After finishing their studies, it is important for students to be able to find a job in a sector that matches their degree. ISO therefore believes that study programmes and educational institutions should ensure good compatibility with the needs of the labour market, society or the scientific world. In this regard, it is important that students receive plenty of information about future prospects both before and during their studies.

During their studies students often get directly acquainted with the labour market by doing an internship. In 2022, ResearchNed conducted research on behalf of ISO into the state of affairs of internships in higher education. This report made clear that there is still much room for improvement in internships; for example, a large proportion of students do not receive an internship allowance, supervision of interns is often inadequate and a quarter of students feel that they are used as cheap labour. ISO believes that there should be a minimum internship compensation to make internships accessible to all students. In addition, we advocate an approach to internship abuse where students can discuss problems with their institution in a low-threshold manner. Here, it is also important that there is more supervision of internship problems and that students are better informed of their rights and obligations as interns. After all, if these rights and obligations are clear, problems can also be raised more quickly.