The Belgian steel trade is facing an imminent pension peak, an insufficient influx of technical talent and a sector that still too often struggles with an outdated image. With ‘Steel Warriors empowered by Belmetal’, the federation of steel traders is putting the sector in the spotlight in a cool, fresh way. During Advanced Manufacturing, the exhibition floor will once again be the setting for the final of this creative school competition.
Belmetal has been representing Belgian steel traders for over a hundred years. The federation acts as a social partner, defends its members’ interests in terms of wage formation and regulations, and supports them in complex matters such as the European CBAM legislation (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), which aims to ensure fair competition with steel from outside the EU.
Belmetal also plays a crucial role in training and recruitment. “We are at a tipping point,” says newly appointed director Chetan Corten. “A large wave of retirements is coming, while the influx today is not yet sufficient to compensate for that outflow. Moreover, we notice that new employees often need extra support to be fully employable. The bigger that gap becomes, the more difficult it is to solve. Then you have to take action as a sector yourself.”
Cross-disciplinary
This initiative has resulted in ‘Steel Warriors empowered by Belmetal’, a school competition that has been running since 2022 and is now in its fourth edition. Teams work throughout the school year on a steel construction, applying various techniques. This year’s final will take place on the opening day of Advanced Manufacturing, together with the school day.
“The Steel Warriors competition allows students to apply their skills in a creative, playful and refreshing way, without losing sight of the reality of the metal industry,” explains Chetan. “It should deliberately stimulate and open their eyes to the fact that a job in the metal sector is not just about welding in a factory hall. It is creative, technically challenging and strongly focused on collaboration.”
The project has therefore been deliberately designed to be interdisciplinary. “In addition to technical skills, presentation, language and even reflection on the use of AI also play a role. The teams have to defend and present their project during jury sessions and the final. That requires communication, teamwork and critical thinking. Those social skills are at least as important as the technical implementation.”
During the programme, students also get to know companies in the sector. “This allows them to discover potentially interesting combinations of techniques, ideas or future profiles. We also took the winners of the previous edition on an exclusive visit to a large steel factory in Luxembourg to give the young people a better feel for the field of work.”
A mental shift
The competition is fully supported by Belmetal and its partners, and that commitment has not gone unnoticed: the Steel Warriors competition was included in a publication by the King Baudouin Foundation as an example of an effective initiative with social impact.
“It’s not about putting Belmetal in the spotlight,” Chetan emphasises. “It’s about young people and the people on the work floor. We want to breathe new life into the sector and ensure that technical professions become the first choice again.”
And according to Chetan, this challenge does not lie solely with young people. “The mindset of parents, who often have a significant influence on their children’s choice of study, also needs to change. We want to show that this is a sector with a future, fair pay and even a form of lifelong job security for those who continue to develop.”
More than a federation
At Advanced Manufacturing, Belmetal will have the largest exhibition stand at the fair. In addition to the Steel Warriors final, it will also serve as a meeting place for members and partners of the federation. “We bring our companies into contact with potential employees, but also with other players who are relevant to our sector. Networking remains essential.”
The combination of advocacy, training and image enhancement means that Belmetal today does more than a traditional federation. “We are simultaneously exploiting and exploring. We defend what we have, but we are also building what will be needed in the future,” concludes Chetan.
