The Craftsmanship Agenda responds to changes in the labor market. Limburg, like the rest of the Netherlands, has a growing need for skilled, care, and technological personnel. To address this, significant investments are being made in Lifelong Learning (LLL): everyone will have easier access to retraining and upskilling to continuously develop. This makes the region more attractive for entrepreneurs and helps residents remain economically resilient in a rapidly changing society.
Flexible and well-trained professionals
Both the coalition agreement ‘Every Limburg Counts’ and the provincial policy framework ‘Working towards a future-proof economy’ recognize the importance of vocational education and craftsmanship. “The future of Limburg requires flexible and well-trained professionals,” adds deputy Elianne Demollin-Schneiders (Education & Labor Market). “With targeted investments within the Craftsmanship Agenda, we create a stronger infrastructure for the development and guidance of students, workers, job seekers, and new Limburgers into the labor market.”
The first series of projects focuses on three themes:
- Lifelong Learning (LLL): this promotes permanent retraining and upskilling for workers and job seekers through innovation in the vocational education landscape.
- Enhancing inflow and throughput: better guidance for young people in their study choices, so they can make more informed decisions about future-proof sectors.
- Support for vulnerable groups: through practical statements and customized trajectories, people distanced from education or the labor market receive extra help in finding suitable work.
An important element of the Craftsmanship Agenda is the intensive collaboration between the Province and the three Limburg vocational education institutions (Gilde Opleidingen, Vista College, and Yuverta). The knowledge and experience of these partners ensure that vocational training optimally meets the needs of the Limburg labor market.
New knowledge and skills
“We are proud that with the Craftsmanship Agenda vocational education 2030, we not only receive extra attention for vocational education but also the resources to invest in the training and professionals of tomorrow. The labor market is changing rapidly, and this constantly requires new knowledge and skills. Thanks to this provincial investment, we can further innovate our practical education and continue to provide the region with well-trained personnel ready for a future in the labor market and society,” says chairman Peter Thuis of Gilde Opleidingen.
Second series of projects
A second series of projects is planned for mid-2026, including three collaborative projects with the business community where vocational education focuses on national and European resources for extra impact.
The Craftsmanship Agenda vocational education is an implementation agenda established in 2021 by the three vocational education institutions Gilde Opleidingen, Vista College, and Yuverta, in which they collaborate with partners including the Province of Limburg. This agenda aims to strengthen the importance of craftsmanship - that is, well-trained professionals - in the Limburg economy. The agenda has emerged in response to the pressing shortages of (technical) skilled personnel and the importance of lifelong learning. It fits within broader national and regional initiatives concerning the labor market, education, and economy.
