Welcoming new talent is a valuable step for your organisation. If you choose to employ a status holder (an asylum seeker with a residence permit), you are often bringing in a highly motivated employee. In practice, however, starting on a new workplace often requires extra support, for example, due to language or cultural differences. To support employers in this, the SOWIS subsidy is now available.
SOWIS stands for Subsidy for Employer Support for Employing Status Holders. With this scheme, you will receive financial assistance for activities that make the onboarding of your new employee smoother. The budget can, for example, be used for a Dutch (professional) language course or for extra guidance to help the employee familiarise themselves with your company's culture and customs.
What are the main conditions?
The government sets a number of practical conditions for the subsidy application:
- Number of employees You can apply for the subsidy for a maximum of 8 status holders within your organisation (both with temporary and permanent residence permits).
- The contract The employee has or will have an employment contract for a minimum of 1 year, for at least 20 hours per week.
- The timing: At the time of the application, the employee has been in paid employment with your company for a maximum of 6 months, or the employee has yet to start. (Voluntary work beforehand is not a problem).
- The guidance process The programme lasts a maximum of 2 years and must consist of the following three components:
- Learning Dutch (professional) language.
- Navigating organisational culture.
- An onboarding programme in combination with a buddy programme (where the status holder is paired with a regular colleague).
A sustainable start in the workplace
The effective onboarding of a new employee takes time and energy. Thanks to the SOWIS subsidy, you as an employer have the space to tackle this guidance with real quality. This increases the chance of a successful, long-term collaboration and ensures that your new recruit can become independent within the team more quickly.
Do you want more information?
If you would like advice on this scheme, please feel free to contact the Employment Centre. Our advisors will gladly work with you to make the start of your new employee a success.