Expenditure on apprenticeship training programmes marginally up in 2012

Last year, certified companies providing practical experience and training spent 2.5 billion euros on apprenticeship training programmes, i.e. 37 million euros more than in 2011. Expenditure mainly concerns supervision during work placement and apprenticeship-based learning tracks in lower secondary general and vocational education (vmbo), senior secondary vocational education (mbo) and higher vocational education (hbo).

Spending on apprenticeship training programmes in 2012 (in constant prices 2010)

Higher expenditure level for all types of vocational education

Expenditure on apprenticeship training programmes increased for all types of vocational education in 2012. In the mbo combined learning track, expenditure rose by 15 million euros to 741 million euros as the number of trainees grew by nearly 8 thousand relative to 2011. Wage costs of work placement supervisors also increased. The number of work placement hours per student decreased, but expenditure increased nevertheless.

In the mbo apprenticeship-based learning track, another trend became manifest. The number of students in the dual system fell by more than 3 thousand, but the costs of apprenticeship tracks rose marginally by 20 million euros to 1.29 billion euros due to the higher average number of combined learning and working hours per student and rising wage costs.
In the hbo sector, the costs of companies providing practical experience and training grew by 2 million euros to 490 million euros. The main cause is the increase (by more than 3 thousand) in students engaged in apprenticeship training programmes.

Expenditure on apprenticeship training programmes by sector 2012 (in constant prices 2010)

Technology and engineering most expensive

In 2012, the costs of apprenticeship training programmes in technology and engineering the highest in relative terms, although they were marginally reduced. The share of the Care sector, on the other hand, rose marginally by 0.4 percentage points. The number of participants in apprenticeship training programmes in the sector Care grew by nearly 3 thousand. In the sector Technology and Engineering, the number of participants fell by nearly 2 thousand.

Participants in apprenticeship training programmes by sector, 2012

Hugo Elbers