Hulpmonteur 2.0 – New Rules, Prices, and Certificate Validity. What’s Changing in 2025?

After years of working with Hulpmonteur 1.0 and the temporary “Aspirant,” it’s time for Hulpmonteur 2.0 to step into the spotlight – refreshed, more practical, and above all, much better suited to the real conditions of working at height. The changes are substantial: they affect certificate validity, exams, prices, and even the training approach itself. It’s a reshuffle that both companies and future scaffolders will definitely feel.And of course, at Bonapi Training Center, we want everyone who puts on safety shoes and fastens their harness to have a clear picture of what’s going on. No overcomplicating – just solid knowledge and a straightforward message.So let’s begin!

Why is Hulpmonteur 2.0 being introduced?

Because the market demanded it. The old 1.0 model was too heavy, too long, and in practice… not very practical. The new system is built on the foundations of ISO-17024 (https://www.iso.org/standard/52993.html), but without the strict RvA (https://www.rva.nl/) accreditation requirements, which makes the procedures simpler, faster, and more flexible.

In short:
Less paperwork, more practical knowledge.

The new program also offers a clear development path: from the very first steps on a construction site all the way to full Hulpmonteur competence.

What exactly is changing in the certification process?

Certificate validity – 3 years instead of 5

Theory has finally been aligned with reality. Statistically, young scaffolders stay in this position for about 3 years before moving on – to Eerste Monteur (https://bonapi.nl/courses/scaffolder-training/advanced-scaffolder/) or to another country or trade. That’s why a 3-year period is ideal, allowing you to:

– refresh your knowledge
– verify your skills
– maintain high standards of quality and safety

Recertification every 3 years = fewer “dead” certificates held by people who left the industry long ago.

Hulpmonteur 2.0 Exam

If there’s one change in this whole revolution that truly deserves to be called “a breath of fresh air” for the industry, it’s the exam. In the Hulpmonteur 2.0 version, the long, exhausting days of sitting in a classroom, sweating from stress, and waiting endlessly for your turn are gone. Instead, something appears that — without exaggeration — should have been the standard years ago: a short, digital exam that lasts just half an hour.

And here’s what “digital” really means — nothing magical. The candidate sits down at a computer or tablet, logs into the system, and completes a test. Simple as that. No papers, no pens, no bureaucratic circus. The questions appear on the screen — usually straightforward, practical, based on situations that anyone will eventually encounter on a real scaffold. The system is clean, practical, and finally accessible for people who don’t live in textbooks but in real-world work.

Even better, the exam is available in sixteen languages. And this is the moment when you genuinely want to applaud, because scaffolding in the Netherlands is an international mosaic — Poles, Romanians, Dutch, Portuguese, Lithuanians. Until now, most training systems pretended everyone speaks fluent Dutch.

From our perspective at Bonapi, this change is simply logical. We work with people every day; we see their stress, we see how some burn out during long exams even though they’re confident, fast, and truly skilled on the construction site. A short digital exam is the perfect solution: it removes anxiety, saves time, gives everyone an equal chance, and lets you focus on what really matters in this job — the practice.

Of course, there are people who have never touched a computer except to watch a video on their phone. But that’s not an issue. We are here to help — explain, guide, give them a moment, calm them down. The main thing is that the exam is intuitive and doesn’t try to trick anyone.

And that’s exactly why we believe this is a step in the right direction. The assessment system is finally catching up with reality. Instead of creating barriers, it opens doors. Instead of complicating, it simplifies. And we, as a training center, see it from the front row and can say only one thing: it’s about time.

Industry certificate instead of a personal one + the price for Hulpmonteur

Another new element is that Hulpmonteur 2.0 is mainly an industry certificate, registered in the CDR SSVV system.
A personal certificate? Yes — but only upon request.

This is a nod to companies that want:

– better oversight of qualifications
– a more consistent training system
– easier recertification management

Lower and more predictable price

Hulpmonteur 1.0 cost between €900 and €1555.

*The current price is expected to be several hundred euros lower. We will provide updates as soon as the final amount is approved.

For companies, this finally means they can train their people:

– more often,
– more cheaply,
– more intelligently.

In experimental conditions or when working with permanently set structures, traditional fixed or façade scaffolding may be a better fit. It’s worth considering the working conditions, required working height, and the need for mobility before choosing the solution

Who is Hulpmonteur 2.0 for?

First and foremost, it’s a great starting point for people who are just entering the world of scaffolding. Those who yesterday were working in a warehouse on a reach truck (https://bonapi.nl/courses/forklifts/reach-truck-training/), in logistics on a heftruck (https://bonapi.nl/courses/forklifts/forklift-course-heftruck/), or on an EPT (https://bonapi.nl/courses/forklifts/ept-training/)… or who have just arrived in the Netherlands and want to begin with something concrete. For them, the short, practical format of the course is simply the perfect entry into the industry.

But it’s also a nod to companies that don’t have time for long trainings. You know how it goes: a project starts soon, two people are missing, and the current crew is already running on fumes. In moments like that, Hulpmonteur 2.0 works like a quick antidote — three hours of practice, half an hour of theory, and suddenly you have a worker who knows what they’re doing and doesn’t need a full explanation of what a ledger, brace, or toe board is.

It’s also a solution for teams that operate “week to week,” where every extra pair of hands matters. Hulpmonteur 2.0 simply gives you people who are ready to work. Maybe not as independent scaffolders yet, but as support that genuinely lightens the load of the team. No risk, no chaos, no doubts about whether the new person even understands what they’re looking at.

And finally, there’s a group the industry often forgets: people who want to work according to the rules, not around them. The new system was created in cooperation with SSVV and SWOH and has become the official direction the market will follow. Anyone who wants to work legally, smoothly, and without nasty surprises during audits will need to move in this direction. Hulpmonteur 2.0 is for those who don’t want to learn about changes from an inspector on-site but prefer to stay one step ahead.

What’s next for the Aspirant and Hulpmonteur 1.0?

The scaffolding industry is closing a chapter. The Aspirant (https://bonapi.nl/koniec-ahm-aspirant-hulpmonteur-od-2026-roku-nowy-certyfikat-dla-pomocnika-montera-rusztowan/)program will disappear on July 1st, 2026, and Hulpmonteur 1.0 can be completed only until December 1st, 2025. After these dates, the only option will be the Hulpmonteur 2.0 model — and it will become the new standard across the Netherlands.

For many companies, this is just a ‘system update.’ For us at Bonapi, it’s much more. Scaffolders (https://bonapi.nl/courses/scaffolder-training/) are one of the most important groups in our training portfolio. For years, we’ve been teaching them from the ground up, preparing them for real work, and we feel responsible for the knowledge they bring to the job site.

That’s why every change in regulations or certification is something we take seriously — and something we want to communicate clearly before confusion hits the field.

Our role is simple: to inform, explain, and deliver only reliable, up-to-date information

We hope you’ve learned more about the new changes, and if you have any questions — feel free to contact us! And if you already want to enter the scaffolding industry or train new employees according to the current standards, you’re in the right place. At Bonapi, we’ll prepare you for the job from day one — so that behind your certificate there’s not just paper, but real skills.

Take the next step with Bonapi!

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