Paid education leave

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Name of the instrument - Local language
Le congé-éducation payé (FR)/Betaald educatief verlof (NL)
Name of the instrument - English translation
Paid education leave
Scheme ID
19
Country
Belgium
Reporting year
2020
Type of instrument
Training leave
Sub-type of instrument
State-supported scheme with subsidy for companies to cover (partially) wage costs
Type of entry
Single instrument
Short description

Private sector workers and employees of public sector companies have the right to short paid educational leave, up to 125 working hours. The scheme provides for the continued payment of salary by the employer to the employee and the possibility for the employer to apply for compensation from the State. Employees on training leave have the right to receive their normal wage, if appropriate. The scheme is capped at EUR 2 928 (the school year 2018/2019) of a gross monthly salary and does not contain any arrangements for coverage of fees, travel or accommodation costs. The paid training leave is funded by a government grant and a specific employer contribution (0.05% of total payroll). Eligible employees are private-sector employees and employees of public sector companies on an open-ended and full-time contract (employees must have total employment - spread over several employers - of 80-100%). Since 2015, the management of this scheme from the Federal Government was transferred to the regional level authorities.

Level of operation
Regional
Name of a part of the country
Not applicable
Name of the region (for regional instruments)
Wallonia
Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
Not applicable
Relevance
Key instrument
Royal Decree of 9 September 2006 modifying certain provisions regarding the right to paid educational training leave. Royal Decree of 23 July 1985 for the implementation of section 6 chapter IV of the Recovery Act of 22 January, 1985 containing social security provisions
Objective(s) and target(s)
To provide an incentive to participate in LLL: "The training courses taken may have a professional purpose, without there being any need for a link to exist with the profession currently exercised, but they may also be of a general nature."
Year of implementation
1985
Year of latest amendment
2006
Operation/management
On 1 April 2015, management was transferred from the Federal Government to the following regional-level authorities: Le Forem, Service Public de Wallonie, Service public regional de Bruxelles, Vlaamse Overheid (Dependent on the region the competent auhority is different, e.g. Forem for Wallonia, Vlaamse Overheid for Flanders, etc.; So there is only 1 competent authority in each region).The paid training leave is funded by a government grant and a specific employer contribution (0.05% of total payroll).
Eligible group(s)
Private sector employees and employees of public sector companies on open-ended and full-time contract (employees must have a total employment - spread over several employers - of 80-100%). That is, as a general rule, only employees working at least 4/5 (i.e. 80%-100%) of a full time employment are eligble.
Group(s) with preferential treatment
No preferential treatment
Education and training eligible
A commission with representatives of the social partners, determines the list of possible training programmes. The range is wide and goes from secondary and university education to sectoral training courses. Both general and vocational programmes are eligible. The training courses taken may have a professional purpose, without there being any need for a link to exist with the profession currently exercised, but they may also be of a general nature.
Source of financing and collection mechanism
The source of funding of this instrument is the State.The grant is adminstered by PES Wallonia (Le Forem) and PES Brussels (Actiris).The paid training leave is funded by a government grant and a specific employer contribution (0.05% of total payroll).
Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
The instrument provides for the continued payment of salary by the employer to the employee and the possibility for the employer to apply for compensation from the State (reimbursement after the training). Employees on training leave have the right to receive their normal wage, if appropriate. The scheme is capped at EUR 2 928 (school year 2018/2019). The employer may (right and not obligation) limit the salary to this ceiling. The scheme does not contain any arrangements for coverage of fees, travel or accommodation costs. The minimum duration of leave is 32 hours of training; the maximum duration is 125 working hours (the number of hours depends on the type of course).
Eligible costs
The scheme does not contain any arrangements for coverage of fees, travel or accommodation costs.
Volumes of funding
EUR 23 180 628 in 2018
Beneficiaries/take up
16 268 in 2018
Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
FOREM (Walloon public employment agency)
Most relevant webpage - in English
Not available
Most relevant webpage - local language
https://www.leforem.be/entreprises/aides-financieres-conge-education-pa…
Recent changes

2006

Recent changes in response to COVID-19

No changes

Sources
Royal Decree of 9 September 2006 modifying certain provisions regarding the right to paid educational training leave.
https://www.leforem.be/entreprises/aides-financieres-conge-education-pa…
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