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“I can’t believe we didn’t find each other sooner…” wonders Bavo De Cock, CEO of Circet Benelux, referring to the partnership between Circet Belgium and MolenGeek. This collaboration is indeed one in a million. It gives anyone the opportunity to find a job in the digital sector, and helps Circet Belgium in its search for technical profiles. Bavo De Cock and Ibrahim Ouassari, founder and CEO of MolenGeek, share their enthusiasm.
Demand for technicians greater than ever
“In Belgium, we are working on a large-scale fibre optic roll-out,” De Cock begins. “This means that we need a lot of trained and qualified professionals. For example, there are currently a hundred vacancies for Telecom Technicians alone.”
Due to the high demand for these specific profiles, MolenGeek appeared on Circet Belgium’s radar at the beginning of this year. MolenGeek’s mission is clear: it aims to make digital technology accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender or place of residence. “We give people the opportunity to acquire technical skills and thus increase their chances on the job market,” says Ibrahim Ouassari, founder and CEO of MolenGeek.
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What is MolenGeek? MolenGeek is a digital ecosystem in Brussels that offers underprivileged jobseekers the opportunity to find work, set up a company or develop a career in the digital sector through courses and training. |
Full-time work at Circet
Circet Belgium and MolenGeek have joined forces to help people find a job in the digital sector. As soon as candidates are hired at MolenGeek, Circet offers them the opportunity to start as a Telecom Technician. Naturally, this requires preparation. They therefore go through an intensive learning programme over several weeks.
Two days a week involving both theory and practice are spent at MolenGeek. The rest of the week they gain work experience at Circet by shadowing an experienced technician. After the training, candidates and Circet check whether they match. If so, the candidate can start working full-time immediately as a Telecom Technician.
The first discussions have now been completed, and the training will start in September.
Bavo De Cock, CEO of Circet Benelux, visited MolenGeek at the end of August 2023.
A salary and a first work experience
Ouassari: “Either way, our cooperation is a win-win. We help Circet find and train the right profiles. At the same time, Circet offers them a first work experience in the telecom industry, and an income. And if they start working full time at Circet after the training, they will get their own car, a good salary and many further training opportunities at the Circet Academy. Our social impact is huge as a result: we are giving people new prospects with this programme. This makes me very proud.”
A long-lasting partnership
The partnership also fits in perfectly with Circet’s ESG strategy, De Cock explains. “We want to offer everyone equal opportunities, and motivation is more important than technical knowledge. All of this is in perfect harmony with MolenGeek’s vision. What’s more: the faster we find staff, the faster we can roll out the fibre network, and the better for the environment. Fibre optic networks are a lot more sustainable and energy efficient than the current coax and copper networks.”
“Being able to find staff faster through MolenGeek means we can roll out sustainable fibre optic networks faster” – Bavo De Cock
A glimpse into the future
Although the collaboration has only been running for a few months, both partners are already looking forward to the future with great anticipation. Bavo De Cock is convinced that a long-term partnership is on the cards. “MolenGeek has joined us in this first, major challenge. But there are many other opportunities for further collaboration. For example, MolenGeek can play an important role in the training of colleagues in the Circet Academy, the automation of internal processes and in finding qualified professionals for the further 5G roll-out.”
“Time and time again, I see how grateful candidates are when we offer them this programme” – Ibrahim Ouassari
Ibrahim Ouassari shares the same enthusiasm as Bavo De Cock. And this is felt on a daily basis. Ouassari: “Time and time again, I see how grateful new candidates are when we offer them this programme. It’s amazing.”
