Individual Learning Accounts Dutch experiences

Motives of employees Personal development: 61% Functioning in present job: 39% Learning is enjoyable: 11% Request of employer: 10% Financial advantage: 9% Getting promotion: 9%

Disadvantages (employers) Bureaucracy and new rules Employer less in charge Absence to average-out budgets Choice of courses not related to present job

Critical points Combination of two systems: demand- and supply driven Low transparancy of training market for individuals No long term career perspective employees No saving perspective, incentives from government needed

Research project Does the possession of an ILA influence the: -attitude -motivation -participation -position labour market

Two comparible groups (n=1266) Initial schooling max. secundary voc. Training Average age: 38 75% male ILA of € 450.– (for one group) Research period: December 2006-March 2008

Attitude to learning Variable No ILA (%) ILA (%) Initiative to follow a course employee 33 61 employer 29 13 Main reasons for employees with concrete plans Personal development 58 74 Improvemen t in functioning present job 48 39 Saving for learning 9 14

Motivation to learn Variable No ILA (%) ILA (%) Intention to follow a course Has no intention, nor has followed 32 15 Intention, not yet followed 24 31 Followed 44 54 Time of the course During “work time” 36 In “spare time” 49 73

Participation Variable No ILA (%) ILA (%) Course followed 44 54 Reasons Personal development 69 70 Improvemen t functioning in present job 41 34 Improvemen t position labour market 29 37

Expectation positionlabour market Expectation of employees Improvement salary (%) Improvement position labour market (%) No improvement 58 21 ? 25 Improvement 17 54

Conclusions (1) Positive effects on attitude, motivation and participation Personal development important motive for both groups Learning for present job more important for employees without ILA Personal development and career more important for employees with ILA

Conclusions (2) ILA stimulates responsibility and learning in spare time A minority interested in saving for learning Improvement position labour market more important than salary