Education

How to better align education with job markets?

What studies should prospective students choose? What subjects should educational programmes focus on? How can companies recruit better skilled employees? In aligning education programmes with job markets, it is important to assess the interests of all stakeholders. All stakeholders benefit from having acccurate information regarding demand, supply, wages, and other labour market outcomes. SEO therefore specialises in providing such information along with in-depth data analysis over extended periods. For example, we annually produce a report for the Netherlands called ‘Study & Work’, a comprehensive study tracking the graduates of vocational, higher vocational, and university education. We also assess the causes of persistent mismatches between education and the job market, and develop actionable recommendations to reduce them.

How to improve the market for educators?

How do teacher salaries in education compare with those in the private sector, and how does this impact the attractiveness of the profession? Which aspects of professional development programmes and subsidy schemes have effectively addressed teacher shortages and improved education? Teacher salaries have frequently been the focus of our research in recent years. For instance, we have compared wages between education and the private sector and have examined the evolution of job roles. In addition, we specialise in researching teacher training, including through professional development programmes. Our evaluations of subsidy schemes provide insights into alternative education methods, their effectiveness, and influencing factors. Based on our research, we aim to contribute to effective solutions for issues such as teacher shortages.

How efficient are degree programmes offered by vocational and higher education institutions?

The concept of macroeconomic efficiency is relevant for vocational and higher education institutions initiating new degree programmes. Moreover, understanding macroeconomic efficiency is valuable for evaluating existing course offerings. SEO frequently assists educational institutions in the Netherlands in assessing the macroeconomic efficiency of their programmes, based on microdata from Statistics Netherlands. Examples include our research on graduates of the Faculty of Law at the University of Amsterdam, labour market demand for the Law & Finance master’s programme, and studies among graduates of professional master’s programmes.