Toespraak van minister Bussemaker bij World Skills in Brazilië

Toespraak | 14-08-2015

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me to be part of this panel, together with my colleagues from Brazil, Russia and South Korea. A very international group, and I believe that also goes for all of you gathered together in this room today. Welcome to everyone present.

While the current generation of students from all over the world showcase their talents here in São Paulo, we will be discussing what we can do to make sure that the generations to come will receive world-class vocational education.

No doubt many of you have travelled here by airplane. Perhaps on an Airbus A380. If so, then you were travelling on an aircraft whose fuselage was manufactured in various factories in the Netherlands and in Germany. The tail in Spain. The wings in England. And it was all brought together for assembly in France. And of course you've all got a cell phone. Chances are it has telecommunications chip that was envisioned by Swedish engineers. Designed in France. Using software developed by American specialists. The chip was then produced in Japan, tested in Taiwan and used in phones assembled in Mexico and Australia.

More and more often, high-tech products are the result of international cooperation between dozens of specialized designers and manufacturers. And this brings me to the background of vocational education in the Netherlands that I would like to sketch for you now. Vocational education: the programs that play such a crucial role in training the professionals that the Dutch economy needs.

Just as in every other country, our economy is subject to a rapidly changing labor market. A labor market that is becoming more and more international for one thing. Secondly, we are seeing more and more collaboration between companies, while these same companies are becoming increasingly specialized. Thirdly, all of these technological and social developments are taking place at an accelerating pace.

Because vocational education is so closely linked to the labor market, it must be able to respond quickly to developments as they occur. This is why we in the Netherlands have opted for close cooperation between the triad of employers, employees and vocational education. This is also why all of our programs in secondary vocational education feature a theoretical and a practical component.

There are 2 different learning tracks for vocational students to choose from. In one, the school-based track, the students go to school all week and they also go on an internship to gain practical experience. In the other, the work-based track, they immediately start on an apprenticeship with a recognized training company, spending 1 or 2 days a week at school to learn the theory.

An OECD report from 2014, 'A Skills Beyond School Review of the Netherlands', praises the organization of Dutch secondary vocational education. And it really does work. The statistics prove it. Vocational students find a job within 1 month of graduation on average. Partly thanks to our system of vocational education, youth unemployment in the Netherlands has remained low by international standards, despite the long recession.

A recent report by the PIAAC highlighted the fact that young people in the Netherlands are among the very best in the world when it comes to problem-solving. I witnessed this for myself at the last edition of WorldSkills. A team of 3 Dutch young men took part in the Manufacturing Team Challenge. They built a recycling machine for cans and bottles, and their efforts were rewarded with a bronze medal.

The European Union wrote in its 2012 communication on 'Rethinking Education' that the Netherlands offers world-class secondary vocational education. As you can imagine, I'm absolutely thrilled with so much praise. But this is no reason for us to rest on our laurels. All the more so because we are susceptible to a number of vulnerabilities.

For example, we now have too many vocational school graduates in some fields. In other sectors - such as technology - job openings are outpacing graduation rates, and we are expecting shortages of qualified personnel. To address these issues, we and our stakeholders have created the Technology Pact. This pact includes clear, workable agreements between the government, businesses and the education sector to improve the link between training programs and the labor market in the technology sector, with an eye to reducing the shortages of technical personnel.

Another important factor: there is a growing appreciation in the Netherlands for craftsmanship and manufacturing. At last year's Euroskills event, there were medals galore for our Dutch craftsmen and craftswomen. 7 gold and 1 silver medal for display technique, computer-controlled milling machines, mobile robotics, carpentry, cleaning and agricultural mechanization. It was a fantastic performance that received a great deal of media attention!

Another factor that's keeping us on our toes: the labor market of today is placing different requirements on people compared to, say, 10 years ago. Jobs are disappearing because of digitalization and globalization, but new jobs are also being created. The jobs that remain are the jobs where people make a difference. They make a difference by being creative, by collaborating or by crossing over to other sectors - just think of crossovers between healthcare and technology, for example. Education must therefore focus more sharply on those areas where people make a real difference. Areas where people devise, develop and create things that go beyond the capabilities of robots.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are aware that the labor market is calling for professionals with more and more skills and specific qualifications. The education sector has a key role to play in this regard - but we must take care not to forget the group of vulnerable young people who have difficulty learning or who are facing a tough time in their home environment. This is a real challenge: how can we raise the bar in education while ensuring that training programs will not become too difficult for some of our young people? Vocational education should also help vulnerable young people make their way in life toward a meaningful future.

First and foremost, I feel that we should not focus on their limitations, but on their potential. These youngsters may not be geniuses in math, or in writing letters, but they can become good craftsmen and women - if we are able to tap into their specific talents. This is not only a responsibility for the schools, but also for employers and municipalities. This is why I intend to pave the way for customized qualifications, tailored training programs, more and better guidance, orientation classes and bridging programs.

In any case: I am a fervent believer in the combination of adaptive vocational education and committed companies that are eager to work with vocational schools to foster modern and future-proof craftsmanship. I am convinced that vocational education will benefit enormously from close cooperation with trade and industry. When the education and business sectors work together, they are better able to respond quickly to opportunities and problems.

I have therefore instituted a number of measures that I would like to introduce to you now. I should also like to mention that these measures will only bear fruit if businesses also step in and invest in modern vocational education.

1. I intend to make education more responsive in cooperation with trade and industry.
   
   • The jobs of the future should be part of the educational programs of today.
   • Schools will have the scope to provide input.
   • They can expand their current programs with elective components, e.g. 3-D printing, robotics.
   • May be the start of permanent renewal of the basic program.
2. I intend to experiment with new training programs off the beaten track, by combining components taken from various qualifications.
   
   • Important role and responsibility for trade & industry.
   • If this results in innovative programs, then it will be the new trend.
   • Vocational education can respond even quicker to the labor market.
3. I intend to provide greater scope at all levels for cooperation between vocational schools and trade and industry.
   
   • Choice for vocational education more appealing due to 'combined learning track'.
   • This entails: first part of program in the classroom, second part in a company.
   • Companies tell us that this approach helps young people learn more on the shop floor, making them better prepared to enter the workforce.
   • More scope for tailored training by companies.
   • Transcends traditional fields of technology and craftsmanship: crossovers to improve the link with the labor market.
4. I have established a Vocational Education Regional Investment Fund to encourage intensive cooperation.
   
   • Educational institutions, business and regional governments work together to identify regional opportunities, and joint investment in state-of-the-art facilities.
   • This will ensure that graduates are well versed in the state of the art in their fields.
   • Highly successful: more than 300 companies, nearly 50 vocational schools and regional governments investing together: € 70 million this year alone.

And finally. A labor market that is rapidly changing requires resilient and agile technologists and craftspeople. We must not only teach students the knowledge and skills they will need for a specific job, but also ensure that they are prepared to learn new skills and gain new knowledge throughout their careers. This will ensure that they will remain in demand well into the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I shall now conclude.

At the beginning of my speech I referred to a labor market that is becoming more and more international. So you can imagine how thrilled I am with this international group that has come together here today to discuss vocational education. International questions require international answers, after all. Let us continue to work together to find these answers.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.