Retraining and further training for employees and entrepreneurs
The market is always changing. To remain agile as a business you must adapt to these changes. Do you or your employees lack the knowledge and skills? If so, consider retraining or further training. The government offers various schemes and subsidies for this.
Why retraining or further training?
Retraining or further training can be a solution in, for example, the following situations:
- You need professionals who are trained in, for example, technology, IT, or healthcare. But you get little or no response to your vacancies. You do employ people who are open to doing other work, but do not yet have the knowledge. Or you know job seekers who are motivated, but do not have the right training. Retraining is then a solution.
- There is increasingly less demand for the work that some of your employees do. For example, because of digitisation or the use of AI. Or an employee can no longer do their current job due to an accident or illness. With retraining, you can offer these employees new opportunities either inside or outside your company.
- You develop or use AI systems and need to provide further training for your staff to use AI responsibly.
- As a self-employed professional, you do not earn enough income from your current work. You do see opportunities in other activities. But you lack the right knowledge and skills. Through retraining you can change your core activities and make your business profitable again.
See which retraining schemes are available to you
The government finds it important for companies and employees to continue developing. That way, people remain employable for as long as possible. You can make use of these subsidies and schemes:
Do you want to offer a work-based learning placement or a work-study placement? The subsidy scheme for practice-based learning offers financial support towards the costs you incur in supervising a pupil or student from the
- VMBO
- special needs secondary education (VSO)
- practical education (PRO)
- MBO vocational training pathway (MBO-BBL)
- higher professional education (HBO)
You can also use this grant to cover the salary or supervision costs of a PhD student or trainee technological designer (TOIO).
Are you supervising an MBO student enrolled on a course that contributes to the climate and energy transition? If so, you may be eligible for an extra grant.
You can apply for the subsidy (in Dutch) at Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO.
The subsidy scheme practice-based learning in the third learning pathway has ended. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment plans to introduce a new scheme. Read more about this subsidy (in Dutch) at RVO.
Do you or your employee want to take a course at a higher professional education (HBO) institution or a university? Or a full-time vocational training path (beroepsopleidende leerweg, BOL) at an MBO institution? Then you can use the lifelong learning credit. to pay the tuition costs. This is a loan for people who are not entitled to regular student finance. After finishing your studies, you repay the loan within 15 years.
Apply for the lifelong learning credit from the Education Executive Agency DUO (in Dutch).
Do you want to invest in your personnel’s expertise, growth and development? Then you can apply for the Incentive scheme learning and development within SMEs (SLIM) from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
SLIM subsidy for SMEs
With the SLIM SME subsidy, you can invest in the knowledge, growth, and development of your staff. You can do this as an SME but also as an SME partnership. There is a subsidy for, for example, a consultant who provides career or development advice to your employees.
Apply for the SLIM subsidy for SMEs (in Dutch)
SLIM training subsidy
You can apply for the SLIM training subsidy for practical training for (new) employees for their (future) jobs in sectors important to society. For example, healthcare, technology, and childcare.
Discuss training and development
It is important for your business that your employees continue to train and develop. This allows you to better respond to changes in the market. It also helps to strengthen staff loyalty to your business. So regularly discuss this with your employees: what do they need to be able to do their jobs well, now and in the future?
Get advice from the Werkcentrum
Do you have questions about work and career development? Or are you looking to recruit staff? The Werkcentrum (Work Centre) will look at the possibilities with you. The Werkcentrum brings together various organisations, such as municipalities and the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), trade unions and educational institutions.
The Werkcentrum helps jobseekers, employees, and employers with:
- supporting the transition from one job to another
- career advice
- offering practical work placements
- retraining and further training
- combining work and study
- grants and schemes
- support with absenteeism
- help with job applications
- career guidance and promising professions, such as hairdresser or as manager of a childcare organisation
- finding and recruiting staff
Find a Werkcentrum in your region (in Dutch)
Use the tool Learning Overview (Leeroverzicht)
Use the tool Learning Overview (Leeroverzicht, in Dutch) to find training courses and (regional and local) financial schemes. You can filter by sector, level of education, type of funding and whether you are an employer or self-employed professional. The Learning Overview also provides information on career advice and apprenticeship centres.