2024

Government green paper on a reform to ensure more skilled workers to the green transition

May 2024

The Danish government has presented a green paper on a reform of the vocational education and training programmes that aims to make learning for the green transition a part of the vocational education and training programmes and make the programmes more attractive to young people. The purpose of the reform proposal is to ensure more skilled workers to the green transition.

A skilled labour force is crucial to support the green transition. But according to a projection by the Danish Ministry of Finance, there will be 70,000 fewer skilled workers in 2030 compared to 2022. On this basis, the government proposes to:

1. Accelerate the green transition in vocational education and training programmes;

2. Make vocational education and training programmes more attractive for young people.

In the green paper, the government presents several initiatives. Among these, the most important are:

• Establishing three climate vocational colleges as powerhouses for education and skills development for the green transition. In addition, the three climate vocational colleges are meant to attract students who wish to attend an education institution that can offer something extra ambitious in relation to the green transition;

• Making knowledge centres at selected vocational colleges permanent. The knowledge centres develop and communicate new education programmes and materials as well as build up and communicate expert knowledge about the latest technology. The purpose of the knowledge centres is to support teachers and pupils so they are prepared to handle the technological developments and match the competences that are asked for at a green labour market;

• Setting aside DKK 23.5 million annually for study trips to support attractive youth environments;

• Improving the students’ opportunities for studying abroad in European countries as part of their vocational education and training programme.

The proposal is part of a comprehensive reform plan for the whole education system.

For more information (in Danish), please visit the green paper Forberedt på fremtiden IV: Flere faglærte til den grønne omstilling. 

Government green paper to ensure more skilled workers in the healthcare system and elderly care

January 2024

In the light of an increasing demand for qualified social and health care staff, the Danish government has presented a green paper on ways to ensure more skilled workers in the healthcare system and elderly care. The green paper addresses challenges with decreasing applications and a high drop-out rate at the social and health care training programmes.

The government proposes to increase the quality by implementing a permanent increase in the funding of the Basic Health Care Colleges that offer social and health care training programmes. The Basic Health Care Colleges will have autonomy to use the increased funding as they see fit according to local needs. For instance, they could introduce mentoring schemes and homework assistance for vulnerable students, invest in welfare technology and/or develop the teachers’ competences.

To ensure that more students apply for a social and health care training programme, the government proposes, among others, the following initiatives:

• The Danish regions and municipalities are obliged to offer more apprenticeships so difficulties with obtaining an agreement about an apprenticeship do not constitute a barrier for students attending a social and health care training programme;

• Trainee salary for all students aged 25 years and over during their social and health care training programmes;

• More pathways into the social and health care worker programme, for instance for persons with relevant work experience that do not fulfil the admission requirements;

• No tuition fees for students obtaining social and health care training qualifications through adult vocational training courses (AMU).

The government proposes, among others, the following initiatives to reduce drop-out and ensure that more students complete a social and health care training programme:

• Funding of investments in simulation equipment to support the use of simulation-based training. The purpose of the simulation-based training is to reduce the “practice shock” among the students;

• Qualifying courses for the instructors guiding and training the students during their apprenticeships. The courses should provide the instructors with competences to support the students’ vocational reflection, ease the “practice shock” students might experience when starting their apprenticeships, support students in vulnerable situations, and guide and support students with insufficient Danish language proficiency.

For more information (in Danish), please visit the Ministry of Children and Education.

2023

High increase in the number of students at vocational education and training programmes that obtain an internship by the end of the basic programme

March 2023

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Children and Education, the share of students that by the end of the second part of the basic programme has entered an agreement with an employer about an internship has increased from 44 per cent in 2020 to 65 per cent in 2022.

In November 2020, the government and the social partners entered a tripartite agreement about more internships. The purpose of the agreement was to ensure that more students complete a vocational education and training programme. The intention is that early agreements about internships are to keep the students from dropping out by providing a more coherent education programme and thereby increase the likelihood of completion.

Among others, the tripartite agreement established two national objectives regarding agreements about internships:

1. By the 15^th week at the second part of the basic programme, 60 per cent of the students must have entered into agreements about an internship;

2. By the end of the basic programme, 80 per cent of the students must have entered into agreements about an internship.

There has been agreed on a model that gradually implements the objectives, in which it is determined from which calendar year the objectives apply to each individual education programme.

In 2022, 68 of the 98 education programmes fulfilled the objectives according to the model about gradually implementing the objectives. Thereby, the latest data indicate a positive development in the fulfilment of the objectives.

For more information (in Danish), please consult the website of the Ministry of Children and Education.

2022

There have been no reforms.