Netherlands: exploring new study visit concepts

The Netherlands as outlier

The 2024 Nuffic report Student mobility in Dutch VET from 2012 to 2022, on student mobility in the Netherlands reveals that, on average, VET students across the EU participating in Erasmus+ programmes stay abroad for 4.4 weeks. Dutch students are a significant outlier, with an average stay of nearly 10 weeks – more than twice as long as the European average.

Where to and why?

Nearly half (49%) of Dutch students going abroad for an internship study in the Food & green or Hospitality & tourism sectors, even though these sectors attract no more than 13% of all VET students. This is largely due to these industries’ strong international networks and long-standing tradition of organising internships abroad.

While VET students travel to various countries, Spain is the top destination, attracting 1 892 students in 2022, followed by Austria (646), Belgium (595), Germany (590), and Malta (521).  Spain’s popularity is due to its tourism industry, numerous internship opportunities in hospitality, and the growing availability of Spanish lessons in VET and high schools. The Mediterranean climate is undoubtedly an added draw.

New concept: digital nomads 

Traditionally, a stay abroad involves an internship or study trip but new alternatives are emerging. In spring 2024, two groups of 13 students from Yuverta, a VET school in the green sector, spent a month travelling through eastern Europe. They completed school assignments and digital lessons while visiting companies, NGOs, and participating in excursions. Pre-arranged collaborations with organisations like SOS Children’s Villages supported the trip, while students organised additional activities such as behind-the-scenes visits to a zoo and a Greek pizzeria kitchen.

Learning outside the classroom

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that learning does not require physical presence – a principle at the core of the Digital nomad programme. ‘We know that education of the future will look different. The programme explores new concepts of learning. Through this project we show that agility and responding to what students need is essential for learning. We show that learning can happen anywhere. This is a step towards a flexible and global education model’, said a student supervisor.

The students themselves played a key role in preparing the trip, organising an introductory programme, setting rules, selecting destinations, and booking tickets and hostels. They also held a parents’ evening to address questions. To apply, participants had to be of age and present their motives and ambitions. Student Sjoerd shared: ‘I made a 9-minute video about my plants – it took far longer than I expected, but I had so much to say!’

Sjoerd’s nomad experience overlapped with an internship at an ecological consultancy firm, which he had to pause. To balance both commitments, he completed relevant assignments during the trip. Students not on an internship had to complete a number of assignments en route, suggested by their teachers. All students attended classes at school online, maintaining strong communication with their teachers, provided they had a reliable internet connection.

During their trip, supervisors encouraged regular discussions on self-reflection to help students develop essential skills for working life, such as flexibility, perseverance, and self-reliance.

The Digital nomad programme combines professional orientation with personal growth, allowing students to learn in diverse physical and digital environments.

Read more

• Locatie Onafhankelijk Werk (n.d.). Revolutie in Onderwijs: Yuverta Digital Nomads [Revolution in Education: Yuverta Digital Nomads]. Retrieved from Locatie Onafhankelijk Werk.
• MBO Raad (May 9, 2024). Ambassadeursgala: onderwijstema Digital Nomads verlegt grenzen [Ambassadors’ Gala: Digital nomads education team pushes boundaries]. Retrieved from MBO Raad.
• Pronk C., A. Slappendel-Henschen (2024). Studentenmobiliteit in het mbo in de periode 2012-2022 [Student Mobility in Dutch VET from 2012-2022]. Nuffic.  
• Tilburg.com (February 15, 2024). Yuverta mbo lanceert project ‘Digital Nomads’ [Yuverta MBO launches ‘Digital nomads’ project]. Retrieved from Tilburg.com.
• Yuverta (n.d.). Yuverta Digital Nomads: een maand op reis zoder een les te missen! [Yuverta Digital nomads: a month of travel without missing a lesson!]. Retrieved from Yuverta.