Shortage occupations in 2026: where the opportunities lie and how to seize them without five years of study

Every year, VDAB, Forem and Actiris publish their list of shortage occupations: positions for which employers cannot find candidates for months on end. The 2026 list counts more than 200 occupations in Flanders alone. For anyone looking for work or wanting to change careers, this is a map of opportunities: short courses, often free, bonuses, and employers willing to provide training. These are the sectors where the most is happening, and how to get in.

Why an occupation becomes a shortage occupation

Three causes, often combined: too few new entrants from education (technical and care training), demanding working conditions (shift work, weekend work, physical labour) and an overly specific profile (experience plus languages plus certificates). Only the first category is "easy" to solve with training; for the second, employers are paying more and more, and for the third, people with an unexpected background are often welcome.

The sectors with the biggest shortages

Healthcare and welfare

Nurses, healthcare assistants, childcare workers, educators and speech therapists have topped the list for years. Getting started: a one year healthcare assistant course, HBO5 nursing (three years) or a bachelor's degree (four years), all of which can be taken while keeping your benefits, often with a bonus or a paid pathway via an employer ("project 600" in hospitals). Pay: healthcare assistant 2,600 to 3,200 euros gross with irregularity allowances, nurse 3,200 to 4,500 euros. Read about making the switch in a career switch after your forties.

Technology and industry

Electricians, HVAC technicians (heating, heat pumps), maintenance technicians, welders, CNC operators and industrial engineers. The energy transition is widening the shortage: for heat pumps and charging stations alone, the sector is looking for thousands of installers. Entry via a six to twelve month course at VDAB, Syntra or a sector fund (Volta for electrical engineering, Constructiv for construction), often combined with dual learning at an employer. Pay: 2,800 to 3,800 euros gross, with shift bonuses and a company car for those on the road.

Construction

Bricklayers, roofers, joiners, plasterers, site managers and quantity surveyors. The renovation wave (see the renovation obligation) keeps demand high. Entry with a short course and a contract soon after; construction pays mobility allowances, loyalty stamps and a solid sector pension on top of the wage.

Education

Teachers of mathematics, science, languages, technical subjects and nursery education. Career switchers with a bachelor's or master's degree can teach via a shortened teacher training programme (60 credits), keeping up to ten years of seniority from the private sector for shortage subjects, with the option to start teaching while still following the course.

IT and data

Developers, system administrators, cybersecurity specialists, data engineers and analysts. Not every IT job requires a computer science degree: three to six month bootcamps (BeCode, Le Wagon, VDAB programmes) produce junior developers who start working within the year. For AI roles specifically, see AI jobs in Belgium. Pay: junior 2,800 to 3,400 euros, medior 3,800 to 5,000 euros, often with a company car or mobility budget.

Transport and logistics

Truck drivers (C and CE), bus drivers, forklift drivers, planners. The category C driving licence costs 3,000 to 5,000 euros but is fully paid for via VDAB or the employer if you commit. Pay: 2,700 to 3,500 euros gross plus allowances, often higher for international transport.

Hospitality and food

Chefs, waiting staff, bakers, butchers. Low entry threshold, plenty of flexi-jobs, and a genuine career for those who grow into a head chef or manager role. Working conditions vary enormously between employers, so ask about the rota and the overtime arrangements.

Administration and finance

Accountants, insurance file managers, payroll staff, financial analysts. Less visible but structural. An associate degree in accounting (two years, also available as evening classes) opens the door; experience in another administrative role counts too.

What a shortage occupation gets you

• Free training while keeping your benefits, and exemption from the job search obligation during the training. Shortage training courses also come with exceptions to the time limit on unemployment benefits (see unemployed, what now).
• Bonuses: in Flanders, a bonus of up to 1,000 euros for completing a shortage training course; similar incentives exist in Wallonia and Brussels.
• Negotiating power: when you're scarce, you choose your employer and negotiate pay, hours and remote work. See negotiating your salary.
• Fast entry: in many shortage sectors, a new training course starts every few weeks, and employers are ready with a contract from day one.

How to choose

1. Start from what you can do and want, not just from the list. A shortage occupation that doesn't suit you will be a new problem in two years' time.
2. Look at the actual working conditions: hours, physical demands, commute. Visit a workplace or do a short placement via the job centre.
3. Compare pay over five years, not just the starting salary; the jobs with salary listed show the range by experience.
4. Test your match with the skills radar: it shows which skills you already have for a role and which ones you're missing.
5. Search for jobs on ikzoek.jobs and save a search; shortage vacancies often mention "training provided" or "no experience required".

The shortage list isn't a list of unattractive jobs, but of jobs where demand outstrips supply. For anyone willing to invest six to twelve months, it's the shortest route to job security and a salary that rises faster than average.