By organizing a Fiber Job Day, Proximus encourages professionals and job seekers to participate in the construction of the network of the future
On Wednesday, May 4, Proximus, together with its partners and various employment agencies, is organizing a Fiber Job Day at its headquarters near Brussels North Station. All those interested can learn about the many different activities that contribute to the rollout of the fiber network, and the range of job opportunities this entails. An estimated 3,000 additional people will be needed in the coming years to meet the ambitious target of 4.2 million connected homes and businesses by 2028.
The Fiber Job Day is a public event where visitors are given all the information and demonstrations necessary to understand what the deployment of a fiber network entails. Participants will get a clear overview of the different job opportunities, a better insight into the nature of the work and the opportunity to try out certain activities in a hands-on fashion. Visitors will also get a better idea of the training needs related to these jobs of the future.
6,000 full-time equivalents needed to realize ambitious plans
With its large-scale fiber rollout, Proximus is fully committed to deploying the fixed network infrastructure of the future. In 2020 it announced a significant acceleration, supported by the creation of the joint ventures Fiberklaar in Flanders and Unifiber in Wallonia. Today the rollout of fiber is underway in some fifty cities and municipalities across the country, with 909,000 homes and businesses already connected at the end of the first quarter. Once at cruising speed, from 2023 onwards, about 10% of all homes and businesses per year will be concerned, or 1 home every 20 seconds.
One of the major challenges of the Fiber for Belgium program is to find enough people with the technical skills needed to roll out the fiber network in Belgium. To achieve this ambition, Proximus is working with numerous construction partners and companies specializing in the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. In total, some 3,000 technicians, telecom infrastructure specialists, managers and engineers are working on this project.
But it doesn't stop there; this capacity is expected to double to 6,000 full-time employees by 2023 to meet the ambitious targets. More than 40 different functions are involved, from operational activities such as excavation or installation works through the interaction with owners and building managers to the planning and development of the network design and the financial, commercial and administrative follow-up. Even after 2028, many of these profiles will remain necessary to maintain the network and further expand its coverage to other parts of the country.
A unique event in collaboration with private partners and government agencies
The upcoming Fiber Job Day is therefore an ideal opportunity for a first introduction to the many job opportunities offered by the fiber rollout. The event is primarily aimed at passionate and motivated people who want to take on this challenge, regardless of their background.
Indeed, many jobs related to fiber are open to people with no technical background, partly because training and certifications are provided by the sector around fiber splicing, building telecom infrastructure and performing work in the public domain. Thanks to these trainings, supported by the sector in collaboration with FOREM, Bruxelles Formation and VDAB, maximum effort is being made to boost conversion and reskilling.
Several Belgian companies active in fiber deployment will be present at the Fiber Job Day. Representatives of technical schools and employment agencies such as FOREM, Actiris, Bruxelles Formation and VDAB will also be present. The importance of the Fiber Job Day is further emphasized by the presence of Brussels Minister of Employment, Vocational Training and Digital Transition Clerfayt.
