IntegraSoins, launched in Belgium in 2020, offers refugees - those who have previous experience as healthcare professionals - access to formal training as nurses or nursing assistants.Project GoalWhile a large number of refugees are qualified healthcare practitioners in their home countries, they can face difficulties in securing recognition of their diplomas or qualifications in Belgium. For some people, the recognition process can be further complicated by the absence of official documents proving their certification and/or qualification. These obstacles risk hindering a person’s professional and economic integration and deprive the country of their skilled contributions.With this in mind, IntegraSoins is designed to do 3 things:Address the current healthcare labour shortage in BelgiumIncrease refugee qualification through provision of a ‘bridging programme’Facilitate the professional integration of refugees by promoting their employment by Belgian healthcare institutionsHow it worksThe project offers 45 candidates each year the opportunity to participate. Candidates can enroll for one of 3 formal training programmes: the nursing auxiliary programme (training period: maximum 22 months) ; brevet d'infirmier-ère hospitalier (3.5 years) ; baccalauréat d'infirmier-ère responsable de soins généraux (maximum 4 years). The full list of eligibility criteria can be found online.Candidates who are accepted into the programme match with an employer with whom they complete a mandatory internship and work during holiday periods. IntegraSoins ensures that candidates are exempt from work during the academic year while receiving a steady income from the Fonds Intersectoriel des Services de Santé (FINSS). This enables them to focus entirely on their healthcare studies while gaining experience with their employer during school vacations.Who benefitsIntegraSoins is intended for people with refugee status who have previous experience in the healthcare sector and wish to start a second career in Belgium.Employers hiring via IntegraSoins benefit from a strengthened labourforce, and the wider Belgian population benefits from eased pressure on services due to a higher number of qualified healthcare professionals. Start date1 Sep 2020Project locations Belgium Project websiteIntegraSoins - FeBi TopicEducation and trainingEmployment and skillsService provision Results IntegraSoins is part of a larger project, IntegraJobs, that was officially launched in 2021. At the end of the first project year, 29 employment contracts were signed by participants. The programme has been repeated yearly since then.EvaluationNo official evaluation has yet been carried out in relation to the professional insertion of participants following their completion of the programme. It is clear, however, that the project offers an opportunity that may not otherwise be accessible to many people with a refugee background and that it certainly takes a positive step in tackling the labour shortage in healthcare in Belgium. In addition, the project promotes the strengthening of collaboration between various organisations involved in the professional integration of refugees.
