“Excel Didn’t Help in a Crisis” | How the Belgian Government Built a National Skills System from Scratch

In this episode of The TechWolf Podcast, Carolien Sonck, Director of Support Services at the Belgian Government, joins Julius Schelstraete in Ghent to share a remarkable transformation story. When the COVID-19 crisis exposed a fundamental blind spot in their workforce data, Carolien and her team set out to build something entirely new: a skills-based workforce intelligence system that could support crisis response, mobility, internal consultancy, and national talent planning.Carolien shares how the journey began with phone calls and spreadsheets and evolved into a real-time skills system now used across multiple departments. She explains how the government is reshaping internal mobility, mapping AI-disrupted roles, and bringing employees and worker councils on board—all with privacy and trust at the center.This episode is a must-listen for public sector leaders, HR teams, and change-makers looking to build a data-driven workforce strategy—without relying on guesswork.