Netherlands: career opportunities for VET graduates at Dutch central government

VET Pilot trainee programme at ministries

In November 2025, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, together with two other ministries, developed a two-year paid traineeship exclusively for graduates of VET programmes. By bringing VET graduates’ practical knowledge, experience and perspectives into central government, the ministries aim to enhance the quality of policymaking. At the same time, the programme offers VET graduates access to career opportunities in a way that was previously only open to HE graduates. 

Trainees are assigned to Ministerial departments for policymaking, finance or communication. Their work may focus on areas including education quality, democratic participation or affordable housing. During the traineeship, trainees may perform tasks such as:

• conducting interviews with stakeholders;
• assisting in preparing debates or in answering parliamentary questions;
• organising meetings and events;
• contributing to communication materials such as newsletters and infographics.

Over the two-year programme, they work in three different departments, supported by continuous personal guidance, allowing trainees to discover what they like and which skills they want to develop.

In total, 10 traineeships are available in this pilot. Trainees are employed for 32 or 36 hours per week and receive a salary. After successful completion, they may continue working within the ministry. Eligibility is limited to graduates who completed an EQF level 4 VET programme within the past four years.

Municipalities preceded the national government

While recruiting VET graduates is new for central government, Dutch municipalities have already gained experience. Between 2022 and 2024, the Municipality of Amsterdam for instance piloted a two-year trainee programme in fields such as ICT, project support and procurement.

The pilot demonstrated clear demand for VET trainees within municipal departments, driven both by practical workforce needs and broader considerations of social responsibility. To encourage departmental participation, a funding allocation mechanism was proposed to make hosting traineeships more attractive.

Tailored approaches for VET graduates

Municipal pilots highlighted the need for tailored traineeship models, aligning departmental skill needs with individual VET graduates’ capabilities. Discussions with education providers showed that mentoring VET graduates can be resource-intensive and requires dedicated support structures.

Interviews with VET graduates conducted during the pilot preparation revealed that many feel pressure to continue their studies. While EQF level 5 graduates generally earn higher wages, this pressure is also driven by employer preferences for university of applied sciences-level approaches, even when such qualifications are not strictly required.

In this context, traineeships are welcomed as a pathway for graduates who do not wish, or are unable, to pursue further studies but who nevertheless want to continue developing their skills.

Another insight from the pilot concerns the broader appreciation of VET. Stakeholders noted that labour shortages are increasingly concentrated in VET-level occupations. Reflections within the Municipality of Amsterdam questioned whether VET graduates are sufficiently valued, whether requirements are set too high, and whether VET skills could be better recognised and more widely utilised within public administrations.

Read more:

• Rijksoverheid. (n.d.). MBO traineeprogramma bij de Rijksoverheid | Traineeships | Rijksoverheid - Werken voor Nederland [Trainee programme for VET graduates at central government]
• Ministerie van OCW. (2025). Nieuw bij OCW: traineeprogramma speciaal voor mbo’ers | Nieuwsbrieven Ministerie van OCW [New at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science: a trainee programme especially for VET graduates]
• Werf& (2024). Solliciteren voor traineeship: geen brief & cv, maar gamen (inzending Gemeente Amsterdam) [Applying for a traineeship: no cover letter or CV, just gaming (submission by the Municipality of Amsterdam)]
• AENO. (2023). Eindevaluatie subsidie MBO traineeship [Final evaluation VET traineeship subsidy scheme]
• Municipality of Amsterdam (n.d.). Pilot MBO traineeship maatwerk (Pilot tailored VET traineeship)