For the province of Antwerp, the NMBS was looking for about sixty drivers, twenty of whom have already been found. This is the largest recruitment for the province in a long time. During a ‘discovery day’ on Wednesday 5 July in Antwerp Central, candidates can drive a train in a simulator. Such a day is also organized in the other provinces.
“It is mainly because of the expansion of our train offer around Antwerp that we need extra drivers here,” says spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman. “In addition, there is the staff who are at the end of their career and are asking for replacement.” The railway company puts forward wages, freedom and responsibility as assets of the job. “With 1,600 passengers in a full train, a certain responsibility comes into play,” says Temmerman. “In addition, a director earns approximately 2,300 euros net.”
Anyone who registers for the ‘discovery day’ will be contacted by NMBS and given a time when he or she is expected at Antwerp Central station. Driver training is paid and lasts approximately ten months. Only a high school diploma is required. “Many people are switching from a completely different sector,” says Temmerman.
The NMBS announced 1,600 vacancies at the beginning of this year. In the meantime, about 1,000 people have been selected, the majority of whom have started. Just like the companies in the port, the NMBS is also struggling with a tight labor market. In total, the railway company has about 3,000 drivers on 3,800 trains.