Hire a Technical Student Worker | Flexible, By the Hour
No fixed costs, no hassle. Just the right technical hands, at the right time.
Hiring technical staff in 2026
Technical profiles are the hardest to find in Flanders. More than half of VDAB's ten biggest shortage occupations for 2026 are technical roles in industry or construction. We deploy student workers from technical study programmes for workshop and assembly support, maintenance and repair of bicycles and light vehicles, materials management for the technical department, and measurement and inspection work. Contract, Dimona registration, payroll, insurance, risk analysis and medical supervision all run through a single file with us.
Why companies choose technical students through us
Available by the hour
You hire exactly the hours you need, from a busy maintenance week to a fixed Saturday shift. No permanent contract for a shortage that fluctuates.
Pre-screened
We look at the field of study, not just availability. In technical work that's no minor detail, the study programme partly determines what a student is legally allowed to do.
Short waiting times
Students from our pool can often start the same week. For a shortage occupation where a company's own recruitment round takes months, that's the difference between waiting and getting to work.
Fully unburdened
Student agreement, Dimona registration, hours tracking, payroll and insurance all run through us, and we follow the youth labour rules. Your technical department keeps its time for the work itself.
Our services: technical support for your company
Workshop and assembly
Preparing, disassembling, assembling and fitting under the guidance of your regular technicians. Work that costs your experienced staff time but doesn't require their expertise, freeing them up for what does.
Bicycle and vehicle repair
Maintenance and repair of bicycles, e-bikes and light vehicles. Bicycle repairer is on VDAB's 2026 shortage occupations list, and students from a mechanics programme regularly fill that gap.
Technical department and materials management
Managing the parts warehouse, preparing orders, following up work orders and keeping tools in order. This is the role most technical students start in.
Measurement, testing and inspection work
Taking measurements, filling in test reports, quality checks and technical administration. Suited to students in industrial sciences or a technical bachelor's programme.
How does hiring a technical student work with us?
Request
During an introductory conversation we discuss your situation, map out the need, and advise on a suitable, flexible deployment of students.
Selection and matching
Match and fast deployment
Ongoing support
Our students are well prepared, you decide on the onboarding, and we provide continuous support with planning, replacement and scaling staff up or down.
What rules apply to students doing technical work?
A student may work 650 hours per calendar year at the reduced solidarity contribution of 8.13%, of which 5.42% is paid by the employer. Above that quota, standard contributions apply. We handle the Dimona registration before the first shift.
Technical work adds a second layer, and it's stricter than many employers assume. Before the student starts, a risk analysis for young workers must be in place, renewed annually and whenever the workstation changes significantly. Every young person under 18 must undergo a health assessment beforehand, as must anyone doing night work. This is set out by Securex and the FPS Employment.
Prohibited work, and the exception that matters
Young workers may not operate dangerous machinery or carry out dangerous work, such as driving excavation equipment, using powder-actuated tools, or welding and cutting. They also may not be exposed to harmful, toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic substances, ionising radiation, extreme heat or cold, or noise and vibration.
There is one exception, and for technical companies it's the most important rule on this page. A student may still carry out this work when four conditions are met together: the student is over 18, does not operate motorised transport equipment, is following a study programme that matches the work, and the committee for prevention and protection at work and the prevention advisers have given their opinion.
That's why, for a technical assignment, we always ask about the field of study. We look for the student who fits the work legally, rather than leaving you with a problem afterwards.
Deploying technical students in your company
The shortage of technical profiles is structural. VDAB lists industrial electromechanic, machining setter-operator, technician for construction, agricultural and lifting equipment, and industrial maintenance supervisor among the ten biggest shortage occupations of 2026, and in construction, site manager and construction estimator are added to that. You won't solve that this quarter with a job posting.
A student worker is not a replacement for an industrial electromechanic, and that's not a promise we make either. What a technical student does do is take over the hours your experienced technicians currently lose to preparation, assembly, materials and administration, so you can deploy your scarce expertise where it counts.
From a one-off assignment to a lasting partnership
There's a second return. A student from a technical programme who works with you for two years knows your machines and your way of working by the time they graduate. That's the one talent pipeline for a shortage occupation that you control yourself.
Pool management by Recruit a Student
With pool management, we build a fixed group of technical students around your company. The same people, who know your workshop, know your safety rules, and don't need to be onboarded from scratch every time. In technical work that matters more than elsewhere, since every new student requires a fresh risk analysis and induction.
You scale up in busy weeks and back down in quiet ones, without losing the group. We manage availability, planning and replacement in case of illness, and keep track of which student follows which study programme, so the match with the work stays right.
One transparent hourly rate, no hidden costs
You pay a single hourly rate per hour worked. That includes the student's wage, employer contributions, insurance, payroll and our guidance. No upfront recruitment costs, no costs in a week without shifts.
The rate depends on the joint committee and the hours involved. Request a quote and we'll calculate it for you.
Frequently asked questions about hiring technical staff
How can I hire a technical student through Recruit a Student?
You request a quote or give us a call. We discuss which tasks are involved, how many hours you need and which study programme fits. We then put forward candidates from our pool. We arrange the student agreement and the Dimona registration.
What does it cost to hire a technical student?
You pay a single hourly rate per hour worked, which includes the wage, employer contributions, insurance and payroll. The amount depends on the joint committee your company falls under and the hours involved. The quote states the exact rate.
How quickly can a technical student start?
Thanks to our pool, often the same week. Do bear in mind that the risk analysis, and for a student under 18 or in the case of night work, the health assessment must be completed before the first working day. We keep track of that sequence for you.
Can a student be taken on permanently afterwards?
Yes, that's possible. We're happy to discuss the conditions with you personally, so we can work out what best fits your situation. Contact us for more information.
Need technical support right away?
Tell us which work is piling up, and we'll find the students with the right study programme. We immediately check which tasks are legally possible and which aren't.