Which providers offer retraining for IT? Five routes compared

Looking to retrain for IT? In the Netherlands there are five routes to retrain for IT: 1). an HBO retraining programme with a job guarantee (Make IT Work), 2). an IT traineeship, 3). a part-time programme at a university of applied sciences, 4). an online course at your own pace (such as at Winc Academy) or 5). self-study. Below they are side by side, with the providers and who each route does and does not work for. Winc is one of them, so we name our own downsides too.

Five routes to retrain for IT

1. HBO retraining with a job guarantee. Make IT Work: five months full-time, then at least six months of paid work.
2. IT traineeship. A company hires you and trains you while you do paid work.
3. Part-time at a university of applied sciences. A year of working and learning at the same time, for example at Hogeschool Utrecht.
4. Online course at your own pace. Next to your job, with guidance. This is the Winc Academy route.
5. Self-study. Free, but without guidance and without a portfolio.

Costs differ per route and provider and change every year, so we do not list prices here. Check the provider's website; for Winc, see all retraining courses.

Route 1: HBO retraining with a job guarantee

Make IT Work is a five-month retraining programme at HBO level. After that you do at least six months of paid work at a participating employer. You follow it at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, the HvA IT Academy or IT Academy Noord-Nederland in Groningen. The programme runs together with universities of applied sciences such as the HvA and the Hanze.

What does "job guarantee" mean here exactly? Not a permanent job for life, but at least six months of paid work at a participating employer, which makes it the route that comes closest to retraining for IT with a job guarantee.

• Costs: you pay a personal contribution.
• Who pays: you pay a personal contribution, and the participating employer also pays a contribution per candidate. In the work phase you earn a market-rate salary.
• Duration: 5 months of full-time training, then at least 6 months of paid work. 11 months in total.
• Status 2026: running. Information sessions are planned from September to December 2026. The next start in Groningen is on 5 April 2027.

• For you if: you can stop working for five months and want certainty about your first job.
• Not for you if: you need to keep working during the programme.

Route 2: IT traineeship

In an IT traineeship you are hired first and trained after. Companies train you in a short time while you are already in paid work, even without an IT background. So you earn from day one. A work-study route works the same way: paid work and learning at the same time.

The downside: you choose not only a programme, but also an employer. If you want to move elsewhere afterwards, you apply again.

• Costs: usually no training costs for you. Do ask whether your contract has a study cost clause.
• Who pays: the employer, who also pays your salary.
• Duration: differs per employer.
• Status 2026: ongoing. Each employer has its own start dates.

• For you if: you have an HBO or university degree and want an employer straight away.
• Not for you if: you want to choose where you work later, or you do not have an HBO or university degree.

Route 3: part-time at a university of applied sciences

One example is the part-time ICT retraining programme at Hogeschool Utrecht. It takes a year and combines working and learning.

The upside: a programme from a university of applied sciences, with the structure that comes with it. The downside: a year is long if you want to switch quickly.

• Costs: tuition per year.
• Who pays: you and your employer. You need a retraining work placement, and you agree with that employer how the costs are split.
• Duration: 1 year, about 24 hours a week including lectures.
• Status 2026: running. HU starts in September, November, February and April.

• For you if: you want a programme from a university of applied sciences on your CV and have a year.
• Not for you if: you want to start working within a few months.

Route 4: online course at your own pace

This is the Winc Academy route, with retraining courses such as Front-End Development, Back-end Development, Full-stack Development, Data Analytics with Python, Business Data Analytics, Online Marketing, Functional Manager and IT Service Desk Employee.

You learn 100% online, without fixed class hours and at your own pace, so next to your job. Teachers and study coaches guide you through Slack and in 1-on-1 sessions. It is practical: you build a portfolio that you show to employers. You finish with a certificate from Winc Academy, a CRKBO-registered education provider that is a member of the NRTO.

After your course you get career support and a network of employers, and you apply with a portfolio that shows what you have built. A job guarantee is not part of it.

See all retraining courses, take the IT career test or book a free advice call.

• Costs: differ per course. You find them on the page of each course under all retraining courses.
• Who pays: UWV if you receive WW benefits, your employer, a regional training budget, the SLIM subsidy (only for IT Service Desk Employee), an interest-free loan from TechMeUp, or you yourself, in one go or in instalments.
• Duration: 3 to 9 months, depending on the course.
• Status 2026: running. Winc Academy has no fixed start dates, so you can start straight away.

• For you if: you need to keep working and want to finish in months, not years.
• Not for you if: you want a job guarantee or a government-recognised diploma.

Route 5: self-study

Self-study costs no money, but it costs time. Nobody tells you what to learn in which order, nobody looks at your work and you end up without a portfolio an employer recognises.

As a first step it is a smart move: you quickly find out whether programming or data suits you.

