From September 2009 to January 2010 the Municipality of The Hague and ROC Mondriaan will start 22 different projects in the area of adult education. The additional educational courses should offer some prospects to people who find that they have insufficient education in light of the economic downturn.
A lack of education is making this group extra vulnerable on the job market. The municipal projects should offer greater chances for job seekers, employees, entrepreneurs and MBO (Secondary Vocational Education) students.
In addition, the municipality would like these provisional courses to encourage residents to return to the classroom. The municipality has appropriated € 9.4 million for the projects.
Deputy Mayor Sander Dekker (Education, Youth and Sport): ‘If you can’t get a job, it’s important to increase your chances. Throwing in the towel is not a solution. If you invest in yourself today, you can reap the benefits tomorrow. These new training courses should help make this possible.’
By reducing educational arrears among job seekers, the municipality anticipates that they will be able to find a job more quickly. Employees who lose their job can be placed in another position within the company more easily through education. To reinforce the position of MBO students when they enter the job market in the near future, the municipality is investing strongly in language and maths training.
The Hague is struggling with a surplus of (potential) employees at the bottom of the job market. It is expected that there will be fewer unskilled jobs in the coming years, making this extra stimulus in adult education important.