Are you currently a student? Do you want to start work while learning? Contact your study advisor and find out which options there are for you. In general, there are a few options in the Dutch education system:

If you are an MBO student, that means you already speak (some) Dutch. Good for you! MBO students have two potential pathways to graduate. These are known as either a bol or bbl traineeship.

Dual education (duaal onderwijs) involves courses in which the training you receive on the job complements and reinforces your formal education. Dual training courses are mainly found in secondary vocational education and higher vocational education. A student may be given an assignment to be completed at their workplace. Alternatively, on-the-job experiences can be further discussed in the classroom. You can find more information on the websites of Hanze and NHL Stenden - unfortunately these programs are currently only offered in Dutch.

This method of learning on the job is especially meant for those who cannot obtain a diploma through traditional (theoretical) schooling. You might not need any Dutch proficiency (yet) - read on to find out if you qualify for this method!

Practical Training with a Practical Training Statement ("Praktijkleren met een Praktijkverklaring" is a flexible teaching method, allowing people to acquire new skills and have them recognized by accredited work placement companies. It opens doors to new opportunities and development, both for the employee as well as the company.

Vocational schools such as Alfa-college, Noorderpoort, SVO en DCTerra work together with accredited work placement companies to offer Practical Training to employees and jobseekers who qualify for this track. The accredited work placement company will train their employee on the job instead of in the classroom and they use standardised forms provided by educational institutions to grade the employee. 

A Practical Training track typically takes three to six months and the level of education is usually MBO 1 or 2, but there are exceptions. Practical Training is individually customised for each candidate following the track - the parties involved pride themselves on always looking at the specific candidate and adjusting the track to their needs.

At the end of the track, when the candidate has shown all their new skills in the workplace and has been graded on all the needed elements, they receive a Practical Training Statement (Praktijkverklaring). This document shows they have the practical skills needed to do the job. Even though this cannot replace a certificate or diploma, it represents the learning experience and has a positive impact on the candidates’ self esteem.

Practical Training is designed for employees and jobseekers who cannot obtain a diploma through traditional schooling. One of the reasons they can’t learn via the classic school system, can be that they don’t speak Dutch (yet). 

However, Dutch is the main language in most companies who offer this track, so candidates should be prepared to practice speaking Dutch on the job from the beginning. Learning by doing is the motto of Practical Training, and in this case, this also goes for learning the language!

Is Practical Training for me?

✅ You are not able to obtain a Basic Qualification (Startkwalificatie) [link to explanation]
✅ You can’t attend high school or Vocational School the classical way
✅ You have a job coach, case manager, employer, or similar to register you for this track
✅ You currently work for or want to work for an accredited work placement company [link]

For personalised information about work-study programmes, you can make an appointment with a Werkcentrum advisor. Such appointments can take place in person in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. Find your local Werkcentrum advisors via the Werkcentrum website.

🚢 Royal Wagenborg sometimes offer maritime apprenticeships in Delfzijl, also for non-Dutch speakers. Want to know more? Check out their current vacancies or reach out via their website.

💻 Although it requires applicants to have at least a B1 level of Dutch, Alyx offers women the opportunity to start learning IT skills from scratch while getting paid a competitive salary. Following a 3-month bootcamp, women going through Alyx’s programme will have the opportunity to complete a traineeship while working alongside an Alyx coach. To sign up for the Alyx Programme, click here.

❓ Do you know of any more companies that offer apprenticeships? Or are you working for a company and do you want to feature the opportunities in your field? Let us know!

If your company is supervising a pupil or a student, the Practical Training Subsidy Scheme can help contribute towards the costs you incur. The aim of this scheme is to have trained personnel who are better prepared for the labour market.

The Practical Training Subsidy Scheme focuses primarily on:

Full details of the subsidy scheme are available here. There is also a separate subsidy scheme specifically aimed at the Practical Training Statement. Read all the details here.

The Organisation for Vocational Education and Business (SBB) is responsible for bringing together secondary vocational education (MBO) institutions and companies that work to provide MBO students with practical training.

The SBB carries out its mission on behalf of the Ministry of Education. It is in charge of recognising and supervising training companies, including for internships and apprenticeships. The goal is to give students in vocational education the best possible practical training with the aim that this then transitions into a job. The SBB also helps companies find skilled workers.

Companies participating in such programmes to train MBO students must become an accredited work placement companies (“erkend leerbedrijf”). To become an accredited work placement company, such companies need to meet a number of conditions: