We’ve all had dreams of becoming our best professional selves and excelling in our careers. Now, with the STAP subsidy, those wishes can come true! 🎉
How? Well, let’s say you’ve moved and started a new job in the Netherlands, but you feel like something might still be missing in your career. 🤔
This is where the STAP subsidy can help you. In this article, we cover the main things you need to know about STAP and how it aims to support employees around the Netherlands in their search for a better job. 🤓
What is the STAP subsidy?
The STAP subsidy is a government-funded training budget which allows eligible employees to develop their skills via education and training.
By covering up to €1,000 of the costs of such training, the budget aims to help employees learn, advance, or retain their career skills without spending a single cent. Mooie deal, eh?
The STAP subsidy replaces the tax deduction for employee training and education, which is why it’s completely free for those eligible to apply for it.
It also funds up to €1,000 for those looking to develop and upgrade their digital knowledge! Luckily, Growth Tribe offers free online courses for the most in-demand digital skills, such as marketing, data and UX design.
Who can use the STAP subsidy?
The lucky ones eligible for the STAP subsidy are all EU or Dutch employees and job seekers in the Netherlands who want to improve their chances in the labour market.
In other words, if you are an EU citizen who is connected with the Dutch labour market, and aren’t eligible for other forms of financing for education (for example student finance), you’re in!
Though, there are other requirements for those who can apply. So, you can get the STAP training budget, if you:
- haven’t applied for the STAP Budget this calendar year
- are over 18 years of age
- don’t receive old age pension (AOW)
- are covered by social security
What can I use the STAP subsidy for?
The main goal of the STAP subsidy is to improve the positions and skills of workers in the labour market.
Those that are eligible for the STAP subsidy can benefit from training or education listed in the STAP training register.
From digital leadership and coaching classes to digital marketing and strategy courses, the STAP encompasses a wide range of professional skills courses to help you improve as an employee!
READ MORE | Here’s how you can level up your CV with the most in-demand digital skills
You can find more information about STAP training eligibility on the Employee Insurance Agency’s (UWV) via the STAP portal (in Dutch).
How can I get a STAP subsidy?
The next application period for the STAP budget opens up on Monday, May 1 at 10 AM, so make sure to keep an eye out for it before the application period ends in October!
You can apply for the STAP budget once a year. Fortunately, if you miss an application period, a new application round opens every two months. 🎉
2023 application periods:
- February 28, 2023
- May 1, 2023
- July 3, 2023
- September 4, 2023
- November 1, 2023
Applying for the STAP budget can be done completely online! All you have to do is submit an application via the STAP register.
Heads up! The website/application process is only available in Dutch! So, you’ll need to rely on Google Translate for the moment.
Don’t forget to apply for the training budget before you start your training or education. Once it’s been approved, the company you choose to train with will receive the budget. 🥳
If you’ve already got your eyes set on a specific training course, all you have to do is enter the following information through the application:
💼 Name of the company and trainer
🏙 City in which the training will be done
💰 Amount that you’ll use from the government subsidy
🇬🇧 Language in which the training is taught
🤓 Level of education/training
💻 Type of education/training (online, in-person, etc…)
Do you have your eyes set on any particular courses that can help you climb up the professional ladder? This one’s for you!
Want to develop your digital skills for free? Growth Tribe provides online courses, from digital marketing to data analytics, covered by the €1,000 STAP budget. It’s the perfectly-accessible way to advance your career from the comfort of your own home!
Should I get a STAP subsidy?
Whether it’s been on your mind or not, a government-funded programme which helps you advance in your career completely for free sounds like a pretty good deal.
And, let’s be honest here. If you’ve been reading up until this point, it’s probably a sign that you want to improve your professional skills. 😉
In the Netherlands, advancing your career as an international is important and can bring loads of benefits. For one, it will help you become more attractive to employers, especially if you’re held back by language barriers! 🇳🇱
It may also help you secure a permanent contract, thus making you more eligible for a Dutch mortgage. Or, it can also help you learn Dutch so that you can better integrate into life in the lowlands.
And, who knows? Maybe it can give you the skills to start a business of your own or get a business idea off the ground. Go get it, entrepreneur!
If you want to apply for the STAP during the next application period (Monday, May 1, 2023, at 10 AM), you still have some time to look for the education or training that will gear you with the right skills in your career. Good luck searching!
Will you be applying for the STAP subsidy in 2023? Tell us in the comments below! 👇