoting better occupational, social, cultural and educational integration ;
• to respond to needs and requests for training from businesses, public services, the education sector and, in general, from socio-economic and cultural groups.

Adult higher education also pursues the objectives set by the decree of 7 November 2013 (the ‘Landscape decree’) for higher education organised or grant-aided by the French Community. These objectives are centered on three key words: excellence (of research), consistency (of provision) and quality (of teaching), with a will to promote student’s success. The hard core of the reform is the creation of the ARES, an “Academy" gathering together all the stakeholders of Higher Education, in order to complete and better coordinate Higher Education provision in the French Community. The aim is to move from a competitive approach towards stronger collaborations and synergies. Higher Education is organized in 5 geographic clusters. Apart from these structural aspects, the reform focuses on organization of the curriculum. The guiding thread of the project is the student, his status, the promotion of academic success, the diversity of provision (including proximity for first cycles), and quality of the curriculum. The project also aims at following the international evolution based on excellence, personalized and lifelong curriculums, international and pluridisciplinary openness, teachers and students' mobility, etc. While the current organization too often tends to focus on academic failure, the reform aims at promoting achievement and success.

The education provided addresses individual and collective needs for introductory courses, remedial instruction, qualifications, advanced studies, refresher training, retraining, and specialisation. It constitutes one of the forms of continuing education, which itself forms part of the lifelong education movement. Adult education is a form of ‘second chance’ education, in that it can take account of skills previously acquired in education or other forms of training, even without certification, including work experience. Students in adult education are :

• qualified or unqualified people who are not working (retired people, housewives, refugees etc.) or who are working, and who wish to improve their skills or gain a specialisation, an update (refresher training), or initial training with a view to a career change ;
• qualified or unqualified people who are not working (retired people, housewives, refugees etc.) or who are working, and who wish to acquire knowledge and skills for their personal development or leisure ;
• students who are completing their training in areas where they have experienced difficulties or which they feel were missing from their initial training (foreign languages, information technology, etc.) ;
• young people who choose this sort of education instead of initial training for various reasons (shorter course, possibility of combining education with work, etc.).

For some years now, this type of education has been particularly important for foreigners (notably refugees) with a view to facilitating their integration.

The decree of 30 April 2009 relating to literacy and integration actions in adult education has reinforced the offer of training in literacy, French as a foreign language and obtaining the certificate of primary education (CEB = Certificat d'études de base) mainly for people of foreign origin.

Additional resources are also being provided for French as a foreign language training for migrants.

Lastly, special attention is also paid to literacy training in prisons, with priority being given to a partnership between Adult Education and associations providing literacy training in prisons.

This new name ‘Adult Education’ better reflects the mission of this type of education, which is distinguished by its inclusive approach, aimed at making education accessible to all adults, regardless of their situation. Adult Education thus enables people with little or no schooling to obtain their first qualification, while offering retraining and upskilling opportunities for those who already have qualifications. 
This name also highlights the approach specific to adult education, which meets the specific needs of a population whose expectations and motivations differ from those of pupils and students in initial education. This teaching method, which differs from that of compulsory education but also from that of colleges, universities and higher arts schools (which also cater to adults), makes it possible to adapt educational pathways to the realities of students returning to education, taking into account their personal and professional challenges, while valuing their life experience. 
Although the name is changing, adult education will continue to be aimed at all students who are no longer subject to full-time compulsory schooling and will continue its mission of professional, social, cultural and academic integration.

Distance learning

The main objectives of distance learning, organized as e-learning, as set out in the decree of 13 July 2016, are as follows :

• to prepare students for the exams organised by the French Community Examination Board with a view to obtaining the first- and second-stage secondary education certificates (CE1D and CESDD) or the upper secondary education certificate (CESS); passing one of these exams enables ordinary education to be resumed, not just at secondary but also at higher education level ;
• to prepare for the external exams organized by the French Community in compulsory education;
• to benefit from educational support;
• to follow a full year of study ;
• to follow some lessons of a year of study ;
• to be trained throughout life.

This type of education is usually undertaken by people who have gaps in their initial education (primary and secondary education) or who are interested in a career change. It is sometimes followed by people who are keen to acquire an additional qualification to supplement their initial training. Distance learning thus caters for a wide range of people of all ages in Belgium and abroad. Special courses are also organised on ad hoc basis for people in hospital or in prison.

Further education

The decree of 17 July 2003 on the development of action in the area of associative life defines further education and the objectives of associations which receive support in this area, emphasising ‘the development of further education  in the area of associative life, aiming at a critical analysis of society, the stimulation of democratic and collective initiatives, the development of active citizenship, and the exercise of civic and political, cultural, social, environmental, and economic rights with a view to individual and collective emancipation by privileging the active participation of the target public and cultural expression’.

The three main aims of part-time secondary arts education are to :

• contribute to pupils’ personal artistic development by promoting an artistic culture through learning various artistic languages and practices ;
• give pupils the means and training that allow them to become artistically independent, thus awakening their personal creativity ;
• provide an education that prepares pupils to satisfy the requirements for access to higher arts education.

Adult literacy actions are supported by five different public schemes, including lifelong learning. Adult literacy is aimed at French-speaking or non-French-speaking adults, who have not acquired in any language the basic knowledge and basic languages (reading, calculation, writing) equivalent to the primary education certificate (CEB). In the field of lifelong learning, literacy actions promote understanding and analysis of societal issues as well as collective action and cultural democracy, in particular through artistic and creative expression. Literacy involves a methodology and a pedagogy distinct from French as a Foreign Language (intended for non-French speakers who master in their mother tongue the knowledge and languages equivalent to the CEB) and from the A Level Remission (intended for French speakers wishing to strengthen beyond a level equivalent to the CEB, which they already attain, their acquired skills in reading, writing and numeracy).

Vocational training for workers and job-seekers

In each of the Regions, there is at least one organisation with responsibility for implementing training policies. For Wallonia, Forem, as the Walloon Public Service for Employment and Vocational Training, contributes to the employability of all citizens through guidance and lifelong learning. It anticipates and responds to the recruitment and skills needs of businesses.  For the Brussels-Capital Region, Bruxelles Formation pursues the same objectives in the Brussels Region. The courses taught at Forem and Bruxelles Formation are intended to increase job-seekers’ and workers’ professional qualifications. Depending on requirements, they consist of either an apprenticeship or a refresher training programme, and cover a wide range of trades in a large number of sectors.

Two public operators offer training courses which are adapted to the specific requirements of the self-employed and small and medium-sized enterprises :

• Also in the Walloon Region, IFAPME (Walloon Institute for Dual Vocational Training and for Self-employed People and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) organizes qualifying and certifying training courses in a wide range of professional sectors through adult education programs, which are accessible at the end of compulsory schooling. In line with the current regional policy, IFAPME now focuses on adult training courses while continuing to organize training courses for young people. The training courses are mainly organized on the basis of the dual vocational principle and under internship agreements for adult training courses : classes at the training center and practical training in a company. An alternative to dual vocational training in the form of a professional internship in a company is offered under certain conditions. The IFAPME Network also organizes continuing education for workers and training in business creation, notably through the “Je Monte Ma Boîte” (I'm Starting My Own Business) program.
• Like the Walloon Region, the Brussels-Capital Region also has an operator dedicated to training self-employed people and small and medium-sized enterprises : the SME Training Service (sfpme) carries out missions similar to those of IFAPME and, in collaboration with the efp training centre, organises qualifying and certifying training courses in many professional sectors. Although regional strategic guidelines have not yet been formalised in clearly defined policy lines, the evolution of priorities is nevertheless part of a similar dynamic, with a gradual refocusing on employment-oriented adult training. Training courses are organised on a dual vocational basis, combining training at a training centre with professional practice under an internship agreement with a company and, under certain conditions, through schemes ensuring a minimum amount of professional practice in a company.  The efp also provides a significant amount of continuing training in various professional fields, as well as specific initiatives in entrepreneurship and business creation, notably through the ‘Passeport Réussite’ (Passport to Success) scheme, which is designed to support project leaders in developing and sustaining their activities.

