Employers: personal development budget is a condition of employment

Investing in the personal development of workers must be regarded as a full-fledged employment condition. Agreements on budgets for training and development should therefore be included as standard as part of the total remuneration package that employees receive, and not as an 'extra'.

Training is a necessary investment that is essential for the future position of workers on the labor market. The importance of training in the workplace must therefore be better recognized. This is what MKB-Nederland, VNO-NCW and AWVN say in their 2019 employment conditions memorandum. In this memorandum, 'Ready for changing work' employers indicate their priorities for employment conditions and collective labor agreement consultations in the coming year.

collective labor agreements

By making agreements about budgets for training and sustainable development a standard part of the total remuneration package, we are taking a step in the right direction. Many collective labor agreements already have arrangements through which employees can receive money for personal development and training, but it is important that these are expanded and valued more highly. This means that a larger part of the wage margin must go to such schemes, as part of them and therefore not 'on top of', according to the organizations.

Also read: employment conditions checklist 2019 (pdf)