Cofunding of the cost for recognition of prior learning

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Name of the instrument - Local language
Ervaringscertificaat
Name of the instrument - English translation
Cofunding of the cost for recognition of prior learning
Scheme ID
237
Country
Netherlands
Reporting year
2020
Type of instrument
Grant for companies
Sub-type of instrument
Support for direct costs
Type of entry
Single instrument
Short description

This scheme is aimed at funding the costs for the recognition of prior learning by company workers. Any employee wanting to or having to make her/his learning achievements more transparent for the purpose of employability and/or qualification is eligible for this scheme. If the employer takes over the costs of the recognition the fund will reimburse EUR 400. If the employee carries the costs, he/she may receive co-funding between EUR 700 and EUR 1 500 depending on the duration and kind of recognition procedure and the provider. Larger companies (with more than 500 employees) that have incorporated the Ervaringscertificaat into their human resource management (HRM), self-finance its application. There is no preferential treatment, and the de Minimis rules apply.

Not applicable
Level of operation
National
Name of a part of the country
Not applicable
Name of the region (for regional instruments)
Not applicable
Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
Not applicable
Relevance
Further instrument
Covenant to stimulate the recognition of previously acquired competences as part of lifelong learning [08-11-2016: Convenant ter stimulering van het erkennen van eerder verworven competenties als onderdeel van een leven lang leren]
Objective(s) and target(s)
Improve the quality of the company by means of making the employee's qualities more transparent through the ervaringscertificaat.
Year of implementation
2016
Operation/management
The Ervaringscertificaat is financed by individual employers and/or Sectoral Training and Development Funds. Larger companies (with more than 500 employees) which have incorporated the Ervaringscertificaat into their human resource management (HRM), self-finance its application.
Eligible group(s)
Any employee wanting to or having to make her/his learning achievements more transparent for the purpose of employability and/or qualification.
Group(s) with preferential treatment
No preferential treatment
Education and training eligible
Any type of training programme leading to the validation and recognition of prior learning
Source of financing and collection mechanism
Training funds in case employers use it for their employees. The UWV (Employee Insurance Agency, and commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment) funds it for jobseekers.
Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
The Ervaringscertificaat is financed by individual employers and/or Sectoral Training and Development Funds. Larger companies (with more than 500 employees) which have incorporated the Ervaringscertificaat into their human resource management (HRM), self-finance its application. Many SMEs are supported in the application of the Ervaringscertificaat by the sectoral training funds, originally set up to support educational initiatives for employees in the sector. A good example of such a sector-steered model is offered by the A+O Fonds Gemeenten (Training fund for city-workers). The costs for obtaining an Ervaringscertificaat in the sector vary from EUR 700 to EUR 1 500. The costs of other methods for valuing one's learning outcomes (e-portfolio, competence test, etc.) are very diversified and depend on the range of learning outcomes, level and objective; there are no data on specified costs available for these other methods. Part of these costs are tax-deductible for the employer; on top of this the Fund covers an amount of 1 000 per employee when the Ervaringscertificaat is part of a career-guided trajectory, providing that the employee has not been involved in a similar trajectory in the last three years.There is no maximum number of grants allocated per company and per year
Eligible costs
Fees and other costs related to education and training related to the assessment, certification and validation of prior learning
Volumes of funding
By employers in the period 2016-2017, more than 4 000 Ervaringscertificaten were awarded. Average costs per Ervaringscertificaat were EUR 1 100. Total for 4 000 is approx EUR 4 000 000 per year
Beneficiaries/take up
In the period 2016-2017 more than 4 000 Ervaringscertificaten were awarded. Most these validation-procedures - about 65% - were at the VET-level of branch, or sector, qualifications, covering ISCED levels 2-5. These qualifications are developed and accredited within the sector but are not part of the national (funded) qualification structure. From 2018 onwards, the annual number of ervaringscertificaten awarded was around 4.000 annually, awarded to approximately 1 500 companies. The beneficiaries were employees all over the labour market getting formal accreditaion of their prior learning experineces for the sake of employability and/or sector-based qualification. Linkages to national qualifications were not recorded but did occur in some cases.
Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
Natiopnaal Kenniscntrum EVC
Monitoring/evaluation reports available
Duvekot, R.C. (2019). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning 2018 update: Netherlands. Brussels, European Commission, Cedefop & ICF International. http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2019/european_inventory_vali…
Most relevant webpage - in English
https://www.nationaal-kenniscentrum-evc.nl/werknemers/english
Most relevant webpage - local language
https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stcrt-2016-59145.html
Recent changes

No recent amendment

Recent changes in response to COVID-19

No changes

Sources
Duvekot, R.C. (2019). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning 2018 update: Netherlands. Brussels, European Commission, Cedefop & ICF International. http://libserver.cedefop.europa.eu/vetelib/2019/european_inventory_vali…
Duvekot, R. & Duvekot, R.C. (2018). Validation of non-formal and informal learning for higher educated refugees and migrants - A VINCE case studies Report. Houten, EC-VPL. Available at: https://vince.eucen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/VINCE_WP2_Op2-5_Final…
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