Until recently, the profession of adult trainer did not have an official recognition framework. This development implements the recommendations of the white paper issued by the consensus conference organised by formaform in 2018, which called for the profession to be truly professionalised.

Formaform is now an accredited skills validation centre for the profession of trainer. Thanks to this accreditation, trainers can now have their skills recognised according to a skills validation framework that is recognised within the skills validation system. The role of trainer is becoming a profession in its own right, with an official title and a shared and recognised validation framework.

Admission requirements and learner assessment

Adult education in strict sense

The target groups for adult education are as follows :

• people in work or job-seekers who have a professional qualification and seek further training, a specialisation, refresher training or training with a view to a change of profession ;
• people with or without professional qualifications who wish to acquire knowledge and skills with a view to personal development ;
• people wishing to reach the required standard of knowledge and skill to take a course ;
• unemployed people who wish at least to maintain their professional qualification and individual skills.

No student can be admitted as a regular student in adult education as long as he or she is still required to attend full-time compulsory schooling. Anybody who wants to register must therefore be at least 16 years old (or 15 and have regularly followed the first two years of secondary education) and possess the specified level to follow the chosen training. Nevertheless, young people that are still subject to a part-time schooling obligation (up to 18 years old) must also be registered in full-time education or in a dual vocational education and training centre (CEFA).

Access to certain levels of courses is only granted to pupils who prove that they fulfil the necessary prerequisites and, if required, hold the necessary certificate, grade or qualification as defined. For every training module in tertiary education, there is an educational portfolio that includes an established definition of prerequisite abilities (or credentials which can be deemed to certify these abilities).

In each school, a Study Council decides on admission. It may take into account skills acquired in a teaching process, at an approved training organization, through professional experience, personal or civic training (decree of 29 November 2017 setting the terms and conditions for the valorisation of acquired skills for admission, exemption and award of a certifcate in one or more teaching units in adult education).

The valorisation of prior learning allows adults who have the project to return to school to access, among other things, adult education, by making the learning path more fluid and, where appropriate, by shortening the duration of studies.

It is a process of evaluation and recognition of knowledge and skills resulting from experience (professional, personal and civic) and/or training, for access to studies, exemption from teaching activities or for the award of a teaching unit certificate.

This applies to all people (workers, job seekers, students, self-employed, etc.) who wish, by choice or by obligation, to make use of the experience they have acquired with a view to obtaining additional skills or even a diploma in adult education.

The Study Council, which brings together the school leader and the teacher(s) concerned, takes the decisions relating to the valorization of prior learning :

• for a valorization/admission, the Study Council decides on the mastery of the required prerequisite capacities on the basis of formal documents, an application file for a valorization or, if it considers the documents provided insufficient, on the basis of test(s) ;
• for the valorisation/exemption, the Study Council decides on the mastery of learning outcomes in a teaching unit on the same basis as for admission and possibly accepts the exemption of the candidate to some teaching activities ;
• for a valorisation/certificate award, in case of absence of recognized formal qualifications, the Study Council shall compulsorily evaluate the learning outcomes on the basis of a test. An evaluation file may support the candidate's application.

In the event of success, the candidate will be awarded a Valorisation certificate of success valid in all establishments for adult education.

Training courses are organized in modular systems (known as "Regime 1"). These modular systems are made up of one or more capitalizable training units. These units can then be combined with others to achieve an overall set of competencies linked to a profession, professional qualification or academic title. The set of units thus associated constitutes a section.

Assessment in adult education is summative and certificative. It is based on end-of-course tests. A student successfully completes a section of training if he or she has obtained certificates of achievement for each of the training units making up the section (capitalization with a view to obtaining a title).

The institution's Board of Studies makes decisions concerning the pedagogical follow-up of students. In accordance with the framework set out in the decree of April 16, 1991, each school's rules and regulations provide for an internal appeal procedure against the decisions of the Board of Studies, based on a written complaint. If the student contests the decision taken following an internal appeal, he or she may lodge an external appeal with a Board of Appeals for adult education.

Distance learning

There are no admission requirements for distance learning organized in e-learning.

