Apprenticeship trainings for learners with intellectual disabilities aiming at countrywide certification

HandicapNL in the Netherlands launched 'From Learning to Earning' in 2023, with 400 apprenticeships for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Most participants work in retail or hospitality.

HandicapNL, a DPO located in Odijk near Utrecht, is dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities to enter the open labour market. In 2023 it launched From Learning to Earning, an education and apprenticeship programme based on individualized support and progress, repetition of content, a low-stimulus environment, and many more features needed by this target group. Within one year, 400 apprenticeships were started and 300 were completed, mainly in the hospitality, care, and retail sectors. The longer-term goal of HandicapNL is for official recognition of this type of apprenticeship and its scaling across the country.

Problems Targeted

The education system in the Netherlands does not accommodate the learning needs of young people with intellectual disabilities, making vocational education nearly inaccessible for them.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The From Learning to Earning programme of HandicapNL offers a structured, individualized approach to education and training for young people with intellectual disabilities, focusing on personalized pacing, intrinsic motivation, and reducing exclusion. Combining education with workplace training, the programme provides intensive guidance, content repetition, and low-stimulus environments, enhancing retention and minimizing dropout rates. Apprenticeships in the fields of hospitality, care, and retail, among others, are supported by organizations such as Prins Heerlijk, which awards MBO diplomas (secondary vocational education) through standard exams at certified MBO institutions. This setup ensures that students earn recognized qualifications, which can then lead to employment with partner organizations or external employers. About 30 per cent of students achieve paid employment or occupational roles within partner organizations, 40 to 50 per cent find jobs with external employers, and 20 per cent move into day-care placements or volunteer roles. By the end of 2023, Prins Heerlijk alone had placed approximately 100 young people in apprenticeships or auxiliary locations, while over 300 had completed apprenticeships with regular employers, all supported by structured guidance and job coaching.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

From Learning to Earning is funded through a mixture of sources, including fundraising from individuals, corporations, and foundations. HandicapNL is actively lobbying for national recognition and government funding for these apprenticeships, aiming to create an ‘inclusion pact’ with ministries and partner organizations. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)

Pictures

HandicapNL´s programme includes workplace training in hospitality, care, retail, and more.

HandicapNL´s programme includes workplace training in hospitality, care, retail, and more.

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