Training vouchers
- Name of the instrument - Local language
- Opleidingschecques
- Name of the instrument - English translation
- Training vouchers
- Country
- Belgium
- Type of instrument
- Grant for individuals
- Type of entry
- Single instrument
- Short description
Employees without higher education degree may apply for public contribution (vouchers) to cover their education and training costs. Employees with a higher education degree are also eligible provided that education and training that they follow are a part of their personal development plan agreed with an accredited personal development coach/centre. The voucher scheme does not apply to the self-employed, persons with a student contract, adults aged below 25 and persons with a working contract of less than 80 hours per month. All kinds of education and training are eligible. Employers can buy vouchers paying 50% of their nominal value , which may not exceed EUR 250 per year.
- Short description of the related instruments
nap
- Level of operation
- Regional
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Flanders
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- nap
- Relevance
- Key scheme
- Legal basis
Het besluit van de Vlaamse regering (BVR) van 18/07/2003 betreffende de opleidings - en begeleidingscheques voor werknemers (B.S. 25/08/2003)
Decision of the Flemish government of 18 July 2003 regarding training and guidance subsidies (or vouchers) for workers (employed workers) (B.S. 25/08/2003)
23 July 2010 BVR amending the Decision of the Flemish Government of 18 July 2003
- Objective(s) and target(s)
To support employees skill development in the framework of lifelong learning
- Year of implementation
- 2003
- Year of latest amendment
- 2015
- Operation/Management
Public Employment Service (PES) Flanders: VDAB
- Eligible group(s)
Employed persons without higher education degree, employed persons with higher education degree as part of their personal development plan agreed with an accredited personal development coach/centre.
The scheme does not apply to:
- self-employd persons;
-persons with a student contract and younger than 25;
- persons with a working contract of less than 80 hours per month;
- education and training which is followed during working hours;
- education and training paid by the employer.- Group(s) with preferential treatment
None
- Education and training eligible
All kinds of education and training. For persons with higher education degree, only education and training activities leading to strenghthening the person's position in the labour market and agreed in the personal development plan are eligible.
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
Public Employment Service (PES) Flanders: VDAB
matching: individual- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
50% of the value of the vouchers is co-funded by VDAB. The nominal value of the vouchers may not exceed EUR 250 per year (i.e. the co-funding is EUR 125)
Allocation: Employees can purchase vouchers in advance with which they then pay the training institution.
- Eligible costs
Fees
- Volumes of funding
In 2013, the budget of the scheme was EUR 8 000 000.
- Beneficiaries/take up
na
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
VDAB (Flemish PES).
- Most relevant webpage - in English
na
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- Recent changes
The restriction of training vouchers for higher educated persons have been introduced as of 1 March 2015.
Budget reduction from EUR 10.5 million to EUR 8 million per year.- Sources
Website of the VDAB: http://www.vdab.be/opleidingscheques/werknemers.shtml