• Costs: no tuition.
• Who pays: nobody. You pay with your own time.
• Duration: as long as you need.
• Status 2026: always available.

• For you if: you first want to find out whether IT is for you.
• Not for you if: you want structure, feedback and something to show an employer.

How do you choose?

Answer four questions about yourself. Each question rules out routes.

Can I stop working?

Yes, for at least five months: route 1 is open to you. No: route 2, 3 or 4. A traineeship pays from the start; part-time and online you do next to your job.

Do I have an HBO or university degree?

Yes: all routes are open. No: route 2 usually drops out. Route 5 never asks for a diploma. For routes 1, 3 and 4 each provider has its own entry requirements.

Do I want a diploma, or does a portfolio count?

If you want a programme from a university of applied sciences on paper: route 1 or 3. If you mainly want to show quickly what you can do: route 4, with a portfolio and a certificate from the provider.

Who pays?

If UWV or your employer pays, they often have a say in the provider. If you want a salary from the start: route 2, or route 1 after the training. No budget: route 5, or an interest-free loan from TechMeUp at an affiliated provider.

Who pays for your retraining?

Who pays for your retraining for IT in 2026? There are six routes.

• Retraining for IT through UWV. If you receive WW benefits, UWV can pay for retraining for an in-demand occupation. If approved, the full course is paid; the decision lies with UWV. Read how to approach retraining for IT through UWV.
• Your employer. Your employer can contribute from the training budget of your employer. With part-time and online courses you stay employed.
• The SLIM subsidy. Through the SLIM route you take the IT Service Desk Employee course at Winc Academy without paying the course fees yourself, if your application is approved. You sign up yourself, whether you are working or looking for work. You can take part if you are 18 or older, not yet retired and live or work in the Netherlands. The budget and the number of places per round are limited.
• Regional training budgets. There are regional training budgets, such as Groei Vooruit and Haaglanden Leert Door. Which scheme fits you depends on where you live and work.
• TechMeUp. A foundation that finances your study costs, and sometimes your living costs, with an interest-free loan. You repay once you are working. TechMeUp works with a fixed list of affiliated providers, including Winc Academy. Read more about the interest-free loan from TechMeUp.
• Paying yourself. You can also pay for the course yourself, in one go or in instalments.

And the STAP budget? It no longer exists. According to UWV the scheme ended on 1 January 2024. Looking for an alternative to STAP? Then look at your employer, the SLIM subsidy or a regional training budget.

Looking for a work-study route, where you do paid work and learn at the same time? Then look at route 2 or 3. In route 1 the paid work comes after the training. Winc Academy does not offer a work-study route: you learn online next to your job or your benefits.

All options for a course at Winc are under all financing options.

Frequently asked questions

Is retraining for IT possible?

Yes. You can choose from five routes: an HBO retraining programme with a job guarantee (Make IT Work), an IT traineeship, a part-time programme at a university of applied sciences, an online course at your own pace (such as at Winc Academy) or self-study.

Is there paid retraining in IT?

Yes, but "paid" means two things. Paid for you: UWV or your employer pays for the course, and you earn nothing extra while learning. Paid while you learn: you get a salary during the programme, as in an IT traineeship and in Make IT Work during the work phase of at least six months after the five months of training. Ask each provider which of the two they mean.

Can I start in IT without a diploma?

On some routes, yes. Self-study never asks for a diploma, and neither does Codam, which pays the tuition itself. An IT traineeship usually asks for an HBO or university degree. Make IT Work, the part-time programme at Hogeschool Utrecht and the Winc Academy courses each have their own entry requirements; check them with the provider.

Which providers in the Netherlands offer retraining for IT?

Per route:

• HBO retraining with a job guarantee: Make IT Work, at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA IT Academy) and IT Academy Noord-Nederland in Groningen, together with universities of applied sciences such as the HvA and the Hanze.
• IT traineeship: IT companies and large employers.
• Part-time at a university of applied sciences: Hogeschool Utrecht (part-time ICT retraining).
• Online at your own pace: Winc Academy.
• Without tuition and without a diploma: Codam.

A longer list is on techmeup.nl/opleiders.

Can I retrain for IT within a year?

Yes, on most routes. Make IT Work takes 5 months of training plus at least 6 months of paid work, 11 months in total. The ICT retraining at Hogeschool Utrecht takes 1 year. At Winc Academy each course takes 3 to 9 months, and you can start straight away. In an IT traineeship the length differs per employer, but you work from day one. With self-study you set the pace yourself.

Can I retrain for IT next to my job?

Yes. Routes 3 and 4 are made for that: part-time at a university of applied sciences, or online at your own pace. At Winc Academy you learn 100% online, without fixed class hours, with guidance through Slack and 1-on-1 sessions. In a traineeship (route 2) the new job itself is your training. Also read retraining for IT: where to start.