Enhancement of labour market-oriented education 

Labour market-oriented education is being strengthened, including through closer cooperation with the labour market actors. Since 1 September 2025, all secondary education has been reformed, including by strengthening the integration of learning and working trajectories. As a result, dual learning pathways are now fully aligned with full-time school-based VET. This creates opportunities to expand the provision of dual learning. Further research is being conducted on how to better support dual learning, expand and sustain its provision, and improve its social standing and appreciation with the public. On 18 July 2025, the action plan on dual learning was launched. This plan provides concrete tools to remove barriers for schools and companies to engage in dual learning. 

Organisations that engage in strengthening the link between education and the labour market are being actively supported and monitored. They are due to encourage the choice of labour market-oriented study programmes and teach young people to work with specific techniques, equipment and applications in real working environments. Additional funding is being provided for these study programmes, also in view of reducing costs for pupils following vocational tracks that require more expensive equipment. At the same time, the government is aiming at deploying these resources more effectively to strengthen labour market-oriented education and to encourage young people to make a more informed and positive choice for practice-based education. In addition, it is being assessed how additional funding effectively contributes to lowering school costs and how these costs can be made more transparent. 

Strengthening Technical, Artistic, and Vocational Education 

Technical and vocational education are being strengthened, in part by fostering closer collaboration between schools and the labour market. From 1 September 2025, the entire secondary education system has been modernised, including the integration of learning and work. This is particularly significant for dual learning, as the pathways are now fully aligned with those in full-time, non-dual education. This gives schools the opportunity to expand their offer in this area.

Education and Training Flanders is exploring ways to further support, broaden and sustain dual learning provision, as well as strategies to enhance its public image. In this context, the Flemish Government published the Dual Learning Action Plan on 18 July 2025, designed to provide concrete tools for tackling the structural obstacles currently faced by schools and businesses in organising dual learning.

The government monitors organisations that strengthen the link between education and the labour market. These bodies focus specifically on improving study choices in technical and vocational pathways, and on training young people to work with specialised techniques, equipment and applications in real workplace settings. Education and Training Flanders is also allocating additional funding to technical, arts and vocational secondary education — partly to reduce costs for pupils. Research is also being conducted into how this funding can be used to reinforce vocational and technical education in Flanders, ensuring young people are empowered to make a positive and informed choice for a practice-oriented pathway.

To keep costs under control, Education and Training Flanders is also reviewing how extra resources for technical, vocational and arts education can be deployed, particularly in the most expensive study areas for pupils. The aim is to ensure that the funding genuinely helps lower the cost of schooling.