News item | 20-05-2022 | 14:37
The second application period for the STAP budget once again attracted great interest. The preliminary figures show that just under 44,000 people can start a training or course with the help of STAP.
The average subsidy amount was around 800 euros. As with the first application period, the budget was spread out across both education level and age. 56% of the applicants have at most an MBO background and 23% are 50 years or older.
Furthermore, the applicants have various positions on the labor market. Workers in particular (almost 80%) use STAP, a significant part of which are flex workers. Again, most applicants (24%) work in the healthcare sector. Minister Van Gennip (Social Affairs and Employment) shared these results with the House of Representatives today.
With the second application period of STAP, 36 million euros became available for financial aid for training (the total budget for 2022 is 160 million euros). There are currently more than 80,000 training courses from almost 600 trainers in the training register.
The government wants to make training possible for a broad target group with public funding. That is why the STAP budget started on 1 March. Through STAP, adults with a link with the Dutch labor market can claim a maximum of 1,000 euros per year in financial aid to pay for education. This new scheme is more accessible than the previous tax deduction for training costs because people no longer have to advance an amount. This makes STAP more accessible for people with lower incomes and the elderly.