As regards the preparation for examinations organised by the French Community Examination Board, CEB, CE1D, CESDD and CESS, the courses are developed taking account of the curricula for these examinations. For the most part, they are independent of school textbooks. Revision and mock examination sessions are organised periodically. The success of such preparation depends largely on the judicious choice of the learner’s starting point and the chosen speed of study. To ensure progression, distance learning requires the establishment of a personalised study programme that takes account of the psycho-social profile of each learner. It is the individual supervision from a teacher that makes it possible to stimulate the pupil to put an effort into his/her studying and to accompany him/her as he/she progresses.

As regards preparation for administrative examinations, the design and organisation of the distance courses take the specific nature of the tests into account as far as possible.

With regard to the training courses available through Forem, some are offered remotely or can also be delivered in a hybrid format.

Forem and Bruxelles Formation

The professional training organised by the two parastatal organisations Forem and Bruxelles Formation is targeted at adults (over the age of 18) who are in the labour force (workers or job-seekers). Forem also welcomes students and teachers. In some cases, prior knowledge may be required before starting the course. However, there are no strict conditions in terms of qualifications for gaining admission. People with professional experience or with sufficient knowledge – as determined by the selection tests or prerequisites for admission to training, or screenings for skills assessment – are also eligible.

In the Walloon Region, after an application for admission to training has been submitted to Forem, the decision to admit a candidate to training modules is essentially based not only on the candidate’s ability to follow the course and exercise the desired profession, but also on his or her motivation and career goals. Medical and psychological examinations may be required depending upon the type of training requested, especially in the secondary sector. In the Brussels-Capital Region, access conditions for training programmes offered by Bruxelles Formation are variable: previous knowledge is generally required, such as basic skills, language skills or, in some cases, more advanced skills specific to previous higher education pathways.

IFAPME and sfpme

The company manager’s course is intended mainly for those with a qualification in a craft-based, commercial or intellectual profession who wish to improve their skills further while preparing to manage a small business. The training is open to adults who have completed their compulsory schooling and have successfully completed an apprenticeship contract, the second stage of general education or the sixth year of vocational secondary education (and have obtained the qualification certificate). If a candidate fails to satisfy the conditions in terms of previous studies or training, he or she may take an admission test. However, specific conditions are set for a number of professions.

Continuing training is intended for the self-employed and company managers.

Adult education is organised into three distinct levels and includes training for business leaders, coordination and management training, and training for qualified professionals. It is aimed at anyone who wishes to acquire a professional qualification in a job and prepares them for self-employment. Adult education, regardless of level, is open to adults who have completed their compulsory education or, depending on the profession, meet the specific requirements of the profession. Where applicable, it provides access to the profession.

• The qualified professional diploma validates training that enables learners to acquire, in a training centre and/or in a company, the in-depth knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as the autonomy necessary to practise the profession as a skilled worker/technician or employee under the supervision of a superior.
• The Coordination and Management Diploma validates training that enables learners to acquire, in a training centre and/or in a company, the professional skills and abilities of the profession, as well as those necessary to supervise, coordinate and manage a team or activities.
• A diploma validates training that enables learners to acquire, in a training centre and/or in a company, the skills necessary to create or take over a business specific to the field of activity (profession) being studied.
• The purpose of the business management diploma is to promote specific professional skills, both technical and entrepreneurial, within a company.

Training in entrepreneurial skills based on the day-to-day management of a self-employed business is also offered separately. This can be followed by a course entitled ‘Je monte ma boite’ (IFAPME) or ‘Passeport réussite’ (efp in Brussels) to support people with a business creation or takeover project in order to help them prepare their project.

Continuing training is an integral part of the IFAPME Network's mission and training offer. The aim is to make the IFAPME Network's catalogue more accessible and focused on the professionalisation and updating of professionals' skills. It targets vocational training courses linked to economic and professional activities, ensuring that training courses meet the needs of entrepreneurs and businesses in developing the skills of practising professionals.

In Brussels, continuing training is also an essential part of the training offered to professionals. It is implemented by the efp, which offers a range of training courses enabling a diverse audience – employees, self-employed people, SME managers and project leaders – to improve and update their skills. This continuing training programme is primarily designed to meet the specific needs of working professionals, helping them to adapt and strengthen their knowledge in response to technological developments, changes in their professions and the demands of the job market.

