The healthcare sector is currently facing a lack of manpower, but the Brussels-based non-profit organisation, Collège La Fraternité, is aiming to help fill the gap. Its Centre for Advanced Technology in child care and nursing care, which opened in April 2013, is intended to train potential health workers to make up for this shortage, and thereby boost employment.
- 30 March 2015
The main aim of the La Fraternité Centre for Advanced Technology, with its mini-hospital and child care, care assistant and home help training, principally concerns services for people. The Centre makes the latest technology available to trainees and teachers, irrespective of their educational network or the type of training required, as well as to job seekers and workers, with a view to developing certified training.
The Centre's premises have been fitted out with the latest equipment used in child care and nursing care, including interactive dummies, computer hardware, and software and crèche equipment. They comprise two types of facilities: a mini-hospital on the ground floor, and a crèche on the first floor.
This makes it possible to provide training which is adapted to the needs of a wide range of groups. Indeed, courses at the Centre are open to secondary school students and teachers, non-university further education students, underprivileged students, and job-seekers. Professional development training is also provided for current child and nursing care workers.
Close relationships with healthcare, education and training providers
The Centre has sought to build up close working relationships with the healthcare sector, particularly with crèches and hospitals in the private sector. This should help to ensure the availability of trainee positions and employment opportunities for the people trained by the Centre. It has also developed partnerships with a range of educational networks and training providers.
Collège La Fraternité estimates that, at full capacity, the Centre has the potential to provide some 1 600 person-days of training per year. This means that around 800 people will be trained each year, 25 % of whom will be workers and job-seekers.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Centre de Technologies Avancées – Puériculture et soins infirmiers” is EUR 949 190, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 474 595 from the Operational Programme “Brussels Capital Region” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.