You can retrain as a functional manager through a short training or a programme with fixed class times, a home study course, an online course at your own pace or a route where you already have a job before you start. Which one fits depends on your hours per week, whether you keep your job and what you want to have at the end. Below you can compare six functional management providers; you can read more about the work in the Functioneel Beheerder course and in the interview with Carmen.

The short answer: which provider suits you?

If you want to move into functional management online at your own pace, without prior education, with guidance and the BiSL Foundation exam included, choose Functioneel Beheerder at Winc Academy. NCOI offers fixed class times and a programme at HBO level; LOI and NHA offer home study. Computrain offers a short training of 4 days and at Make IT Work you are already matched with an employer before you start.

Six functional management providers compared

• Winc Academy: online at your own pace with 1-on-1 guidance, 300 study hours, certificate plus the BiSL Foundation exam.
• NCOI: classroom, virtual classroom or e-learning, 6 months, NCOI diploma at HBO level.
• LOI: online, 10 months, LOI diploma plus certificates.
• NHA: home study, 6 months at 4 hours a week, NHA institute diploma.
• Make IT Work: just over 3 months of full-time classes, then at least 6 months of paid work, certificate at HBO level.
• Computrain: classroom or virtual classroom, 4 days, certificate.

Winc Academy: Functioneel Beheerder

At Winc Academy you learn fully online, at your own pace, without fixed schedules. Teachers and study coaches guide you 1-on-1, on Slack or in a 1-on-1 session. The course is in Dutch and English, has 300 study hours and gives you 5 months of access. You learn to analyse user questions, manage incidents, write acceptance criteria and improve processes or applications. You work with BiSL, ITIL, Jira and Confluence, in the practice case AuroraCare.

You prepare for the internationally recognised BiSL Foundation exam; the exam voucher is included. You finish with a certificate from Winc Academy, a CRKBO-registered education provider that is a member of the NRTO. No prior education is needed. A good fit for people from administration, healthcare, planning and operations, for starters who want to become a junior functional manager and for IT support staff and application managers who want to grow. Not a fit if you want a government-recognised MBO or HBO diploma. Still unsure? Book a free advice call.

NCOI: HBO Programma Functioneel Beheer en Cloudtechnieken

NCOI offers a compact programme at HBO level for working professionals: 6 months with 8 class days, in a classroom (9 locations), in a virtual classroom or through e-learning. You learn about faults, changes, databases and the cloud, among other things. There are no specific entry requirements; you get NCOI's HBO Programma Functioneel Beheer en Cloudtechnieken diploma. A good fit if you want a fixed rhythm next to your job.

LOI: Functioneel beheer

At LOI you learn online, start whenever you like and the course takes 10 months. A teacher is always available. You need no prior education and you pay per month. You get an LOI diploma plus extra industry-recognised certificates, although the page does not say which. A good fit if you want to learn online.

NHA: Functioneel Beheerder

NHA is a home study course of 6 months at 4 hours a week, at your own pace, with a personal teacher who marks your homework. No specific prior education is required. After a digital exam at a location near you, you get an NHA institute diploma; NHA itself says its OCW recognition does not apply to this course. A good fit if you have few hours a week.

Make IT Work: Data- en informatiemanagement

Make IT Work, an initiative of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, runs this track in Groningen through IT Academy Noord-Nederland. After just over 3 months of full-time classroom lessons, you do at least 6 months of paid work at an employer you were matched with before the start: 9 months in total. You learn BiSL, ASL and ITIL with an EXIN certification, among other things, and get a certificate at HBO level. Admission asks for HBO working and thinking level, Dutch at B2 or higher and full-time availability. A good fit if you want to start as a junior functional manager, IT consultant, product owner or business analyst.

Computrain: Vakopleiding Functioneel Beheer

Computrain's course takes 4 days, in a classroom at 3 locations or in a virtual classroom. You learn, among other things, change management, business requirements, user acceptance testing and the link with application management (ASL) and technical management (ITIL). Computrain expects MBO level or a few years of relevant work experience; you get the Functioneel Beheer certificate. A good fit if you work on information provision at an operational level.

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Short training, home study, online at your own pace or a route with a job?

Short training or programme with fixed class times. Fixed days or evenings, with a certificate (Computrain) or diploma (NCOI). For people who work and want a fixed rhythm.

Home study. Learning at home with a teacher at a distance, with a diploma from LOI or NHA. For people with few hours a week.

Online at your own pace with guidance. No fixed class times, but 1-on-1 help, with a certificate and the BiSL Foundation exam: Winc Academy. For people who keep their job.

Route with a job. First study full time, then work at an employer, with a certificate at HBO level: Make IT Work. For people who can study full time for a while.

How to choose: four questions

Do you already work with systems or user questions? Then Computrain fits; if you come from another field, Winc Academy, LOI, NHA and NCOI fit.

How many hours a week do you have? Few hours suit NHA (4 hours a week) or Winc Academy at your own pace; NCOI asks for one evening a week or one day every two weeks.

Do you want fixed class times or your own pace? You get fixed times at Computrain and NCOI, your own pace at Winc Academy and NHA.

Can you study full time for a while? Then Make IT Work fits, with HBO working and thinking level; if not, one of the other five.

Who pays for your course?

You pay yourself or someone pays with you. NCOI mentions the lifelong learning credit (levenlanglerenkrediet) if you pay yourself, NHA your employer's Personal Development Budget. At Make IT Work, employer and student pay together, with a personal contribution from the student.

At Winc Academy you can pay like this:

• Yourself: in one go or in instalments.
• Employer: many students pay from a training budget, for example through their collective labour agreement; this is how you can have your employer pay.
• UWV: with an unemployment benefit (WW), UWV can pay for your course if it improves your chance of work in an in-demand occupation; see retraining through UWV.
• Regional: Haaglanden Leert Door, Scholingsbudget regio Rijnmond, Scholingscheque regio Twente, Scholingsvoucher regio Achterhoek and Groei Vooruit are listed under training budgets per region.
• Temporary worker: through DOORZAAM there is a training voucher for temporary workers.
• TechMeUp: an interest-free loan through TechMeUp for tuition and living costs, which you only repay once you have a job in IT.

Not sure? Take the short test in the financing guide. If UWV or a grant does not work out, there is sometimes another route through TechMeUp: turned down for UWV or a grant? There is sometimes another route. Next step: view the Functioneel Beheerder course or book a free advice call.

Frequently asked questions

What course do you need to become a functional manager?

There is no required course: any of the four formats above works. At Winc Academy, LOI, NHA and NCOI you need no specific prior education.

What level is a functional manager?

That differs per provider. Computrain expects MBO level or a few years of work experience, Make IT Work asks for HBO working and thinking level and NCOI works at HBO level. At Winc Academy you start without prior education.

What does a functional manager earn?

You can find amounts in the starting salaries on the course page.

Can I follow the course alongside my job?

Yes. At Winc Academy you learn fully online at your own pace, without fixed schedules. Read more about the Functioneel Beheerder course.