About Colo

The Netherlands have seventeen Centres of Expertise each organised around one industry sector. Together with companies and schools, they are responsible for senior secondary vocational education and training. Colo is the association that represents the Centres of Expertise on a regional, national and international level.

• Centres of Expertise bring education and labour market together
• Centres of Expertise perform legal tasks in areas of the development and maintenance of the qualification structure and accreditation of work placement companies
• Centres of Expertise are managed by industry stakeholders and representatives from education.
• Centres of Expertise are private non-profit bodies that receive annual subsidies from the Ministries of Education and Agriculture.

The Netherlands: Colo’s Mission

Colo and its members, the Centres of Expertise, bring together companies, labour market, and vocational education and training for over 40 branches. Centres of Expertise act on regional ,national and international level as strategic partners for ministries, municipalities, social partners and and vocational education and training institutions. Along with this, Colo carries out a number of specific European and international policies to promote a coherent approach to skills provision.

Labour market developments

• Quarterly Colo Barometer with information on the latest changes in the availability of practice placements and on the job training for VET-students, sorted regionally by sector.

Qualifications structure

• Development of occupational standards, bridging the gap between vocational education and labour market demands. Linking pin to the European Qualifications Framework EQF.

Practice placements

• Ensure the availability of practice placements, offering solutions for observed shortages.

Examination and accreditation of prior learning

• Provision of standardised exam products and services for practical examination and assessment, including APL.

Vocational guidance

• Supply of career and occupational information

National Reference Point (NRP)

• National Reference Point Netherlands is part of a European network of NRPs, aimed at increasing the transparency of national qualifications and improving labour and study mobility within the European Union. Through this web portal, employers and educational institutes in the Netherlands and abroad get a better impression of what the Dutch vocational education and training system entails.

Europass

• Colo is a member of the Dutch Europass consortium. Europass is a mobility tool. It consists of five documents which help to show skills and competences in a clear and unambiguous way. The basis of Europass is the Curriculum Vitae which can be supplemented with documents relating to language skills, international work placements and qualifications.

Contact

For more information on Colo, please see the following links:

Website: www.colo.nl

E-mail: Contact Details