The vocational training pathway.

What does your child learn in a BOL program? How is the time divided between school and internship? And what else do you need to know? Here you find answers to these important questions for mbo students.

Study load

A BOL program takes your child at least 1600 hours per year. These hours are divided between lessons and internship hours. This is set by the law on education for vocational training.

Guided school hours

The biggest part of the hours in the BOL program your child spends at school. The hours at school are officially called guided school hours. These are the hours your child spends at school for lessons and projects. How many hours exactly depends on the program:

• Entry-level program: minimum 600 hours
• One-year mbo 2 or mbo 4 specialist program: minimum 700 hours per year
• Two-year mbo 2 or mbo 3 program: minimum 1250 hours total, with at least 700 in the first year
• Three-year mbo 3 or mbo 4 program: minimum 1800 hours total, with at least 700 in the first year
• Four-year mbo 4 program: minimum 2400 hours total, with at least 700 in the first year

Internship hours

Your child also does a minimum number of internship hours. The internship hours are officially called vocational practice training. During these hours your child meets the work practice and learns to use school knowledge in a work setting. Here the minimum also depends on the length of the program:

• One-year mbo 2 or mbo 4 specialist program: minimum 250 hours per year
• Two-year mbo 2 or mbo 3 program: minimum 450 hours total
• Three-year mbo 3 or mbo 4 program: minimum 900 hours total
• Four-year mbo 4 program: minimum 1200 hours total

Choice

Why would your child choose a BOL program? The advantage of a BOL program is that it focuses on theory. The student gets a good theoretical base that helps a lot later in the job. The student also gets practical experience at an organization of choice. A BOL program is especially good if your child wants depth and also wants to get work experience.

Study funding

Students in a BOL program go to school five days a week. Your child can sometimes travel for free with a public transport card. From age eighteen your child probably also has right to study funding.

Switching

What if your child made the wrong choice? And still wants to switch to a BBL course? That can happen, but it may affect the training company. In some cases, the student can keep working at the training company. Usually, it is possible to switch to the BBL option after consulting the trainer. Ask about this at the mbo school.