Academic guidance

Guidance in primary and lower secondary education

In Denmark, guidance within the education system is regulated by the Act on municipal provision for young people under 25.

Through the municipal youth guidance units, the municipalities are responsible for ensuring that all young people receive guidance on education and employment. The municipal youth guidance units provide guidance in relation to the transition from compulsory primary and lower secondary education to upper secondary education.

In cooperation with primary and lower secondary schools, the municipal youth guidance units organise guidance activities at the schools. At some schools, for instance private schools or continuation schools, the schools organise all guidance activities themselves.

Guidance content

In primary and lower secondary education, the guidance is provided both as collective guidance and as individual guidance.

In primary and lower secondary education, guidance on choice of education and profession encompasses collective guidance for all pupils from form level 7. The guidance must, as a minimum, include the following activities:

• Introduction to the online application portal optagelse.dk, where pupils apply for upper secondary education and information about the application process for upper secondary education programmes;

• Introduction to upper secondary education programmes, including further education and occupation opportunities;

• Introduction to the online guidance portal ug.dk that provides information on education programmes;

• Introduction to eGuidance where young people can receive guidance via chat, phone, and e-mail; 

• Information meetings for pupils and parents;

• Introduction courses to youth education programmes in form level 8;

• Bridging courses in form level 9 and 10, where pupils attend different upper secondary education programmes for a short period;

• Special initiatives such as short periods with practical work experience in a business;

• Work experience courses.

Aside from the collective guidance, pupils must receive instruction in the mandatory cross-cutting topic Education and Employment, which aims to prepare the pupils for their forthcoming choice of education and give them insight into education opportunities and the labour market. The instruction in Education and Employment is closely linked to the collective guidance.

Individual transition plans

The guidance concludes with the drawing-up of an individual transition plan in form level 9, which describes plans and objectives for the individual pupil after compulsory education. The purpose of the individual transition plan is to bring the young person closer to education or employment.

It is mandatory for citizens under the age of 25 to have an individual transition plan if they have no upper secondary education and are not attached to the labour market.

Guidance in upper secondary education

Study and Career Guidance Denmark consists of seven regional guidance centres that provide guidance relating to the transition from upper secondary education to higher education. The regional guidance centres are under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

The main objective is to provide the students with capabilities to make qualified decisions about their choice of higher education and career.

The guidance counsellors from the regional guidance centres organise a wide variety of education and career guidance activities for students in upper secondary education, including workshops, seminars, career fairs, and individual and group guidance sessions. These activities take place at the upper secondary schools.

In addition to the activities at the schools, students and their parents can call or visit the centres to receive information about higher education opportunities or to make an appointment for a guidance session.

Psychological counselling

Every municipality has a pedagogical-psychological counselling unit that offers advise and counselling to institutions, schools, and parents about children and young people between the age of 0 and 18. Among other tasks, the pedagogical-psychological counselling unit examines and assesses whether pupils/students need special support.

The pedagogical-psychological counselling is performed by, among others, psychologists, speech and hearing therapists, and social workers.

Upper secondary education

In upper secondary education, students can be referred to a psychology by a student counsellor.

Career guidance

The collective and individual guidance provided by the municipal youth guidance units and the regional guidance centres also includes guidance on employment opportunities. Through eGuidance, pupils/students can also receive individual guidance on career and employment opportunities via various virtual communication channels, including chat, telephone, and e-mail. 

In primary and lower secondary education, instruction in the mandatory cross-cutting topic Education and Employment also aims to provide the pupils with information about the upper secondary education programmes and the different employment and career opportunities they can lead to. The purpose is to provide the pupils with competences to decide on a career path.

According to the Act on the Folkeskole, all pupils in primary and lower secondary education are entitled to work experience for a week in form level 8 and a week in form level 9. The decision on whether to attend work experience or not is made by the pupil in consultation with his or her parents. 

With the political agreement from March 2024, work placement has been made mandatory for all pupils from the school year 2025/2026.

Events outside of school

In upper secondary education, extra-curricular activities and events outside of school also exist. This includes open house arrangements at higher education institutions where students are introduced to different higher education programmes and the “student for a day” scheme.

The “student for a day” is a scheme where students in upper secondary education can attend a higher education programme for one day. In a study programme of their own choice, the student teams up with a current student in the higher education programme and follows study activities throughout the day. The purpose of the scheme is for the student to obtain first-hand experience with a higher education programme he or she considers applying for.

References

Bibliography

City of Copenhagen (Københavns Kommune), 2024: The inter-disciplinary support (Den tværfaglige support). [Accessed 30 August 2024]

Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, 2020: Guidance in Education - the educational guidance system in Denmark. [Accessed 30 August 2024]

Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet), 2023: The municipal youth guidance units (Den kommunale ungeindsats). [Accessed 30 August 2024]

Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet), 2024: The individual transition plan (Uddannelsesplanen). [Accessed 30 August 2024]

University of Southern Denmark, 2024: Visit SDU as Student for a day. [Accessed 30 August 2024]

Legislation and official policy documents

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2021: Act on Study and Career Guidance Denmark (Bekendtgørelse af lov om Studievalg Danmark), LBK no. 1690 of 13/08/2021. [Accessed 30 August 2024]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024: Ministerial Order on guidance on choice of youth education programme and profession (Bekendtgørelse om vejledning om valg af ungdomsuddannelse og erhverv), BEK no. 745 of 18/06/2024. [Accessed 30 August 2024]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024: Ministerial Order on Municipal Provision for young people under 25 (Bekendtgørelse af lov om kommunal indsats for unge under 25 år), LBK no. 953 of 12/08/2024. [Accessed 30 August 2024]