The government of the Flanders region of Belgium, where Antwerp is located, have allowed foreign workers to be employed for the shortage occupations of diamond polishers and diamond sorters.
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) has lauded the decision, noting that it is an important boost for the Antwerp diamond sector, which faces a structural shortage of these specialised profiles.
“They are scarcely available on the local labour market, yet essential to keeping Antwerp competitive as an international diamond trading centre,” AWDC said in a statement.
By adding diamond polishers and sorters to the list of ‘medium-skilled occupations for which there is a structural shortage of workers’, employers will now gain faster access to skilled professionals from abroad. The mandatory labour market test is waived, making the procedure significantly simpler and more efficient.
“To remain competitive as a diamond trading centre, our companies must be able to hire diamond polishers and sorters from outside Europe quickly and easily, and this decision now makes that possible,” said AWDC CEO Karen Rentmeesters.
The organization said that the decision will create a more attractive business climate in the region, increasing the likelihood that companies and trade flows choose Antwerp as their base of operations.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
