News item | 09-06-2022 | 09:24
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is making 25 million euros available to prepare MBO students even better for the current and future labor market. The Regional Investment Fund MBO (RIF) has today approved 12 projects that, for example, allow students to work with the latest techniques and methods during their studies. The importance of a good connection of students to the labor market is further emphasized in the current time of scarcity.
Collaboration between education, public sector and business
For a good connection between education and the labor market, it is of great importance that students have sufficient knowledge of modern equipment and techniques. In this way the students are well prepared for the future. The subsidy from the Regional Investment Fund MBO (RIF) therefore provides additional incentives for cooperation between education, the public sector and the business community. The RIF offers MBO institutions an opportunity to better keep up with the latest developments in the labor market and in the business community, and to have the training offer matched to this. This applies in particular to training courses that require large financial investments or that prepare you for professions with a highly innovative character, such as mobility and vehicles, construction and infrastructure, and care and welfare. In addition, it is also important that teaching staff are aware of the latest state of affairs in the field. The RIF subsidy also helps with this.
Good experiences
Experience with the first RIF scheme has shown that the subsidy has an important function in starting up and strengthening cooperation in the region. Throughout the country, partnerships have been established between education (vo-mbo-ho), the business community and other regional stakeholders, such as municipalities and provinces. In many cases, the collaboration is aimed at tackling qualitative and quantitative staff shortages (particularly in technology, care and construction), professionalization of teachers and innovation in training.
With the RIF, 25 million euros has been made available annually. The substantive assessment is performed by an assessment committee set up by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science. In total, 96 RIF projects were approved in the 2014-2022 period.
More information about the RIF subsidies can be found on the website of the Service Implementation Subsidies to Institutions.