About MBO Utrecht

MBO Utrecht is a small-scale, interconfessional, educational, nonprofit institution that offers effective education focusing on the highest levels of vocational education and training (MBO, tertiary level). With approximately 500 employees, we offer more than 50 vocational courses to about 5,000 students in various fields of vocational education.

** For information about the Dutch education system

Flow chart Dutch education system

MBO Utrecht contributes to the education and growth of students into self-confident professionals. Students learn how to practice a profession, but we also invest in developing talent, work and entrepreneurial skills, social involvement, respect for each other, and citizenship. These choices are anchored in our mission and vision. The five spearheads of our organization are:

Ambitious education
Personal attention
Driven communities
Entrepreneurial collaboration
Learning teams

Ambitious education
By means of personal contact with our students and partners, we connect contemporary and high-quality education to developments in the area.

Personal attention
At MBO Utrecht, students can count on respect, personal attention and safety, because these values are anchored in our interconfessional identity. MBO Utrecht offers a small-scale learning and working environment so that students quickly feel involved and connected.

Driven communities
With us, you can be who you are and be really part of our community where valuable encounters take place and mutual differences are appreciated. Students and employees feel safe and experience they can mean something to others, to the neighborhood, and to the world around them.

Entrepreneurial collaboration
At MBO Utrecht, we work on developing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior of students. There is space and appreciation for new initiatives and ideas. Students can develop and gain practical experience, for example, in one of our own training companies, which are at the heart of society.

Learning teams
Within MBO Utrecht, teams form an inspiring learning environment for every employee, and learn from each other. Teams strive (not only for themselves, but also together) for continuous improvement of student performance and support processes.

MBO Utrecht Academies

MBO Utrecht consists of 11 academies and one entry-level course:

Economy and Business Academy – courses covering trade, commercial, financial, and judicial services
Technology Academy – for architecture and engineering students
Hospitality & Leisure Academy – courses in tourism and hospitality
Herman Brood Academy – courses for artists, managers, and stage technicians
Welfare Academy – focuses on a career in welfare, for example, social and educational work
MHBO Academy – courses preparing for optimum transfers to higher professional education (HBO)
ICT Academy – ICT and network management; programming applications and games
Event Academy – course for organizing corporate and cultural events
Utrecht and Gooi Care Academy – courses for nurses and caregivers, full time and part-time
Sports Academy Utrecht – courses on sports and movement

Location

MBO Utrecht has six locations in Utrecht, one in neighboring city Hilversum, and one location in Leerdam.

The best of two worlds aptly describes the Utrecht region. On the one hand, there is the relaxing outdoor Utrecht, with woods, rivers, and seemingly endless polder landscape. On the other, there is lively urban Utrecht, with bustling outdoor cafés, museums, and colorful festivals. It is easy to experience both in a single visit, because they are never more than 15 to 30 minutes apart. (Source: discover-utrecht.nl).

Utrecht is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the very center of The Netherlands and it had a population of 357,694 as of 2020. Utrecht’s ancient city center features many buildings and structures, several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages. It has been the religious center of the Netherlands since the 8th century. Utrecht is host to Utrecht University, the largest university in the Netherlands, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Due to its central position within the country, it is an important transport hub for both rail and road transport. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. (Source: energy-cities.eu/members/city-of-utrecht/).

Partnerships & Regional Cooperation MBO Utrecht

Collaborating with MBO Utrecht
MBO Utrecht is anchored in the Utrecht region. We continuously work with (government) organizations, companies, and other educational institutions to optimize our vocational education. The relationship with the professional field is essential to keep our education up-to-date and high-quality. We do this in various ways, in line with the dynamics of the professional field and our academies.

Twice a year, our academies link educational practice, internship companies and the professional field through work field committees. These semestral meetings focus on new academic and sector developments and the evaluation of examination. In addition, academies examine and analyze the possibilities of educational improvements and innovations and the professional field.

In-house internship companies MBO Utrecht

Wijksupport – part of the Welfare Academy in collaboration with regional education partner and the municipality of Utrecht
Eventlab – part of Event Academy
LOLA – part of Herman Brood Academy
U-Sport – part of Sports Academy

These apprenticeship companies offer students the opportunity to learn outside of their classrooms and gain experience in the working field. Simultaneously, contact and collaboration with clients from the field give an impulse to up-to-date education.

MBO Utrecht and Internationalization

MBO Utrecht is working on internationalization. We believe that experience abroad ensures a broader development of students and staff. That is why we stimulate and facilitate personal development beyond the borders of the Netherlands. Talent development is currently the main focus point of MBO Utrecht, and all its activities are developed around this theme. Utilizing talent development, both learners and staff get the chance of an international internship or job-shadowing experience. In this way, they can exceed their expectations and improve their quality performance.

Objectives Talent Development Europe:

enrich students’ and staffs’ knowledge, skills and competencies
increase chances at the (international) labor market
cultivate new teaching methods and create insights
improve language competencies of both students and staff
curriculum development/ improvement
(co)operating, learning and working in an international arena
raise intercultural awareness among students and staff
improve teamwork

MBO Utrecht’s strategy in order to obtain the above objectives is through international short-term study trips, long-term internships, job shadowing and incoming mobility of European experts.

MBO Utrecht has developed a sustainable collaboration with European partner schools in England, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, and Sweden, under the name “Talent Development Europe”. In addition, MBO Utrecht has partnerships with internship companies in other European countries such as Bulgaria, Malta, France and Spain. Grants awarded (Erasmus+) allow students and staff to reimburse part of their travel and accommodation costs. The number of grants is limited.

MBO Utrecht is enrolled in the international Erasmus+ KA2 project: FlexLearn.

Contact information MBO Utrecht

Would you like to know more about international possibilities at MBO Utrecht or collaboration? Please contact our International Office, see details below.

Australiëlaan 23
Postbus 7031
3502 KA Utrecht

info@mboutrecht.nl
+31 302815100

International Office MBO Utrecht
internationaal@mboutrecht.nl

Hetty Beekman
h.beekman@mboutrecht.nl
+316 53617185

Michèle Josemans
m.josemans@mboutrecht.nl
+316 54922009