Care education more popular than ever

In school year 2008/’09, the number of students in senior secondary vocational education (mbo) who successfully completed courses in nursing and care disciplines, and courses training for assistance in care and welfare topped 20 thousand for the first time. In addition, another 2.5 thousand students successfully completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing in higher professional education (hbo). According to these figures, these care-oriented disciplines are the most popular in vocational education.  

Care disciplines popular among girls in particular

In senior secondary vocational education (mbo), all care-oriented disciplines were in the top 5 most popular disciplines among girls who qualified in 2008/’09. Nursing was the fifth most popular discipline in higher professional education (hbo). The care-oriented disciplines attract few men on the other hand: 90 to 95 percent of students qualifying in this field are women.

Top 5 disciplines among female students qualifying in 2008/’09*

Most diplomas at lowest levels of mbo

In 2008/’09, most students qualifying for a care diploma in mbo had completed training for assistance in care and welfare. These are level 1 and 2 mbo courses, the lowest levels of mbo. Six out of ten students qualifying had completed the school-based track (bol) of mbo.

Conversely, nearly two-thirds of students qualifying in health and care at mbo level 3 had completed the apprenticeship-based track (bbl). In their exam year they were often in paid employment of a care institution, and went two school for one or two days a week.

Students qualifying in mbo care disciplines by track,  2008/’09*

Relatively many foreign students train as assistants

Ten percent of students receiving an hbo bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2008/’09 had a foreign background. In mbo training for assistance in care and welfare  this was 35 percent. By far most of these students had a non-western foreign background.

Students with a foreign background qualifying in care-oriented disciplines, 2008/’09*

Theo van Miltenburg