Tthrough 2029 there is financial security committed Education route. This has Minister Van Gennip of Social Affairs and Employment op Budget Day announced in a letter to the House of Representatives. The standing committee vear SZW ging op Debate about this with the minister on September 27. The Education Route is part of it new integration system and is meant for status holders who want to prepare for a study (MBO, HBO, WO).
The financing of the Education Route had already been arranged until 2025. Now an amount of €88,9 million will be made available for the period of 2026 to 2029. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science also contributes to this.
'That is not only good for the newcomers themselves,
but also for society as a whole.'
Minister Van Gennip: 'I am very pleased with the government's commitment to financially safeguard the education route in the long term. This allows us to contribute to increasing the opportunities of young newcomers. This is not only good for the newcomers themselves, but also for society (and the labor market) as a whole.'
Since the introduction of the new integration system, there has been uncertainty about the financing of the Education Route in the long term. Together with the educational umbrella organizations (MBO Council, Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, Universities of the Netherlands) the UAF has repeatedly drawn attention to this. The UAF considers it a positive development that there is now financial security for the period up to and including 2029. For refugee students who will integrate in the coming years, for society and for everyone who tries to make the Education Route a success (municipalities and educational institutions first!).
There are also plenty of areas for improvement. The UAF is in daily contact with refugee students and professionals who are looking for a study or a job path. For example, these conversations provide insight into the 'empty places' on the map of the Netherlands: the Education Route has not yet been used everywhere and not at all educational levels. This means that some status holders do not have the opportunity to follow a trajectory that suits their talents. This makes it impossible for them to progress to regular education.
Furthermore, the UAF, like the educational umbrella organizations, believes that the implementation of the Education Route should be a public task. However, the minister has decided that this will not remain a public but a private matter for the time being, to give the system the opportunity to prove itself. As far as UAF is concerned, the possibility of still opting for the public education route after 2029 is a central question in the evaluation of the law.
The UAF will continue to represent the interests of these people for as long as necessary. Their talents should not be wasted.
See also:
https://www.uaf.nl/nieuws/onderwijskoepels-en-uaf-bezorgd-over-onderwijsroute-voor-inburgeraars/
https://www.uaf.nl/nieuws/update-inburgering-onderwijsroute/
Talent should not be wasted
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