The government-funded STAP subsidy is aimed at helping the Dutch workforce advance their career skills. It’s desired by many but enjoyed only by a lucky few. ⚡️
A new round of applications for the budget (which can be as high as €1000) goes live every two months. With each of them, thousands of eager applicants try to become the lucky recipient.
Are you one of them? Then let’s have a look at how you can increase your chances of getting the STAP budget, and levelling up your career!
We’ve teamed up with the STAP experts at GrowthTribe to bring you the most valuable tips for the STAP queue. GrowthTribe offers online courses for the most in-demand digital skills, such as marketing, data and UX design — all covered by the government’s budget.
1. ⏰ Be on time (but not too early)
Good and bad news for everyone who wants to apply for the STAP budget: the website does not rank people by the amount of time they have spent waiting before the page goes live.
That’s good news because, yes, you can turn off that 4 AM alarm you had set.
It’s bad news, however, because you have no influence over what place you’ll have in the queue. It’s all in the virtual hands of a complex computer system. 🤷
Everyone waiting on the UWV STAP portal before it goes live is placed in the same pool. Then, at 10 AM sharp, people get allocated a random position in the queue. Everyone who visits the website after the 10 AM opening is placed at the very back of the line.
Nonetheless, you may want to log onto the UWV website a little ahead of time to ensure everything is in order. Believe us, 9:59 AM on STAP day is not a good time to find out you don’t remember your DigiD credentials. 👀
2. 💻 Use multiple devices
One major game changer in your STAP application strategy is to use multiple screens to log onto the UWV portal.
Why? Because when placing hopeful applicants in the queue, the UWV tracks entrants by the device. This means that the more devices you use, the higher your chance of winning the STAP lottery.
Your laptop? Natuurlijk. Your smartphone? Uh-huh. Your grandma’s 2014 iPad? Use it. Your little brother’s friend’s Playstation? YES! Grab ‘em all.
On top of increasing your chances, this handy-dandy method can also save you should one of your browsers (or your grandma’s ancient iPad) suddenly decides to crash. 😉
3. 🗓️ Clear out your schedule
If you’re truly dedicated to the STAP life, it’s best to clear your schedule as much as possible on the day application rounds go live.
Sure, if all runs smoothly, you could be in and out of the STAP portal within minutes. However, if the website should run into technical difficulties, like it did last time, or you have to wait in line for a while, the process can take up to a few hours.
So mark your calendars, cancel your meetings, block all your contacts, throw away your TV and, if you can, request to work from home that day.
READ MORE | Five facts about the STAP subsidy that will inspire you to upskill your career
Sounds like a hassle? Think about it this way: your dog’s manicure can easily be rescheduled, but the chance to get €1000 can’t. 👀
4. ✍️ Pre-register for your course of choice
When applying for the STAP budget, you should be registered for a course of your choice before you apply. This way, you can show what you’ll use the precious government budget for.
This seems scary, we know. But the proof of registration is purely for the UWV, and you are not committed to anything before your STAP application gets approved. No strings attached!
Unsure of what skills you want to build upon? Recognised training centres can help you advance in many different areas of your career (and life!), by helping you improve your digital skills, or language knowledge, for example.
READ MORE | Learn the most in-demand digital skills for free with STAP!
It’s a fantastic way to further your career prospects or re-orientate yourself on the job market.
Once you register for a course, the test centre will provide you with an aanmeldbewijs (proof of registration), which you must submit when you apply for the STAP budget.
Ready to develop your digital skills for free? Growth Tribe provides online courses to help you out — from digital marketing to data analytics. Completely covered by the STAP budget, it’s the perfect way to level up your career from the comfort of your own home!
5. Whatever you do, DO NOT refresh your page 🚫
Although the UWV has not confirmed this final tip, we have seen people complain about this issue before, so we recommend you don’t risk it. ✋
In some cases, refreshing the page while you’re waiting seems tempting, especially if your position in the queue has not moved in a while.
However, there have been reports of people refreshing their browsers and then being placed at the very back of the queue. Niet leuk AT ALL.
If something doesn’t look right or you suspect a technical problem, check Twitter! Here, you can see whether other people are experiencing similar issues, and check if the UWV has shared any updates.
We know that applying to get the STAP budget can be stressful and nerve-wracking. Take a breath, keep a cool head and remember: there’s always a next round coming up.
Good luck! 🍀
Do you have any tips to get the STAP budget? Tell us in the comments.