For the upcoming semester, CVO Gent has recorded a significant increase of over 20 percent in student enrollments. The current count stands at more than 11,300 students, compared to approximately 9,450 last year. Second-chance education programs have also seen a growth of about 20 percent.
CVO Gent is currently the largest provider of second-chance education in Ghent. The combination of a secondary education diploma with a specific vocational qualification is proving highly attractive to students. Consequently, CVO Gent is investing further in intensive programs that integrate general subjects with vocational training. This allows students in various courses to obtain both a vocational qualification and a certificate for general subjects within a single year.
The vocational training programs themselves are also experiencing strong growth. Enrollment numbers for truck drivers have risen by 66 percent, for electrical installers by nearly 50 percent, for sanitary installers by almost 50 percent, and for automotive by nearly 30 percent. Bicycle mechanics and welding are also seeing an upward trend. Several modules are now fully booked.
According to a spokesperson for the institution, they observe 'very different people, but often with the same ambition: to move forward again.' Young individuals aim to obtain their diploma, while others seek to retrain or learn a new profession. The combination of general education and a vocational qualification is considered particularly effective, as students leave not only with a diploma but also with concrete skills.
Additionally, there is a growing influx of adults who are reorienting themselves during their careers, partly within the framework of reintegration programs. For instance, enrollment in the medical administrative assistant program is rising sharply. Some of these students have prior experience in healthcare but can no longer practice their original profession for medical reasons. Through a new training program, they can transfer their acquired knowledge to a different role.
The institution emphasizes that one's future is not solely determined by the initial educational path. CVO Gent sees young people completing their diplomas and also individuals who completely reorient themselves after ten or twenty years of work. The fact that so many Ghent residents are consciously choosing these new opportunities today is considered particularly encouraging.
