Better opportunities on the job market with a starter qualification

Six in ten young people who were no longer in school in 2004 had a starter qualification. This means they graduated from secondary vocational training at the very least. In 2004 unemployment among young people without a starter qualification was 17 percent. Among young people with a starter qualification the unemployment rate was 10 percent.

A quarter of a million young people without a starter qualification

In 2004 there were 1.9 million people aged 15-24 in the Netherlands. Over two thirds were still in school. And there were 626 thousand young people who were no longer in school, of whom 60 percent had a starter qualification. The rest, 251 thousand young people, left school without graduating at the secondary vocational level, minimum. Despite this, most of them went to look for a job.

Often better paid work with a starter qualification

Young people are more successful on the job market when they have a starter qualification. In 2004 about 84 percent of young people with a starter qualification had a paid job. Among young people without a starter qualification this was only 67 percent.

Young people without a starter qualification were more often not active on the job market. No less then 19 percent were not part of the labour force, versus just over 7 percent of the young people with a starter qualification.

Young people outside education by starter qualification, 2004

Almost two thirds of the young people without a starter qualification have never taken part in education that leads to the qualification. The other one third mainly never finished the education leading to a starter qualification.

High unemployment rate among young people without a starter qualification

In 2004 about 17 percent of young people without a starter qualification was unemployed. Among young people with a starter qualification, unemployment was considerably lower at almost 10 percent.

Unemployment among young people outside education

In 2001 the differences still were considerably greater. The unemployment rate among young people without a starter qualification was 10 percent then versus 3.5 percent among young people with a starter qualification. That was nearly three times the rate. Because the unemployment rate among young people with a starter qualification was relatively low in 2001, the worsening job market led to a rise in  unemployment among this group in particular.

Ingrid Beckers and Tanja Traag