Apprenticeships and vocational education and training (VET) in the Netherlands: 1 apprenticeship scheme · 51 VET policies (11 on apprenticeship) · 84 indicators with data · 291 open datasets.
The Netherlands has 1 mainstream apprenticeship scheme in Cedefop's European database on apprenticeship schemes.
Dual pathway (BBL)
Beroepsbegeleidende leerweg
The work-based track through Dutch MBO: learners are typically employed four days a week at an accredited training company and study one day, at every MBO level.
Education level
Upper secondary (EQF 1–4)
Duration
1–4 yrs by level
Time at the workplace
Mostly at work (≥2/3) — ≥60% work placement; typically 4 days company + 1 day school
Apprentice compensation
Wage
Pay (as stated)
Salary at least the statutory (youth) minimum wage, with sector increases
Source: Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes. Cedefop's coded answers (filters and the comparison matrix) are imported directly from the 2026 fiches. The short descriptions (overview, duration, learners, pay) were condensed by hand and checked against the fiche text on 2026-10-01. The official fiches remain authoritative.
Key figures
Latest value for the Netherlands on the main measures of vocational education and work-based learning, with the EU-27 figure for the same year where one is published. Select an indicator for its map, ranking, trend and downloads.
Sources: Eurostat (CC-BY-4.0); Eurostat; calculation by Apprentix (CC-BY-4.0); Cedefop (CC-BY-4.0); OECD (CC-BY-4.0); European Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results (CC-BY-4.0). Totals only (default breakdown). Letters after a value are the publisher's flags; hover for their meaning.
National statistics
Series from the Netherlands's own statistical sources. Definitions differ from country to country, so these figures should not be compared with other countries'.
Sources: DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs), Open Onderwijsdata (Creative Commons Attribution (as declared in the CKAN metadata, license_id 'cc-by'; version not stated)).
More indicators
70 further indicators have data for the Netherlands, each with a map, ranking, trend and downloads.
Cedefop and ReferNet track 51 VET policies in the Netherlands since 2015, of which 11 concern apprenticeship or work-based learning. The most recently reported:
291 open datasets on apprenticeship and VET from the Netherlands are listed on Europe's open-data portals, 3 of them specifically about apprenticeship.
Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes. Cedefop's legal notice: reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged, save where otherwise stated. Fiches also credit national ReferNet experts. Read 2026-10-01.
DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs), Open Onderwijsdata (Creative Commons Attribution (as declared in the CKAN metadata, license_id 'cc-by'; version not stated)).