Can Wallonia fill the 10,600 construction jobs employers plan to recruit for in 2026?

Walloon construction employers plan more than 10,600 recruitments in 2026, but nearly two-thirds are expected to be difficult to complete, according to Forem’s workforce-needs survey publicised as a new series of industry immersion days began across Wallonia on 1 September. Forem, Embuild Wallonie, the sector fund Constructiv and the training institute IFAPME are using the “Construis ton avenir” programme to bring jobseekers onto training sites and working construction sites, where they can test trades before committing to a course or vacancy.

For people living in Wallonia, the figures point to an unusually broad pool of potential work rather than a single occupational shortage. Employers are looking for bricklayers, roofers, road workers, electricians, heating installers, HVAC technicians and general labourers. More than 5,000 construction vacancies were listed by Forem around the launch of the campaign, while the sector partners said more than 60% of the planned positions involved open-ended contracts. The practical difficulty is matching candidates with jobs that may require technical qualifications, mobility between sites and work in physically demanding conditions.

The construction total forms part of a wider Walloon labour-market survey commissioned by the regional government and conducted by Forem with business organisations UCM and AKT for Wallonia. Forem initially reported more than 88,000 hiring intentions across the economy; the detailed, weighted results put the estimate at about 90,795 projects. Because these are employers’ intentions rather than signed contracts, the number should not be read as a guarantee that 10,600 people will actually be hired. Economic conditions, order books and the availability of suitable candidates will determine how much of the demand becomes employment.

Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Wallonia’s employment and training minister, has presented the survey as a way to connect training more closely with real vacancies. Forem says construction is the region’s most shortage-affected sector in its 2026 classification, accounting for 38 of Wallonia’s 144 shortage occupations, including 19 newly added trades. That supports the employers’ case that the problem is structural, not simply a temporary recruitment drive.

The two sides nevertheless frame the challenge differently. Embuild Wallonie and the public employment partners emphasise discovery and rapid entry into training: previous “Construis ton avenir” editions attracted almost 800 jobseekers, and nearly 60% subsequently pursued a trade trial, according to the organisers. Their argument is that direct exposure can overturn outdated perceptions of construction and show candidates its technical, financial and human possibilities. The FGTB’s construction branch adds a worker-centred caution: construction includes heavy work, exposure to heat and bad weather, and specific employment protections. From that perspective, recruitment cannot be separated from safe conditions, sustainable careers and collectively agreed employment standards.

The workforce question also reaches beyond Wallonia. The European Union’s revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires national renovation plans and measures to build a skilled workforce capable of upgrading Europe’s building stock. The European Commission says roughly three-quarters of EU buildings perform poorly on energy use and the annual renovation rate remains around 1%. In July 2026, it opened infringement procedures against all 27 member states, including Belgium, for failing to notify full transposition of the revised directive by the May deadline. That does not create Wallonia’s vacancies, but it strengthens the long-term demand for insulation, heating, ventilation and energy-renovation skills.

The recruitment campaign began at ConstruForm Verviers and is scheduled to travel through six Walloon locations between early September and mid-October. Participants can try technical tasks, visit worksites and move towards a trade trial or training programme. The decisive figures will come later: how many participants enter training, how many complete it and how many obtain durable employment. Forem has not yet established how many of the projected 10,600 recruitments will ultimately be completed, leaving the conversion from employer intention to signed contract as the central test.