Flemish Government eases system of Individual Professional Training

Very recently, the Flemish government modified the regulation on Individual Professional Training (IPT).

The IPT permits a company, in consultation with the “Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding (VDAB)” (the public employment service of Flanders, comparable with the FOREm in Wallonia and Actiris in Brussels), to train and employ a job seeker during a certain period of time under favourable conditions. As long as the IPT runs, the employer only pays approximately one third of the usual labour cost.

The employer is, however, obliged to enter into a permanent contract with the trainee immediately after the training.

Because the IPT system is being considered by the Flemish Government and the social partners as an important entry channel, the Flemish Government decided, with a view to combating the socio-economic crisis, to ease the IPT temporarily.

For IPT-agreements entered into between 11 August 2010 and 31 December 2010, it applies now that immediately after the end of the training a fixed-term contract of one year may also be entered into with the trainee. The employer must however  explain why it has taken this option. After the trainee having followed a training and obtained a fixed-term contract, this is followed in the event of a prolongation of the employment in the same or a similar function, by a permanent contract, and this without a trial period.