Should I choose vocational education or higher professional education? Would a practical vocational study programme suit me better? Can I go from preparatory secondary vocational education to senior general secondary education and then on to higher professional education? Or would it be smarter to move from vocational education to higher professional education? These are questions that many young people ask themselves when making a choice of study. Yonder and Fontys are now working closely together on a new mhbo program to make the transition from mbo to hbo smoother. This creates opportunities and flexibility in a choice of study and pathways, allowing students to choose what really suits them best at that moment.
Smoother transition to higher professional education
The transition from vocational education to higher professional education can be challenging. That is why vocational students can opt for the mhbo pathway. It is also a solution for senior general secondary education students: they can first start with a vocational study programme and then, via the mhbo, make the transition to higher professional education. This makes the transition easier, boosts self-confidence, and becomes an important link in a flexible learning path with a greater chance of academic success and a year's time saved. Because via this pathway, you can obtain both an MBO and HBO diploma in the same or even less time!
How the mhbo pathway works in practice
MBO students follow their regular MBO study programme at Yonder for the first two years. In the third year, they can opt for the mhbo year. “For example, students attend courses at Fontys one day a week. This gives them the opportunity to get used to the HBO environment without making the full transition right away,” explains Lieke Buiks of Fontys. If students demonstrate in that third year that they have mastered the required skills, they can enroll in the second year of the HBO study programme after completing the three-year MBO study programme. This gives them an entire academic year's advantage over the regular route. “And what it offers above all,” adds Mark de Jong of Yonder, "is a route that better suits the learning style and ambitions of a large group of students, personalized to the development that suits them. If the student then decides not to pursue a higher professional education diploma, they will still obtain a valuable vocational education diploma in a labor market that is eager for practically trained talent who know how to get things done.
Cutting through the fence
We are starting with the development of a joint mhbo program for the ICT, Communication, and Commerce study programmes in Tilburg. Students of these level 4 mbo study programmes can use the mhbo program to make a smooth transition to the hbo study programmes in ICT, the Associate degree in ICT, Communication, or Commercial Economics. The start of the program's development was marked by a symbolic moment: the figurative sawing through of the fence that separates the Fontys and Yonder campuses at Stappegoor. A nod to the future, when those fences will truly disappear and students from both institutions will be able to collaborate and meet more easily.
The program will be further developed over the coming year. If everything goes according to plan, the first students will be able to start the mhbo year in September 2026.
Also important for the region
The collaboration is not only relevant for education, but also for the regional labor market. The demand for well-trained ICT, commercial, and communication professionals remains high, particularly in the fields of AI, data, and software development. With a smoother advancement and shorter study time, young professionals will be able to find their way into the work field sooner.
Source: fontys.nl/nieuws