How FIX helps build the Brussels cultural industry

FIX has been known and loved in Brussels for a while now. Thanks to the Flemish Community Commission VGC, this social employment agency can strongly expand its activities in 2021 with 3 new teams. The last of these teams will start this autumn and will further develop the VGC’s Culture, Youth & Sports (CJS) department. Thanks to this expansion, FIX will not only be able to help build the infrastructure of Brussels schools and youth and sports organisations, but also cultural organisations. In this way, Brussels will thus be assisted with the expertise of no less than 13 specialised teams. 

Infrastructural needs in the cultural sector

FIX is a construction company active in the social economy. Until recently, it mainly renovated Brussels schools, but since 2017 it has also been renovating the infrastructure of Brussels youth and sports organisations. The renovations are carried out by long-term job seekers who, thanks to FIX, are gaining work experience in the construction sector. In this way, they help build the city, and it’s infrastructure is optimised. After a two-year period at FIX, the “FIX’ers” are supported while seeking a job in the regular job market. An approach that works! 72% of the FIX’ers who completed their work experience process at FIX in 2019 found a job within the year.

“As a result of the popularity of this success formula and because of infrastructural needs in the cultural sector, expansion could not wait much longer,” says VGC College Member Pascal Smet. “The cultural sector has a need for maintenance and renovation of its infrastructure, but does not necessarily have much expertise in this area. That is where FIX comes in.”

Team with focus on electricity

Within the entire culture, youth and sports sector, there is a remarkable need for electrical work. The new team will therefore specialise in it, in addition to the work already carried out by an existing team. A specific work experience trajectory focused on electricity will also offer interesting career perspectives for the FIX’ers. This is reflected in the list of bottleneck jobs.

Eva De Smedt, director of FIX shares her views: “The expansion to the cultural sector is logical and meets a clear need. Moreover, we are linking this to interesting learning opportunities for our workers. This is how we continue the success formula of FIX!”

“The FIX initiative comes at a perfect time for us. We are indeed moving our studios, together with almost 40 artists and we take the inner walls and doors with us as recycled material from our previous location,” says Aernoudt Jacobs, artistic co-director of Overtoon. “It is a huge job and the FIX team expertise is a great asset. The fact that FIX is also a training initiative in which people gain work experience fits in perfectly with our views on a circular economy.”

Are you a Brussels cultural organisation supported by the VGC? You can find more information here.

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