News item | 06-07-2023 | 1:00 pm
Minister Dijkgraaf (education) has earmarked more than 45 million euros for higher vocational education in regions experiencing shrinkage due to demographic developments. This should, for example, prevent universities of applied sciences in shrinking regions from deciding to phase out programs due to declining student numbers. The awards concern eleven higher professional education programs in the north, east and south of the country. Particularly programs in education, technology and agriculture and the natural environment receive financial support. Minister Dijkgraaf writes this in a letter to the House of Representatives today.
Minister Dijkgraaf: “The vitality of the regions is a great asset. With these additional resources, the social, regional function of universities of applied sciences can continue to be safeguarded. Thanks to these resources, students can continue to follow courses that are relevant to the regions concerned.”
Social function of higher professional education under pressure
About 10 percent of the universities of applied sciences will experience a contraction of more than 20 percent during the period 2010–2043. Some programs are already experiencing a drop in student numbers of 50 percent or more. Due to these falling student numbers, the social function of universities of applied sciences is under pressure in certain regions. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the universities of applied sciences that are facing shrinkage to maintain a broad range of courses, contribute to regional knowledge networks, renew laboratories and continue to carry out practice-oriented research.
Last year, Minister Dijkgraaf therefore announced in the Administrative Agreement on higher education and science that it would make a total of 90 million euros available in the period 2022-2025 to tackle the problem of shrinkage in higher professional education.
Maintain training
Based on a plan by the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH) – ‘Vital training for vital regions’, drawn up by a steering group chaired by Michaël van Straalen – Dijkgraaf has now allocated a total of 45.1 million euros to programs that have to deal with shrinkage due to demographic developments. There are two types of contributions: firstly, ‘maintenance contributions’, which are intended to prevent programs from having to make irreversible decisions due to an operating deficit due to a drop in intake.
In addition, there are ‘transition contributions’, aimed at measures to improve the future-proofness of study programs and to absorb expected contraction. With the allocated resources, universities of applied sciences can take important steps to support teacher training courses in various places in the country, the Chemistry course in Leeuwarden and the Speech Therapy course in Heerlen, for example. Most of the grants are in the fields of technology and agriculture and the natural environment.
Second installment
These assignments probably do not mean that all irreversible decisions can be averted in the near future. There are universities of applied sciences and study programs that will still have to deal with the effects of contraction in the coming years and where the social and regional function of higher professional education will come under pressure. A second tranche should provide more room for transition: working on the future-proofing of programs and absorbing future shrinkage. Allocation for the second tranche will also take place on the basis of a plan of the sector (VH) itself.