Background information

Vocational education is necessary for the growth and competitiveness of the Dutch economy. Investment in education and training has a positive impact on companies' innovativeness and productivity.

Since 2010, the Netherlands has invested in public-private partnerships (PPPs) to strengthen the connection between vocational education and the labour market. This relationship is necessary to stimulate innovation, support individual professional development, and increase the productivity level of SMEs.

This subsidy scheme ensures that existing collaborations between education providers and business can be further scaled up to support students and workers training for engineering and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.

Content of measure

The Dutch government is allocating €210 million in the coming years to scale up cooperation between vocational education providers and employers. The scheme is part of the government's Green and Digital Jobs Action Plan.

This subsidy is intended for parties that are linked to a sustainable Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and focus their projects on connecting education and the needs of the labour market specifically considering the climate and energy transition or the digital transition.

The grant covers 42% of the total cost of the project, and up to 100% per individual grant applicant within a partnership. For the total project, the subsidy is a minimum of €4 million and a maximum of €9 million. The total subsidy amount available is €210 million.

Projects should meet certain requirements:

1. The project focuses on the climate and energy transition or digital transition.
2. The sustainable PPP consists of at least: a secondary education institution, a higher education institution, a secondary vocational education institution and two entrepreneurial associations each representing at least 25 enterprises.
3. The parties in the sustainable PPP have a solid track record and collectively an annual reach of at least: 100 employees, 500 students and 30 teachers or researchers;
4. The private contribution (in cash or in kind) is at least 33% of the costs;
5. The project lasts up to 4 years and starts no later than school year 2023-2024;
6. The applicant has a permanent office or subsidiary in the Netherlands.

Use of measure

The subsidy is funded from the National Growth Fund. With the National Growth Fund, the government is investing €20 billion between 2021 and 2025 in projects that will ensure long-term sustainable economic growth. Of the €210 million allocated for this subsidy, €152.4 million has been definitively allocated. €57.6 million has been conditionally allocated and will be disbursed after a positive evaluation of the first phase.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Other groups of workers Youth (18-25) in employment	Does not apply to businesses	Students

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Social partners jointly Employers' organisations Local / regional government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

The initiative was designed within Katapult, a network of more than 450 partnerships between education and business. Katapult exists to improve cooperation between education, business and society. Katapult provides opportunities for business professionals to teach students in the community and supports students conducting research for an SME during their studies. While no details of the involvement of specific social partners are known, the network represents them.

Views and reactions

Supportive, as the measure was designed by a network of social partners.

Sources

• 06 June 2023: Subsidie Opschaling verduurzaamde PPS in het beroepsonderwijs (www.nationaalgroeifonds.nl)