U-Match

The current labor market faces significant shortages in many sectors, while there remains a largely untapped potential among refugees. The municipality of Utrecht, in collaboration with University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, views dual training programs—where acquiring specific vocational knowledge and gaining essential practical experience are integrated with language learning and civic integration programs—as the key to structurally addressing these labor market shortages. At the same time, these work-study programs aim to guide these newcomers more effectively and rapidly toward sustainable employment.

Based on previous experiences, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht has developed guidelines to sustainably embed work-study programs for refugees and enable their scalability (De Bell & Bakker, 2022). Using this methodological approach, three dual programs are being developed in different sectors within the Utrecht region, in collaboration with employers, the municipality of Utrecht, language schools, and training providers. Through action research, researchers from University of Applied Sciences Utrecht will support, monitor, and further develop these programs.

The goal of U-Match is to develop three new and sustainable work-study programs for refugees in the Utrecht region, focusing on sectors that are facing structural labor shortages. The ambition is to eventually offer a broad, structural and scalable range of work-study programs in shortage sectors to a large group of newcomers.

These interventions lead to improved implementation and execution of dual training programs, and result in (among other things):

Increased participation of civic integration participants in dual programs

Time savings for participants through the combination of language learning and work

Better preparation of participants for the local labor market

Sustainable placements that lead to paid employment for participants

A shorter duration of reliance on social assistance

Faster and more effective integration and participation in society

A sustainable and improved collaboration between employers and the municipality

01 June 2023 - 29 May 2026

Based on previous experiences, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht has developed tools to sustainably embed work-study programs for refugees and enable their scaling. The success of such a program requires a clear, shared objective in which the roles and common interests of all involved parties are well-defined, a joint investment in commitment, time, and resources, and a flexible and continuous learning process that allows for adjustments along the way if needed.