Towards a learning and career account for Flanders

Research repeatedly shows that the training incentives in Flanders are very fragmented, which makes it difficult to keep an overview and this for workers, employers and policymakers alike. In this context, a system of learning and career accounts is put forward as one of the possible ways of promoting a learning culture. In the OECD Skills Strategy Flanders (2019), this pathway was addressed again: merging all existing financial training incentives into a single learning account was one of the concrete recommendations to improve the financing of lifelong learning for adults. Today, the question of an individual learning and career account is high on the political agenda, as a possible game-changer for the learning culture in Flanders.

Despite the high expectations for this instrument, its possible implementation is still unclear. This study explores alternative scenarios, including their advantages and disadvantages. The conclusions learn what is desirable and feasible for the concrete implementation of a learning and career account in Flanders in terms of target group, type of training, financing, unit (time versus money), transferability and uptake. These conclusions provide a solid basis for developing a growth trajectory for the learning and career account in Flanders. The opportunities and challenges identified throughout the study show what is possible in the short, medium and long term. Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of the various scenarios, we propose a learning and career account with two parallel pillars, right to time and right to money, on top of a double foundation consisting of a digital overview and harmonisation of rules and procedures.

The report and the summary are available online via this link (in Dutch).