News item | 19-09-2023 | 16:42
The financing of the education route, one of the learning routes of the integration system, has been secured until 2029. In this way, the government provides long-term certainty for this learning route. This is also a wish of parties involved in implementation and people integrating. This is what Minister Karien van Gennip of SZW writes in a letter to the House of Representatives.
Minister Van Gennip: Partly from the (young) newcomers a Dutch diploma from a vocational or scientific education offers the best job opportunities. I am pleased with the government’s commitment to providing long-term financial security for the education route. In this way we increase the chances of young newcomers. This is not only good for the newcomers themselves, but also for society and the labor market as a whole.
The education route is mainly aimed at (young) newcomers to the Netherlands who have an integration obligation and do not have sufficient prior education to enter regular education. The newcomers are offered Dutch language lessons and subjects, such as mathematics or physics, in preparation for a secondary vocational education, higher professional education or academic education. Municipalities, which have played an important role in the integration system since 2022, purchase the educational programs for those subject to integration.
Financing for the education route is currently arranged until 2025. SZW had already released additional resources for it last year, because the route turned out to be more expensive than anticipated. In close collaboration with many parties, including the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the MBO Council and the Association of Dutch Municipalities, SZW has been looking for ways to safeguard the education route for a longer period. An amount of €88.9 million is now being made available for the years 2026 to 2029. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is also contributing to this. In the coming years, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment will carry out evaluations of the functioning of the integration system, including the education route. Based on this, it will be examined how this learning route will be designed from 2030 onwards.