Adult education and training consists of many different programmes which take place at a number of institutions.

Adult vocational training programmes

In terms of adult vocational training programmes, the social partners play a major role in the management, priority setting, development, organisation and quality assurance, and at local level through representatives in school boards and education committees.

At national level, an advisory National Council for Adult Education and Continuing Training (VEU-rådet) for the Minister of Children and Education and 11 continuing training and education committees are set up, each responsible for a specific sector of the labour market.

At local level, providers of adult vocational training programmes are in close dialogue with local trade committees and business life in the implementation of new programmes.

Each provider of adult vocational training programmes sets up one or several local education boards for adult vocational training programmes directed at specific local job areas, e. g. job areas corresponding to the joint competence description/-s that the school has permission to provide.

There are about 100 schools approved by the Ministry of Children and Education, which provide adult vocational training programmes all over the country - the principle being to offer training programmes in all regions. Mainly public, but also a number of private schools provide adult vocational training programmes. The providers are adult vocational training centres, vocational technical colleges, commercial colleges, agricultural colleges, social and health service schools etc. Most of the schools provide both education programmes for adults and for young people. All providers of adult vocational training are associated with one of the 13 centres for adult education and continuing training (VEU-centres), each coordinating guidance activities, contact to enterprises and employees etc. for a specific geographical area.

Training is carried out by teachers with vocational or higher education diplomas and adult pedagogical education experience. The teachers have to be flexible, e.g. as new programmes are currently introduced, training may be organised at the workplace and teachers take part in counselling and guidance activities.

The Circular on Collective Agreement for Teaching in Adult Education etc. can be found here.

General adult education is offered at adult education centres (voksenuddannelsescenter or, in short, VUC) and a few other institutions. There are 29 VUCs in Denmark with a large number of regional satellite departments spread geographically throughout the country. Since 1 January 2007, the VUCs have been self-governing institutions. The Ministry of Children and Education issues the rules according to which the adult educational centres work.

The VUC is headed by a principal who answers to the centre board, which has overall responsibility for the running of the school and its activities. The board makes decisions on a number of administrative matters of importance to the existence of the VUC. All VUCs must have and utilise a system for quality development and results assessment of each individual programme and of the teaching. Within the general requirements, the VUC itself decides the methodology for self-assessment and quality assessment it wishes to employ. The school must be in a position to document its quality system vis-à-vis the Ministry of Children and Education, which supervises the implementation of the education programmes and its results at the institutions.

Students at any VUC are entitled to appoint a students' council. The council will look after the interests of the students and appoint representatives to other councils and committees, including the centre board, which deals with general matters of importance to the students.

The VUCs are obliged to provide guidance for the students and to ensure that they are offered individual and collective guidance concerning completion of the education programme. The students can also receive educational as well as vocational guidance.

Read more about the VUC centres here.

Non-formal adult education, which only to a limited degree is part of the formal, public educational system, are all self-governing institutions funded by the state.