Checklist working with an intern

You must be an accredited work placement company if you want to hire as an intern:

• a student in senior secondary vocational education (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs, mbo)
• a student in pre-vocational secondary education (voorbereidend middelbaar beroepsonderwijs, vmbo) in a learning-by-doing programme
• a student with a disability from special secondary education
• a student from practical education

You can apply for accreditation at the Stichting Samen Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven (SBB). Accreditation as a work placement company is valid for 4 years.

Accreditation as a work placement company is not necessary for an internship for a student in higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, hbo) or university.

Offer your internship (work placement) at the SBB Internship Market (in Dutch). You can use job platforms for internships at hbo and university levels. Educational organisations also often have their own internship office. You can also share the internship vacancy on social media.

To hire an intern, you have several obligations.

• You provide sufficient work that is in line with the intern’s training.
• You are responsible for what the intern does during working hours. You must, for example, ensure good working conditions and a safe work environment. But you must also monitor working hours and ensure equal treatment.
• You provide the intern with intensive guidance. The intern must develop certain skills during the internship at your company.

Keep in mind that somea activities are not allowed for people under 18.

Extra rules apply to some foreign interns

Do you want to hire a foreign student for an internship or apprenticeship? In some cases they will need a work permit(tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) Read more about offering an internship.

Check your business liability insurance, or make sure you take out one. As as an employer, you are responsible for damage caused or incurred by the intern.

Make clear agreements with an internship agreement or contract and put them in writing. Such an agreement includes information, such as:

• details of the intern, the educational institute, and your company
• duration of the internship and the number of hours per week
• arrangements for holidays and illness
• learning objectives and guidance
• when you will assess the intern
• internship activities
• any internship allowance
• who is liable in the event of damage
• handling of, for example, a company laptop or telephone
• when you and the intern may terminate the contract

An internship contract is a legal obligation if the intern is under 16 years of age.

You are not obliged to pay your intern an internship fee. Unless the collective labour agreement that applies to your company specifies that you do. Nevertheless, an internship allowance is common nowadays. Many study programmes require an internship allowance.

You determine the amount of the internship fee yourself. For example, it depends on the level of education, work experience, and the academic year of the intern.

Applying for labour costs compensation for a trainee

You can get labour costs compensation (LKV) if you employ a trainee. Conditions apply. Your trainee must fall within the target group of the LKV benefit and have a target group statement. And your trainee will receive a traineeship allowance.

Because you offer an internship, you may be able to get a practice-based learning subsidy from the government. This is a contribution towards the costs you incur for the internship supervision. Check if you qualify for this subsidy.

For some internships, your intern must have a certificate of conduct (Verklaring omtrent het gedrag, VOG). For example, for an internship in a nursery or with a security firm. Read how to apply for a VOG.

Are you a self-employed professional without staff (zzp’er)? You may be able to hire an intern. Some study programmes allow students to do an internship with self-employed professionals without employees. Other schools and universities prefer larger organisations.

If you want to hire an intern, you must be able to meet the requirements of the educational institutions. For example, offering an educational workplace. And having the time to intensively supervise the intern.