At-risk groups

At-Risk Groups

The integrated socio-professional integration scheme (DIISP) is aimed at unemployed, low-skilled job-seekers over the age of 18 in both the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. However, the exact conditions depend on the region and the training agency.

In the Walloon Region, this scheme is now part of a broader framework of activation and training policies, in line with recent labour market reforms. Forem has also stepped up its intensive, personalised support for each job seeker, who receives support tailored to their profile (based on their level of autonomy, particularly in terms of digital skills, and their specific employment needs).
Forem works with approved operators (training centres, associations, social economy enterprises) to implement these pathways.
The socio-professional integration of these vulnerable groups is now coordinated with other measures such as :

• Qualifying training courses in shortage occupations ;
• Refresher programmes (basic skills, digital skills) ;
• Social support measures to remove barriers to employment (mobility, childcare, etc.).

The beneficiaries of the scheme must be registered with Forem as job-seekers. The socio-professional integration agencies (OISPs) are accessible to those who have not obtained the upper secondary education certificate (CESS), or an equivalent or higher qualification, while the on-the-job training enterprises (EFTs) are accessible to those who hold neither the lower secondary education certificate (CE1D), nor the second-stage secondary education certificate (CESDD), nor an equivalent or higher qualification. Moreover, the EFTs can take on anyone entitled to social integration support who meets the same conditions in terms of qualifications as the job-seekers. The Walloon integrated socio-occupational integration scheme also applies to :

• job-seekers who have been unemployed for at least 24 months (the long-term unemployed) ;

• job-seekers who have re-entered the job market after at least three years out of work (returners) ;

• prisoners and those who have been committed, who are due for release within two years ;

• foreigners who have not been ordered to leave the country and who meet the qualification conditions.

Under certain conditions, OISPs and EFTs may be authorised to take on unemployed job-seekers and claimants of work incapacity benefits.

In the Brussels-Capital Region, beneficiaries of the ISP scheme must not have obtained the upper secondary education certificate (CESS) or an equivalent qualification. The EFTs also have the aim of providing basic education and training within a lifelong learning perspective. Their target public is those aged 18 or over who do not hold a second-stage secondary education certificate, and who are either long-term unemployed or recipients of the minimum integration income.

Teaching methods and approaches

Adult education in strict sense

Adult education mainly takes place following adapted timetables in order to tailor to the learners’ specific needs.  Adult education features flexibility in terms of study organisation and is based on :

• an ability-based approach ;
• the modular nature of the training scheme and the way learning programmes are structured around units which carry credits: the content of each section is broken down into units, which consist of a course or a set of courses forming a coherent educational content block in terms of acquisition of knowledge and/or skills ;
• a method of taking account of previously acquired skills, including those acquired through professional or individual experience.

From this perspective, the educational practices involved are characterised by :

• adaptability to learners’ experience and prior knowledge ;
• making use of each individual's contributions, so as to elicit participation ;
• a practical focus, through the reproduction of work situations ;
• endeavouring to ensure success through consecutive blocks of training ;
• functionality by coordinating the techniques taught and employed ;
• a concern to give the learner responsibility and autonomy.

In the area of educational choices, collaboration and partnerships with companies enable adult education to operate dual vocational education and training. Collaboration with companies leads to reflection on professional profiles and allows training profiles adapted to all specific situations to be developed.

Adult Education aims to align with the needs of learners, our society and socio-economic actors. 
The Skills for Life project Des Compétences pour la Vie : Contrat 2035 de l’Enseignement pour Adultes(.pdf) (Contract 2035 for Adult Education) aims by 2035 to reposition Adult Education, as a well-known and recognized lifelong education and to make it a central player in lifelong education.
The project addresses technological and environmental challenges and the growing demand for skills, with a long-term vision (horizon 2035). It is based on five strategic priorities and nine priority projects, including quality, steering, administrative simplification, financing, guidance and strengthening partnerships with businesses and other educational institutions.

The focus is on accessibility, continuing professional development, alignment with the labour market, pedagogical innovation, digital skills development and support for educational teams.
It aims to improve adult skills, promote lifelong learning and optimise the functioning of educational institutions.

