Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding

VDAB, also known as the Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding, is the public employment service of the Flemish region in Belgium. It provides job mediation, vocational training, career guidance and labour market information to job seekers and employers. Its core activities include matching vacancies with candidates, offering training programmes that respond to regional skill needs, and operating online portals where users can search for work, submit applications and access career resources. The agency serves the Flemish community across the region.

VDAB’s distinguishing attributes stem from its statutory role as the Flemish government’s specialised agency for labour market integration and vocational education. It operates under the authority of the Flemish Ministry of Work and Social Economy, which mandates it to deliver services aligned with regional employment policies. The organisation is recognised for its digital service delivery, having developed extensive online platforms that support self‑service job search, e‑learning and employer recruitment tools. This digital focus was highlighted during the June 2024 cyberattack, when the agency’s IT team collaborated with telecommunications provider Telenet to restore services after a distributed overload, confirming that no personal data were compromised.

Structurally, VDAB is a direct arm of the Flemish government and not a subsidiary of any private entity; its funding and oversight come from regional public budgets. As an agency, it reports to the Flemish Minister responsible for work and social economy, ensuring that its strategies reflect broader governmental objectives on employment, skills development and social inclusion.