Arizona Job Training: Do Programs Really Work?

How likely are you to find a job in the year following training?

The Arizona government’s objective is to reduce the employment rate to 80% by 2030. Its conviction: training remains one of the most effective tools to promote a return to employment.

The statistics prove it. Today in Wallonia, job seekers who follow vocational training have a 76% chance of finding a job within twelve months, according to figures from Forem published in 2024. In Brussels, this rate rises to 70.5%, according to a study carried out in 2022 by Bruxelles Formation.

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Is training a magic wand?

But Bernard Conter, researcher at IWEPS (Walloon Institute of Evaluation, Foresight and Statistics), puts things into perspective.” Training is far from being a magic wand that would alone solve the unemployment problem in Belgium. It is an undeniable asset for finding work, studies show it, but it is never an absolute guarantee: in the end, it is the company that decides.”

To support his point, the researcher relies on figures from Forem. In December 2025, 272,160 job seekers were registered with the Walloon Office, for around 38,100 job offers available.

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How many candidates for a single offer?

The imbalance is therefore striking: the number of opportunities is largely insufficient compared to the number of unemployed people. “This means that training above all allows you to gain places in the queue “, analyse Bernard Conter.

“When an offer is published, dozens, even hundreds of candidates position themselves. The employer will then select the person he considers most suitable: the most qualified, the most qualified, the one who has followed the most training..” Beyond the number, the quality of job offers also raises questions. Less than half of the positions offered correspond to permanent contracts (CDI), and almost a third concern so-called “shortage” or “critical” professions.

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