Is recruiting staff still a challenge? Bruxelles Formation offers an alternative: train your future employee yourself through in-company training. Foodiz, a Brussels-based start-up, shares its experience.
How it works: you welcome a job seeker, train them in your company for 1 to 6 months, and then hire them for at least an equivalent duration. Individual Vocational Training in Business (FPIE – Formation professionnelle individuelle en entreprise in French) is a pre-employment training scheme. The advantage is clear: the employer pays a training allowance exempt from social security contributions (ONSS) and employer charges. Throughout the process, Bruxelles Formation supports you every step of the way.
Numerous Brussels companies adopt the FPIE every year. Foodiz is one of them, having signed 23 FPIE agreements in five years, leading to 17 permanent hires. We met with Thibault Vanhaelen, CEO of Foodiz, a Brussels corporate catering start-up founded in 2020 that helps companies enhance quality of life at work.
What made you want to use the FPIE scheme?
We needed to strengthen our support team, but lacked the financial visibility for immediate permanent hires (CDI). The FPIE came as a genuine solution: a system that allowed us to onboard motivated candidates, take the time to train them in our methods and day-to-day operations, all while benefiting from a structured framework and guidance from Bruxelles Formation. It was this dual benefit, thorough training combined with employer flexibility, that triggered our decision.
What was your initial need?
We were facing the classic challenge of recruiting versatile profiles ready to grow within an expanding start-up, where roles are broad and constantly evolving, profiles that are rarely found "turnkey" on the job market. We also wanted to train people directly in our own methods, tools, and company culture, rather than onboarding candidates with habits acquired elsewhere that we would have to unlearn.
How was your experience with Bruxelles Formation’s support?
The guidance and support were among the key highlights of the experience. The process was presented clearly from the very start: goals, timeline, mutual commitments, as well as administrative and financial details. We knew exactly what we were stepping into.
Communication with Bruxelles Formation was smooth and professional, with responsive and dedicated contacts available at every stage, from building the application to ongoing follow-up during training. The structured pathway, complete with milestones and a clear training plan, helped us formalize our expectations for the role, which ultimately improved how we integrate all new hires across the board.
Overall, it is a scheme that makes life easy for employers, something that isn't always a given when dealing with administrative procedures in Brussels.
In concrete terms, what did the FPIE bring to your company?
It allowed us to onboard several team members whom we likely wouldn't have been able to hire directly on permanent contracts right away, either due to financial visibility or because skill development required an adaptation period that few candidates accept within a traditional hiring framework. The FPIE creates a safe bridge for both parties.
These hires strengthened our operational capabilities and freed up time for more strategic initiatives.
Finally, the scheme required us to systematically define a training plan and a clear job description for each position, a highly beneficial exercise for a growing start-up structuring its teams as it expands. This foundation benefits our entire organization today.
Are the people trained through the FPIE still working at your company today?
Yes, and that is undoubtedly the best indicator. Several employees we trained through the FPIE are still part of the Foodiz team today, working in key positions. These career paths show that the FPIE is not just a temporary stepping stone: for us, it has become a reliable long-term recruitment channel that helped build our core operational team.
If you were to talk about the FPIE to another employer, what would you tell them?
Without hesitation, I would recommend it. It's a scheme that reduces hiring risk, which is invaluable for a company where every hire counts: you take the time to train, observe, and confirm the right fit before making a long-term commitment.
It also provides a clear administrative framework backed by Bruxelles Formation, it's not an extra burden to manage, but rather a genuine support system.
Lastly, it offers a real opportunity for social impact: you actively contribute to the employment of Brussels residents, while building a team tailored to your own methods instead of poaching candidates already in place elsewhere.
In short: the FPIE is a driver of responsible growth for any Brussels business. Any employer hesitating to recruit due to a "lack of perfect candidates" on the market should seriously consider it.
Foodiz's experience says it all: the FPIE is a win-win.
Submit your FPIE application here!
For any further questions, contact Bruxelles Formation's Employer Service at employeurs@bruxellesformation.brussels.
La FPIE : formez, intégrez, recrutez en toute confiance.
By Adeline Remy, Head of the Employer Service at Bruxelles Formation