ROA is looking for PhD Candidates

PhD Candidates on Addressing Skill Imbalances in VET Occupations

Are you an economist, sociologist, social or data scientist who recently graduated or is about to graduate? Are you passionate about academic research that helps us understand how to keep Vocational Education and Training (VET) responsive to labour market demands? Then we have the right vacancy for you!

In Germany and the Netherlands vocational education and training (VET) plays a pivotal role in preparing students for careers that are essential to our society and labour market. From the energy transition to healthcare and housing, VET graduates are at the heart of major societal challenges. At the same time, labour shortages remain high, and demand for VET skills continues to grow — varying across regions and sectors.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to research that helps better understand these dynamics. You will be based at the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) within the School of Business and Economics (SBE), and collaborate closely with the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany. Together, you will explore how education systems and labour markets can better align.

We are recruiting for two PhD candidates for projects on the following topics:

1. Firm-level VET demand and matching processes
2. Regional images, mobility perceptions, and VET outcomes

View our full job posting here.