The upside and downside of the ‘initial qualification’: towards a basic baggage of competences for everyone

An initital qualification for everyone has been regarded for some time in the Netherlands as a key policy principle. In essence, it is a matter of as many people as possible acquiring competences which are the minimum requirement to enable them to enter the labour market and hold their own there. The policy effort towards an initial qualification for everyone has undeniably had a significant catalytic function in recent years, and continues to do so. But might it also be the case that this concept is interpreted too rigidly? A first balance sheet is drawn up in this article by analysing the value and significance of the initial qualification for everyone.