The vocational immersion contract, an internship contract of which companies should make greater use?

In the current climate where young people leaving education have difficulties in finding a first job and where employers can hardly find skilled staff to fill in vacancies, the vocational immersion contract seems a 'win-win' situation' for both parties. However, this type of internship contract is not yet very popular.

What is a vocational immersion contract?

This type of contract is suitable for all types of internship which are not organised by schools, nor within another regulatory framework.

The vocational immersion contract is an internship contract enabling the intern to acquire practical knowledge or learn professional skills by carrying out a job.

The work may be in line with the tasks of a manual or a non-manual worker. This means that such a contract can be concluded for an internship at a company's marketing department but also for an internship as a mechanic in a garage.

The duration of the internship depends on the time needed to learn the required skills.

The difference with the employment contract is that the focus is on training and learning. Therefore, the main objective of this contract is training an intern. The performance of the job is only a means to achieve this aim. 

Which formalities and main conditions have to be fulfilled to conclude such a contract?

 The internship contract must be drawn up and signed before the start of the internship. It must contain certain entries such as the duration and the work schedule of the internship, the amount of the granted compensation and the way it ends.

A specific feature of this type of internship contract is that it must contain a training plan in which the parties agree on the skills which the intern has to learn during the internship and the method that is used for this purpose (internal or external training, type of training, tasks and work which has to be done, ... ).

This training plan must be approved by the VDAB (in Flanders and for the Dutch speakers in Brussels), by Actiris (for the French speakers in Brussels) or by the Forem (in Wallonia).

The VDAB and Actiris both have set up an organization to deal with the validation of the training plans. To date, the Forem does not intend to build such an organization and refers to a problem of legislative competence. Now the competence for this matter has been transferred from the Federal Government to the Communities, the Forem will have to alter its position shortly.

Moreover, a Dimona declaration to the NSSO has to be done for the intern with a vocational immersion contract.

What are the benefits of this type of internship contract?

The benefits for the employer

 Firstly, this type of internship enables the employer to train an intern in order to transfer an unskilled worker into a skilled worker. Secondly, during the internship the employer can also gain an impression of the qualities and the motivation of his intern with a view to his recruitment.

Additionally, the compensation granted to the intern is lower than the wages that would be due if the employer would employ a salaried worker. The internship compensation is maximum 751 EUR per month (so far, very little joint committees have established a higher minimum). The days on which the intern is absent, must not be paid.

On the basis of the vocational immersion contract, the employer may also be entitled to reductions (for example the NSSO 'target groups' reductions for 'young workers') on condition that all the required conditions are met.

And last, the parties can freely agree to the manner in which the internship expires. In this way the employer can be reassured that he is not bound hand and foot should the intern not at all besuitable. 

The benefits for the intern

This internship contract offers the intern the opportunity to gain an initial experience in the labour market. If the internship has been positive, the employer may offer him a vacancy in his company. Anyhow, this professional experience looks good on the CV of the intern.

The internship compensation granted can be combined with the outplacement compensation or unemployment benefits. The unemployed interns must submit a request to be exempted from certain obligations imposed on the unemployed. The ONEm (National Employment Office) grants this exemption for a maximum of 6 months.

Finally we point out that the intern is insured by the employer against accidents which might arise during the internship and that his responsibility for errors that he would commit, is limited.