Early school leavers with multiple problems still struggle to find a suitable place in the labour market

Young people without basic qualifications who face problems in multiple areas of life rarely find their way into the Dutch labour market independently. Unlike what happens now, they need broad support that is tailored to their stage of life. It is also necessary for us as a society to look at ‘merit’ differently. This is the conclusion reached by Maritza Gerritsen-Ververs in her PhD thesis Hoe kan ik naar mijn werk als het regent? (How can I get to work when it rains?), which she defended on 24 February at the University of Humanistic Studies.

In the Netherlands, every year, around 30,000 young people leave school or college without obtaining a basic qualification. A third of them have problems in at least two areas of life, such as mental health issues, learning difficulties or a lack of self-reliance. They also often lack a network of role models to support them as they grow up and catch them when things go wrong. How do they find their way into the labour market? What do they expect from (future) work and how are their experiences influenced by existing ideas about work and merit? Who helps them if they are unable to find a place in the labour market on their own?

These questions are central to the thesis How can I get to work when it rains? School-to-work transitions of young people without basic qualifications, with multiple problems, against the backdrop of a meritocracy and an activating welfare state by Maritza Gerritsen-Ververs. She spoke to both young people and professionals who support them.

Expectations

The lack of a basic qualification, combined with multiple problems, creates additional obstacles during the transition from school to work. As a result, these young people have fewer opportunities to develop employability skills and resilience, even though they need more time to do so. Due to employers’ strong focus on qualifications, young people feel that their qualities are not being recognised, resulting in a (threatened) loss of self-esteem. At the same time, their own expectations of future work are often unrealistically high and they develop strategies to protect their self-esteem.

Discussions with professionals make it clear that life-wide and life-stage-aware support is needed to provide these young people with optimal guidance. Life-wide support involves all areas of life affected by multiple problems, rather than focusing solely on work. Life-stage-aware support is in line with the development that young people go through during adolescence.

Merit

These young people want to, but cannot meet the demands of a meritocratic ideology, according to Gerritsen. That is why we as a society need to look at merit differently. Not everyone can win the meritocratic rat race, but everyone has something to contribute. She concludes her thesis with conclusions and recommendations on what is needed to enable these young people to make a sustainable contribution to the labour market and society.

Maritza Gerritsen-Ververs is a PhD candidate at the University of Humanistic Studies and a lecturer-researcher at Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences.

PhD defence Maritza Gerritsen-Ververs, 24 February 2026
Information: nieuws@uvh.nl, 06 19442989