News item | 15-07-2022 | 4:00 pm
The government is investing in strengthening vocational education. This mainly concerns increasing equality of opportunity, better linking education to the labor market and boosting quality. For example, Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture and Science wants to ensure that MBO students can continue to play a crucial role in our economy and society. In the coming years, the government will invest several hundred million euros in the three MBO priorities.
That is what Minister Dijkgraaf writes to the House of Representatives. “MBO is the engine for major social tasks such as healthcare, housing and energy transition. The close interdependence between education and professional practice offers many opportunities for more than half a million young people. Well-trained professionals are crucial for all plans for social issues. That is why it is important to invest in strengthening MBO.”
He emphatically argues for equal treatment of MBO students compared to HBO and university students. “Many steps still need to be taken for such equal treatment. This is, for example, in awareness in language use, involvement in student life and in gaining experience abroad.”
New Approach
Minister Dijkgraaf is in discussion with students, teachers, MBO institutions, employers, municipalities, educational umbrella organizations and trade unions about the ambitions and measures to strengthen MBO. He appeals to all the creativity in and around MBO. The starting point is the personal growth of students. In a ‘Werkagenda MBO’ he wants to come to plans and agreements for the coming years. This work agenda will be presented after Budget Day, in the letter to the House he now outlines the framework for this.
Three priorities
Minister Dijkgraaf has three priorities for the MBO Work Agenda:
- Increasing equality of opportunity
The minister wants to remove barriers for students in vocational education, participation must be encouraged. “I have recently spoken to students who came from far away, from a disadvantaged environment with little prospects. But motivated by the barriers they overcame themselves and aided by the teachers who inspired them, they ended up going far beyond the goals set by their environment. I want to let the rich talent at MBO flourish.”Eliminating internship discrimination in MBO is a top priority for Minister Dijkgraaf. Because previous measures have yielded too little, the minister is considering more radical measures. For example, he is thinking of encouraging objective recruitment and selection by training companies. The aim is that work placement companies no longer hire students on the basis of a personal click, but on the basis of competences and learning wishes. In an Internship Pact that the Cabinet wants to conclude with the business community and educational institutions, the concrete approach to internship discrimination must be given a prominent place.
Employers, institutions, students, teachers and supervisors and the ministries of OCW and SZW are currently working on shaping the precise measures and actions.
Minister Dijkgraaf is also committed to combating early school leaving, guiding vulnerable students from school to work and continuous learning routes in the vocational column (vmbo-mbo-hbo).
- Improving the connection between education and the labor market
Fortunately, the vast majority of MBO students find a job (quickly). However, there is still a lot that needs to be improved in the connection between education and the labor market. For example, MBO students drop out due to a wrong study choice. Minister Dijkgraaf therefore wants to strengthen career orientation and guidance, for example through more labor market information in the information.There are also MBO students who are not yet able to make a choice of study and who first need a broader educational orientation. The minister wants to set up an orientation program for them in the 2023-2024 school year as an experiment, so that these students can first sample various disciplines before making a final choice.
Minister Dijkgraaf, together with Minister Wiersma (Leven Long Development, LLO), also wants to stimulate the supply of BBL courses for lateral entrants, with special attention to shortage sectors. In addition, the legal scope for tailor-made training for lateral entrants will be increased.
- More quality, research and innovation in MBO
Young people master the basic skills for language, mathematics, citizenship and digital literacy less and less well. Minister Dijkgraaf wants to monitor MBO students better on their basic skills. That is why there must be a clear vision of basic skills and the associated educational goals. The minister also wants to improve the quality of citizenship and digital skills teachers.Finally, Minister Dijkgraaf wants to strengthen the innovative power of MBO. For example, the MBO with its development power must fit seamlessly into the chain of research and innovation, in collaboration with higher education and science. He wants to investigate whether a network of innovative lecturers and lecturer-researchers can be set up, boosted by grants or grants, as is already happening in higher education with the Dutch Higher Education Grant. He also wants to further develop ‘practitioners’ (practical research into innovation and improvements in MBO).
Investments
The government is investing several hundred million euros in the three priorities. Almost €200 million is structurally available for MBO from the resources in the coalition agreement. A decision will be made this summer on the remaining resources in the coalition agreement, of which the cabinet may still invest part in MBO. In addition, the National Growth Fund is investing heavily in MBO. For example, € 167 million has been unconditionally allocated for the LLO Catalysator program for senior secondary vocational education and higher education.