Knowledge Centre for Vocational  Training and Labour Market

The Knowledge Centre carries out independent and scientific policy research in the field of vocational education and training (VET) and the labour market.The Centre usually works on a project basis for various governmental and private organisations in the Netherlands as well as abroad. These include:

• National level Government Departments, such as the Department of Education, Culture and Sciences, the Department of Social Affaires and Employment, the - Department of Economic Affairs
• National level bodies, such as the National Organisation for Labour Market Research,
• Provinces and Communities
• Employers' organisations, Trade Unions and Social Partners led Foundations which aim at improving sectoral level labour markets
• Secondary and tertiary level schools / institutions for Vocational Education and Training
• European organisations, i.e. the European Commission, Cedefop, and the Euregions

Researchers in the Knowledge Centre make use of a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The main research themes include:

• Trends in the Dutch vocational qualification structure
• Life Long Learning and Individual Learning Accounts
• Job / function related competency profiles
• Custom made VET courses
• Effective local and regional cooperation: ‘the learning region’
• Recognition of Prior Learning
• Links between lower, intermediate / secondary and third / tertiary level of VET
• Work experience as part of VET courses
• Success rates of VET courses
• (Re)Integration into the labour market of the (long term) unemployed
• Prevention of early school leaving
• Transnational cooperation within Euregions
• International comparative studies

The Knowledge Centre for Vocational Education & Labour Market, is an initiative of former researchers of the Institute for Applied Social Sciences of Nijmegen University. At the moment the Knowledge Centre employs 13  researchers.