Roeselare entered C4TALENT with a paradox: labour shortages on the one hand, and underused potential on the other. While employers struggled to find staff, many residents — including people with a migrant background, people with disabilities, and young people leaving the city after secondary education — remained disconnected from local opportunities.
Through C4TALENT, the city reframed its challenge. Talent attraction was no longer seen only as bringing new people in, but also as making better use of the talent already present. This shift in perspective led Roeselare to place inclusion, skills matching and employer mindset change at the heart of its Integrated Action Plan.
The plan focuses on two parallel pathways. The first aims to re-attract young talent who grew up in Roeselare but studied elsewhere, by strengthening ties with final-year students, improving residential attractiveness, and actively reconnecting graduates with local employers. The second pathway works to maximise local talent, supporting a more inclusive labour market through workplace coaching, social economy initiatives, and targeted support for non-European residents and people with disabilities.
Rather than opening a new door, Roeselare chose to remove barriers that had long stood in the way. In doing so, the city is building a labour market that is not only more competitive, but also fairer and more resilient.
📄 Roeselare’s full Integrated Action Plan, short IAP and a visual infographic breaking down the strategy are available in the Integrated Action Plans section of this website.
