What does an operator do?
An operator sets up a machine, monitors it and fixes faults. As a student or flexi-jobber you start as an assistant next to a regular operator: you refill, check and report faults.
No experience needed as an assistantFlexi-jobs & student jobs in industry
In industry the work runs in shifts: early, late and sometimes right through the night. Food companies, chemical sites and metal firms in Flanders look for extra people in July and August, when regular staff are on holiday, and for big orders. As a student those hours count towards your 650 hours a year. Since 1 July 2026 flexi-jobs are possible in almost every sector, but it depends on the company's joint committee.
An early shift in industry
How does an early shift in a factory go?
An early shift in industry usually runs from 6 am to 2 pm. You start with workwear and a short handover, then work at a line or machine next to a regular colleague and finish with a clean-up. Click a moment to see what it looks like.
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You put on your safety shoes and workwear and get a helmet, goggles or ear protection, depending on the site. On your first day you go through the safety rules with someone from the team.
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The previous shift tells you what went well and what didn't. The shift supervisor tells you which line or machine you are on and who you work next to.
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You keep an eye on a machine next to a regular operator: topping up packaging and raw materials, moving products along, taking faulty items off the belt. Setting up a machine or fixing a breakdown is the operator's job.
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Every so often you take samples and check products for faults. In a food company you wear a hairnet and gloves for this. In between you get a short break.
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You clean your workstation, get the last boxes ready for shipping and tell the late shift what happened. At 2 pm your shift is done and your hours are in the app.
Common roles: Operator assistant (early shift), Quality inspector (big orders), On-site warehouse help (at shift change), Technical assistant (summer shutdown), Palletiser (end of shift), Seasonal food worker (july to october).
Which jobs do you do in a factory?
What does a quality inspector do?
You take samples from the line at fixed times and check their size, weight or label. Anything that is off, you note down and report to the shift leader.
Precise work, no other experienceWhat does a technical assistant do?
You help a maintenance technician during the summer shutdown or a planned stoppage. You fetch parts, clean machines and keep the work area clear.
Technical studies are a plusWhat does a palletiser do?
At the end of the line you stack boxes on pallets, wrap them in film and get them ready for shipping. A colleague with a certificate drives the forklift.
Physical work, no certificate neededWhy work in industry?
Factories look for extra people when it is busy or when regular colleagues are on holiday. For a student job or flexi-job that has a few advantages.
You pick the shift
Early, late or at night: every shift shows its hours. After an early shift your afternoon is free. Night shifts are open from age 18.
Start without experience
You learn the work on the line in the first hour, next to a regular colleague. You don't need to know how to set up a machine.
Lots of summer work
In July and August regular staff are on holiday and frozen food companies run their vegetable season. That is when there are the most shifts.
From food to metal
Food companies, chemical plants and metal firms are spread across Flanders, often on an industrial estate just outside town.
What do you earn as an operator or on shifts?
You won't find amounts here: they differ per sector and change with every indexation. Here is how your pay in a factory is set.
Which joint committee?
That depends on what the factory makes. A metal company usually falls under joint committee 111, a chemical company under 116 and a food company under 118, each with its own pay scale per job.
As a student
You get at least the pay scale for your job in that committee. For young students the minimum can be lower, depending on your age.
As a flexi-jobber
Your flexi wage follows at least the pay scale for your job in the sector, plus flexi holiday pay. A company may pay more.
Shifts and nights
If you work shifts or nights, the committee's collective agreement often provides a shift or night premium. The hourly wage is shown with every shift in the app, so you know it before you respond.
Student or flexi-jobber in industry?
| Student | Flexi-jobber | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can do it? | Any student from age 16, or from 15 after the first two years of secondary school. | Anyone working at least 4/5 for another employer, or retired. |
| How many hours? | Up to 650 hours a year at a lower contribution. | Unlimited. Your flexi wage is tax-free up to 18,440 euros a year, with no ceiling for retirees. |
| Deductions | Only a solidarity contribution of 2.71 percent. | You pay no social contributions yourself. |
| Night shift | Only from age 18. Under-18s in principle don't work between 8 pm and 6 am. | Possible, if the site runs a night shift. |
| Flexi in the factory | As a student it was always possible. | Since 1 July 2026, unless the joint committee has an opt-out. Metal (joint committee 111) had none at the end of September 2026. |
All the rules for 2026Rules checked on 7 October 2026.
How to start
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Step 1
Apply
Pick a shift in the app and tap apply.
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Step 2
Get accepted
The business picks you and your contract is ready.
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Step 3
Clock in
Arrive on time and clock in through the app.
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Step 4
Work your shift
You work and break when it's allowed.
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Step 5
Get paid
Clock out, your pay follows within days.
Something more specific?
Then take a look at production, for those who want to work on the line itself.
For shifters
A student job in a factory on the shift that suits you
- Choose an early, late or night shift
- See the site, the task and the workwear in advance
- Night shifts only from age 18
For businesses
Extra people on site for the summer or a big order?
- Post one shift per team, with hours and site
- Responses from students and flexi-jobbers in the region
- Contract and declaration online, per shift
Frequently asked questions
Can you do a flexi-job in the metal sector?
Since 1 July 2026 a flexi-job is in principle possible in almost every sector. The metal sector (joint committee 111) is not on the list of excluded sectors from the end of September 2026, so flexi-jobs are allowed there in principle. A sector can still have an opt-out set by royal decree, and in metal the status is not undisputed. So check with the shift whether the company works with flexi-jobbers.
Is working in a factory hard?
That depends on your post. On the line you stand for hours and repeat the same movement, as a palletiser you lift boxes the whole shift. A night shift asks the most, because your body has to get used to the rhythm. A food plant can be cold, a metal plant noisy. The company provides protective gear such as ear protection, and every shift has fixed breaks.
How does shift work in a factory work?
Many factories run two or three shifts: an early, a late and sometimes a night shift. A shift usually lasts eight hours, with a short break. Every shift shows the start and end time, so you know in advance which shift you are on. Night shifts are only for people aged 18 and over.
What safety rules apply on an industrial site?
At the start you get an explanation of the site's safety rules. You wear the protective equipment the company requires, such as safety shoes, gloves, glasses or ear protection. Which tasks you may do depends on your age and the company's risk assessment. If in doubt, ask for an explanation before you start on a machine.
From what age can I work in industry?
As a student you can work from age 16, or from 15 if you have completed the first two years of secondary school. Minors do not work night shifts and may not do every task. That is why a company sometimes asks for a minimum age for a shift, and it is then shown with the shift.
When do factories look for extra people?
Mostly in July and August, when regular staff are on holiday. Frozen food companies run their vegetable campaign from summer into autumn, and a big order or a new line also brings extra shifts. Around the annual shutdown some sites look for help with maintenance and cleaning up.
Can I do a flexi-job in industry?
Since 1 July 2026 flexi-jobs are in principle possible in almost every sector. Sectors can still opt out, though, so the list may change. Whether a factory works with flexi-jobbers therefore depends on its joint committee. For students this does not matter: you work up to 650 hours a year at reduced contributions.
Ready for your first shift in industry?
Download the app as a shifter or register your business for free.