Work and education
In order to integrate quickly, it is important that you participate in our society. This can be done by learning the language, working or school.
The Newcomers Bureau (Bureau Nieuwkomers) helps you and your family with this. Choose below what you want more information about.
Education
In the Netherlands, children and adults can go to school and obtain diplomas. For children under the age of 16 it is compulsory to attend school. After that, further learning is usually voluntary. There are different ways for young and adult newcomers to obtain diplomas.
Children in the Netherlands first go to primary school and then to secondary school. If you are a newcomer and have children, they can go to the preschool or to the International Transition Class (ISK).
The Preschool
Children aged two to four can attend the preschool. There, they are prepared for primary school and learn the language. Even if you have a residence permit, you can bring your children to the preschool. You needa special declaration for this. At the child health clinic, you can obtain a VVE-declaration. Your integration director can help you with this. VVE means pre-school or early childhood education.
The International Transition Class
If your children are older than 4 and younger than 18, they may attend an international transition class (ISK). Here, they learn the language and are prepared for regular education. As soon as it is possible, your children will attend regular schools.
The primary school
Children who are four years old go to primary school. There are eight groups. From grade 3, children learn to read, write and count. After grade 8, children go to secondary school. The teacher will give an advice on your child's school level.
Secondary school
There are four types of secondary schools: practical education, VMBO, HAVO and VWO. In grade eight, the teacher advises on the school a child will attend. The secondary school usually follows that advice. Children can complete practical education and VMBO in four years. At the HAVO, children can take their exams after five years, at the VWO after six years. Afterwards, they can choose a further education. On this page, you can read more about education for adults.
After secondary school your children can go on to further education: MBO, HBO or university. You can also do such a course yourself. Together with the integration director you can look at whether it is necessary to do an additional course.
MBO
At the MBO, you learn a profession in four years. Sometimes, you can do an integration course at the same time as your MBO course. If you did not get your secondary school diploma in the Netherlands, you willhave to do an entrance exam. This exam is the State Exam NT2-1.
HBO and university
To be able to go to the HBO or university, you also have to take an entrance exam. For all Dutch language studies, this is the State Exam NT2-II. For English language studies, this is the IELTS or TOEFL exam.
Value of diplomas
For these studies, you must also have prior education. That is why it is smart to show the diplomas you already have to the International Diploma Valuation. They look at what your diplomas are worth in the Netherlands. The institution where you are going to study will look at that rating. They determine whether you can follow the course and whether you might be exempted. This means that you may not have to do some courses. If your diploma does not allow you to follow the course, you may be able to do a transition year. At the UAF you can find more information about this.
Do you have questions about adult education? Your integration director can help you with this. You can also contact the learning & working office of the municipality of Arnhem.
Study financing
In the Netherlands you receive and/or borrow funding to study. We call this study financing. If you are between 18 and 30 years old and you are in education or training then you are usually entitled to this. Your integration director can tell you more about this. The organisation that provides study financing is DUO, the Education Executive Agency. You can find more information about study financing on their website. If you do not receive study financing from DUO, the UAF may be able to help you . This is a foundation that helps studying refugees.
Do you want to continue studying and do you have questions about it? Your integration director can also help you .
Working in the Netherlands
We will help you to get back to work as soon as possible. Because if you work you earn your your own money, you learn the language faster and you learn Dutch well. And then you will feel at home more quickly. By law, you must also work. Only if it is really not possible, you do not need to work.
Work and income
If you have only just arrived in the Netherlands, you will receive a benefit from the municipality. We call this welfare. This welfare is temporary. When you have found paid work, the benefit will stop. If you do paid work, you will be paid a salary. With that money you can provide for yourself and for your family. You can then save, buy a car or apply for a mortgage, for example. More importantly, if you work , you will integrate faster into society. On this page you will learn more about income, money and administration.
Before you can look for paid work, you must become fit for work. This means that you are ready to work somewhere. Your integration director will help you with this.
Suitable work
With your integration director, you will look for a trainee post or for voluntary work. This is where you will gain experience. You will learn about working in the Netherlands. You will get to know the Dutch culture. This experience is important when you start looking for paid work. If you apply for paid work, you will be asked questions about your experience.
Fit for work
The goal is to be fit for work after a maximum of three years. You will then be ready to start working somewhere. From then on, the director of Work & Income of the municipality will help you look for a job.
If you are fit for work, you along with the director of Work & Income will look for work. You create a CV and reply to vacancies.
Your CV
Together with the director, you create a CV, a curriculum vitae. It tells you what diplomas you have and what work you have done before. It also contains other personal information.
Searching for vacancies
If you have a CV, you can reply to job adverts. These are what we call vacancies. which can be replied to, for example, in the Arnhem Werkt-app, an app that allows you to find vacancies in and around Arnhem. Here you can find more information about this app. There are also many other websites where vacancies are posted. Your director will help you find the right vacancies.
Applying
If you have found a good vacancy, you can apply. This means sending an e-mail telling why you can and want to do the job. Your integration director can help you with this. If the company thinks it is a good letter, they will invite you for an interview. After that interview, they will decide whether you can join the company.
What is the Participation Act?
The Participation Act is an important law for newcomers. Participating means joining in. The Participation Act says that everyone living in the Netherlands must do their best to work. If you receive a benefit and you can work, you should also look for work. That is what this law says. Your benefit is therefore temporary. Only if you are ill, if you have physical or psychological problems, you do not always have to go to work or look for work. The municipality will determine this for you.
The Participation Act also states that you must learn the language. To keep your benefit, you must therefore do your best to learn Dutch well. This is also part of your integration. If you have any other questions about it, your integration director can also help you .