sponsoring

USG People is a founding partner of Vakcollege. In view of our vision of playing an important role in society, we are happy to contribute to this initiative aimed at tackling the educational problems facing young people and helping to provide them with a smoother transition to the labour market.

Vakcollege is a joint initiative of the technical education system and employers. Together they aim to improve vocational training, tailoring it more to the needs of the labour market in order to train a new generation of qualified specialists who will eventually join the labour force equipped with knowledge and skills.

For more information please visit http://www.hetvakcollege.nl/

background
In the Netherlands, the increasingly ageing population has resulted in a growing shortage of qualified specialists. The labour market is crying out for staff, but the educational system is not producing the specialists that are needed. That is partly because the profession has an image problem, but is also due to the fact that there is a gap between what is taught in vocational courses and what the labour market needs. This results in a high drop-out rate, with many young people falling by the wayside. Vakcollege, a new technical vocational course for young people who want to pursue a career in the technical sector, is aimed at changing this.

Supported by USG People
USG People's contribution will provide Vakcollege with a solid basis on which to build in the next few years. We are supporting the initiative - both financially and with know-how - as we have found that a healthy labour market is largely dependent on the availability of high-quality courses that meet the needs of that labour market. We know from experience that the current situation leaves something to be desired, certainly with respect to technical vocational training. In addition, Vakcollege fits perfectly with our aim to develop innovative solutions to social issues such as equal opportunities for everyone.

Vakcollege
The plans for the new educational initiative were presented in the summer of 2008 in the presence of Dutch state secretary for education, culture and science Marja van Bijsterveldt. The state secretary spoke enthusiastically about the new vocational course: “Vakcollege offers young people an unrivalled opportunity to learn on the job. This will produce skilled technical specialists we can rightly be proud of and who are essential to the economic growth of the Netherlands”, said Van Bijsterveldt.
Vakcollege courses will be available from the 2008/2009 academic year. In the first year alone, 750 students will receive this new type of technical education, with the number of Vakcollege students expected to rise to over 10,000 within the next few years. The educational concept will eventually be expanded to include other sectors, such as healthcare.

The emphasis of the course is on practical and job-orientated learning and on-the-job training at actual companies. Naturally the first years of the course will also teach normal basic subjects, but the focus there will also be on the technical trade. The course has a six-year programme: four years of pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) and two years of vocational secondary education (MBO). To prevent students from dropping out when progressing from VMBO to MBO - as is currently often the case - the system is based on a small-scale approach and providing students with personal guidance. The MBO-VMBO institutes and companies are involved in the students’ progress from start to finish of the course.

gilt-edged course
Another major difference with the conventional school system is the close involvement of the business community. Students start to visit companies in the first years of the course and local and regional companies provide guest classes. An association has been established for each Vakcollege to ensure good coordination between businesses, the government and the schools. Vakcollege is a ‘gilt-edged’ course that guarantees that students will have learned a trade and earned their qualifications so they can go straight to work in a good job when they are 18.