More employees on courses, less spent on training

Nearly four out of ten private sector employees in the Netherlands did a work-related course in 2010. Five years previously this was 34 percent. In 2010, spending on courses accounted for 2.1 percent of labour costs, this is slightly less than in 2005.

Most companies provide opportunities for employee training

More than three-quarters of private companies gave workers an opportunity to do some form of work-related training in 2010. In 1986, such companies were more an exception than the rule: only 17 percent offered some kind of training. Since then, the percentage of companies that provide training opportunities for their employees has increased substantially, with a peak of 87 percent in 1999.

Full working week spent on training on average

Courses are by far the most common instrument to train employees. The percentage of employees doing a course has risen in the recent past, from 26 percent in 1993 to 39 percent in 2010.

Course participants spent on average 35 hours on training in 2010, almost a full working week. This is about the same amount of time as in 2005, but less than the average 48 hours spent on courses in 1999. 

Training in private sector companies

Spending on training slightly down since 2005

Private sector spending on employee courses amounted to 3.3 billion euro in  010. This includes the costs of the working hours spent on the course, and accounts for 2.1 percent of total labour costs. The amount is slightly lower than in 2005, but still a lot higher than in 1986, when 1.5 percent of labour costs were spent on training. Spending was highest in 1999, possibly as a consequence of courses to prepare employees for the turn of the millennium and the introduction of the euro.

Spending on training by private sector companies (incl. costs of working hours spent on training)

Jack Claessen and Jeroen Nieuweboer