The STAP budget is intended to give people the opportunity to take a course which will increase their chances on the job market. To date, more than 200,000 people have used it, with a ‘good diffusion’ by age, level of education and type of contract. The goal was to reach a large group, and the goal has been achieved, says Van Gennip.
‘Great popularity’
“It is good to see that the STAP budget is enjoying great popularity,” said the minister. ‘It shows that many people are engaged in their personal professional development. And this is important in an ever-changing job market.’
But Van Gennip also notes that there are areas for improvement. The scheme had already been tightened in the meantime when it was discovered that it financed “candy trips” and courses that were not at all geared towards the labor market.
Greatly popular
Additionally, a small number of courses have proved very popular. These are mainly courses that are mainly taught online. This makes it attractive for providers to recruit many participants, because the additional costs per student are limited. There will now be a maximum number of awards per study programme. This should prevent STAP from being used as an “inappropriate income model”.
The government is also looking into using the STAP budget to retrain people for sectors and professions where there are severe shortages. These include education, healthcare, ICT and technology.