Netherlands invests in stimulating flow from vocational school to labor market

Minister Jet Bussemaker of Education announced that 43.5 million euros was available for 17 initiatives aimed to better connect vocational education to the labor market. The money is intended to make it possible for vocational students to already work and gain experience during their studies, so that they are ready to join the labor market as soon as they pass their exams. Bussemaker announced the chosen projects on Monday. The 17 projects are spread across the country and across various professional fields. For example, there are six programs in the field of health and welfare, but also programs on cyber security and art. "All developments affecting the labor market of tomorrow, such as robotics, make it imperative that new opportunities are created, particularly for vocational education", Bussemaker said. Vocational education should be innovative and respond to labor market developments, she believes. "These proposals make a crucial contribution to that. " The 43.5 million euros for the initiatives comes from the regional investment fund. Bussemaker made 14.5 million available, the business community and regional government contributed the rest.