Discover MBO Meppel
AOC Terra is an Agricultural Education Centre (AOC) of almost 6000 students and offers land based education. Land based education is divided into prevocational (vmbo), senior secondary vocational (mbo) and higher vocational studies (hbo). AOC Terra offers vmbo and mbo.
  The vmbo course provides general training, primarily using plants and animals to provide students with a fertile, motivational learning environment. The mbo course includes areas of study such as food technology, landscape management, horse management, flowers and design, (paraveterinary) animal care, sport and recreation, care and the environment and (agricultural) technology. Green training is increasingly being combined with non-green sectors, e.g. for jobs on ‘community care’ farms or in green retail. AOCs also provide course and contract education, as well as ‘EVC’ certification routes that provide recognition of acquired competencies. All green training involves a lot of practical work in co-operation with the green businesses in the area. Students generally find jobs quickly once their vocational training is complete.

The green sector is important for the Netherlands. It is one of the top five countries in the world in terms of agricultural product exports. The expertise to be found in the Netherlands is also among the best in the world. The AOCs play a key role in exporting this expertise; most AOCs maintain active contact with countries all over the world. AOCs have long been running foreign exchange programmes for their students.
  An increasing focus on nature, the environment and (the origins of) our food is helping the green sector to blossom as never before. Well-trained workers are an absolute must. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is responsible for determining the content of green education.

The AOCs are subject to the regulatory framework of the Dutch education system. The AOCs have a total of 76 vmbo establishments, plus a further 33 comprehensive schools that offer vmbo-green training. There has been strong growth in the uptake of vmbo-green since 2000.
  The strength of this type of training is in the broad range of study areas it offers, combined with a motivational green environment. Around 35,000 students are currently enrolled on vmbo-green courses. Students can learn about technology, care work and economics in an inspirational environment centred around plants and animals. On top of the basic foundation, they can choose to branch out into (agricultural) technology or economics, flower arranging, animal husbandry and care, green spaces, plant cultivation and food technology. An inter-sector programme is also available; this allows students to study a combination of all areas. Combinations with the other sectors (technology, economics and care work and wellbeing) will also be available in the near future. As AOCs provide both vmbo and mbo courses, there are excellent tie-ins with the mbo green.
  However, the broad range available means that students often end up pursuing different areas of study. Around 40% of students who opt for mbo select an mbo-green course; the remainder select an alternative area of study. The vmbo-green course offers a basic vocational route, a framework vocational route and a mixed route.
A few schools offer theory-based training. The mbo-green course features a broad range of training for the green sector. It offers all four mbo levels and both routes: the ‘day-release’ route (BOL) and the ‘on-the-job’ route (BBL). Around 25,000 students are currently enrolled on mbo-green courses.

The international activities of AOCs are co-ordinated on two levels. The MBO Raad (The Dutch Council for Vocational and Adult Education) provides general information services. More specific activities are discussed in the internationalisation platform co-ordinated by the AOC Council. This platform also acts as a reference point for foreign schools and institutions looking for information or further contacts.

AOC Terra is situated in the north of the Netherlands and consists of twelve schools: seven schools for prevocational education, four schools for senior secondary vocational education (16 years and up) and one school for senior secondary vocational education (18 years and up) and part-time courses. The (senior) secondary vocational education prepares fulltime students and apprentices for four levels of achievement, corresponding to the EU-level 1, 2, 3 and 4, based on the length of the course: 1, 2, 3 or 4 years of study. The broad ranges of studies are divided into several worlds, related to green, food, animal and environment. They are called:
o Animal Friends
o Big Business
o Dynamic Design
o Good Food
o Mighty Machine
o Natural Health
o Outdoor Life
o Surprising Nature


Routes Senior secondary vocational education knows two routes, BOL (beroepsopleidende leerweg, day-release route) and BBL (beroepsbegeleidende leerweg, on the job route).

BOL: learning and practical training. The maximum time spend at school is 80%, 20% is practical training.

BBL: working and learning. One or two days are spend at school. Next to that, you have a job for 960 hours per year in your future working area.

AOC Terra is member of the EUROPEA INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, an international network for agricultural schools (http://www.europea.org/) and member of the national EUROPEA (http://www.europea-nederland.nl/). Next to that, students and staff of the eleven locations participate in several international projects and exchanges.


Mbo Meppel The school in Meppel started in the year 2005. The glasshouse it is sometimes called because of the transparent character of it. Six levels, lots of windows, lots of space in and outside of the buildings. Gardens, technical buildings, animal houses, for every study is appropriate space.
This school offers education to about four hundred students, divided over eleven studies at every level:
• Level I: assistant craftsman
• Level II: junior craftsman
• Level III: independent craftsman
• Level IV: executive/foreman

Mbo Meppel maintains active contact with countries all over the world. They have long been running foreign exchange programmes for their students and staff. Mbo Meppel offers the following training courses:

• Water management
• Tree cultivation
• Management forest and nature
• Animal care
• Veterinarian assistance
• Horse management (equine studies)
• Cattle farming
• Wage work
• Floristry
• Garden, park and landscape (gardening)
• Entrepreneurship


Address:
Mbo Meppel
7944 AV MEPPEL
T +31 (0)522 25 13 68
mbo.meppel@aoc-terra.nl