HBO Graduates Continue to Grow: AI Is Changing the Workplace, and Learning Remains Important
Four to eight years after graduation, higher vocational education graduates are in a stronger position in the labor market in various respects. At the same time, AI is part of the job for many graduates, and higher vocational education graduates continue to develop their skills through educational programs, courses, and training. This is evident from new research by Maastricht University’s Research Center for Education and the Labor Market (ROA), based on the HBO-Monitor.
Unemployment among higher vocational education graduates drops from 3.2 percent about a year and a half after graduation to 2.3 percent four to eight years after graduation. Graduates are also more likely to have a permanent contract later on, are more likely to hold a managerial position, and are less likely to work below their educational level.
AI Primarily Changes Existing Work Tasks
More than six in ten working associate’s degree graduates use AI at least once a week.
“The discussion about AI often centers on whether jobs will disappear or be created. Our research shows what is happening within the work itself. For 28 percent of AI users, existing tasks have changed, while for 15 percent, new tasks have been added, and for 7 percent, tasks have disappeared. So it’s mainly about tasks that are changing in nature, such as writing and analyzing texts and information, and programming. In addition, new tasks are emerging related to the application, implementation, and monitoring of AI. This gives us a more concrete picture of how AI is changing the work of higher vocational education graduates,” says Barbara Belfi, project leader of the HBO-Monitor at ROA.
The picture varies by occupation. Changes to existing tasks are reported relatively frequently in commercial, artistic, management, and teaching occupations, while new tasks are mentioned relatively frequently in technical occupations. Because the study focuses on working graduates of higher professional education, no conclusions can be drawn about the impact of AI on the total number of jobs or employment.
Women Use AI Less Often
Women use AI less often than men and, on average, rate AI less positively. Among recent graduates, women are 12.9 percentage points less likely than men to use AI daily or weekly; four to eight years after graduation, this difference is 5.5 percentage points.
Learning Continues After Graduation
More than four in ten higher professional education (HBO) graduates enrolled in formal continuing education in the first four to eight years after graduation, and 64 percent of this group participated in non-formal training, such as courses and workshops. Key reasons include expanding knowledge and skills, enhancing employability, and improving practical application in the workplace.