With more than 135,000 students enrolled in 2023-2024 and 150 institutions, Adult Education is the largest adult education and training operator in French-speaking Belgium. 
It offers all adults the opportunity to return to education, to obtain a diploma, to reorient themselves professionally or to specialise.

In its inventory, Contract 2035 highlights the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of Adult Education. It highlighted the quality of the teaching staff, which numbered between 2,500 and 2,800 full-time equivalents.

In response to the health crisis, the digital strategy for Adult Education was developed in consultation with all stakeholders in the sector. It aims to enable Adult Education to better adapt to changing teaching practices that incorporate digital technology and to the new habits of connected learners.

It also aims to reduce the digital divide for learners in socio-economically vulnerable situations. Finally, it aims to enable flexibility and alignment of Adult Education with the expectations of its audiences by providing institutions with the means to invest in high-quality digital equipment.

The digital strategy for physical education and sports focuses on four areas :

• increasing the available equipment ;
• increasing support for teachers and in-service training ;
• implementing quality standards for hybrid teaching ;
• creating more shareable course modules.

The NextGenerationEU European recovery plan has enabled institutions to obtain funding to develop several of these areas, through the acquisition of IT equipment, the recruitment of techno-pedagogues and the creation of modules of lessons via a call for collaboration.

Distance learning

In general terms, distance learning, organized in e-learning, is a form of individualised education which takes place at times of the student’s own choosing. The student registers freely at any time in the year and manages the work him/herself, setting his/her own pace and timetable.

All e-learning lessons take place via an online learning platform.

Each lesson module consists of approximately 10 sections.

Each section is composed of :

• various contents (texts, images, soundtracks, videos...) ;
• self-control exercises ;
• a homework assignment that will be individually corrected by a teacher who is a specialist in the subject area.

In each lesson module, it is possible to access a self-help forum, to receive specific advice from the tutor, and to contact the tutor by personal message for additional questions on the subject.

For a correct assimilation, it takes about one week of study per section, i.e. 10 to 12 weeks per module.

The e-learning pedagogy is based on regular exchanges between learner and tutor. Feedback from the teacher is essential for optimal learning. In order to progress in the subject, it is necessary to submit the assignment(s) for each section and to pass it/them.

Throughout the lessons, a notebook is available per lesson module so that each learner can situate him/herself in his/her learning.

At the end of each lesson module and provided that the requested assignments have been regularly sent, an end-of-module certificate is awarded.

After having followed the lesson modules, it is possible to register for a Jury of the French Community to obtain a certification.

Training courses are also available through Forem. Some are offered remotely or can also be delivered in a hybrid format. (Link : Training through the Internet).

IFAPME and sfpme

The training courses organised within the IFAPME Network and the sfpme are mainly based on the principle of dual vocational programmes : practical and theoretical courses at the training centre and practical training in a company for 3 or 4 days a week.

The main mission of the IFAPME training centres and the efp for Brussels is to organise courses, assessments and examinations, as well as to provide educational guidance to those enrolled in an IFAPME or sfpme/efp pathway. The training courses are organised in facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, in line with the realities of the professions. The courses are aimed at young people and adults who want to learn or improve their skills in a craft, commercial or service profession, whether it be an essential, future-oriented, niche or shortage occupation.

IFAPME and sfpme directly monitor the quality of in-company training through various actions : accreditation of companies, training of tutors, guidance for learners, support in finding a mentor-trainer, etc. Alongside the IFAPME training centres, IFAPME has 15 dual vocational services located in or near the training centres. In Brussels, this dual vocational mission is carried out by around fifteen advisors located directly within the efp.  As part of a dual vocational programme, participants are in contact with a Dual Vocational Service to manage the agreement signed with the company. The Dual Vocational Services include advisors whose role is to inform, guide and assist learners in their search for a company, as well as to support both the learner and the company throughout the training programme. Career guidance counsellors and psychologists are also responsible for supporting learners in their career guidance process by helping them define their career plans and choose a profession. Thus, from the moment they enrol and throughout their training, learners are supervised and supported by multidisciplinary teams of professionals.