Attracting talent through sector-specific job fairs

essenscia organises sector-specific  Jobdays in Wallonia and We Are Chemistry  in Flanders, which aim to attract more technical and scientific talents to the chemical, plastics and life sciences industry, and thereby help companies fill their vacancies.  

The “Chemistry, Plastics, Pharma & Biotech Jobdays” are organised by essenscia wallonie in collaboration with Forem and Actiris and supported by partners such as the business parks of Liège and Charleroi and the Walloon and Brussels authorities. In 2020, the first edition combined a face-to-face fair with a virtual fair, accessible online for two weeks. 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the second edition took place completely online. It also targeted international talent through a partnership with AWEX, the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency. The virtual edition attracted nearly 1,500 candidates. 

“We Are Chemistry” is an initiative of POM Antwerp, supported by the province of Antwerp and essenscia vlaanderen. Taking place since 2011, it is the most important job fair in Flanders for the chemical and pharmaceutical sector. Each year, the event attracts around 500 students and job seekers. In 2021, the fair was held online and was a success. 

These events are organised to address the triple talent challenge facing the sector.