Address
Eurydice Unit
Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills
Fortunen 1
5013 Bergen
P.O. Box 1093
NO-5809 Bergen
Tel: +47 22 249 090
E-Mail:eurydice@hkdir.no
Website: https://hkdir.no/eurydice
2025
New National Centre for Vocational Education and Training established
A new centre for vocational education and training was opened on 1 August 2025. The centre is an entity under the Directorate for Education and Training and is situated in Molde. The decision to locate the centre in Molde aligns with strategic goals, as the city offers a strong vocational programme enrolment and proximity to a diverse industrial base.
The Government has granted NOK 10 million in 2025 to set up the center and it will be fully up and running from 1 January 2026. The centre shall be engaged in research and development work and be a national knowledge hub for vocational education and training and working life. It is to gather and spread knowledge at local, regional and sectorial level, and nationally and internationally, and cooperate closely with public and private stakeholders, including the social partners The social partners are to be represented in a Council that is going to be advisory on priorities and tasks of the centre.
Modular curricula becomes mandatory for adult education from August 2025
From 1 August 2025, all adults undertaking education at lower secondary and upper secondary level must follow modular curricula. For lower secondary, modular curricula is the only option. For upper secondary, modular curricula must be followed, provided such curricula exist for the relevant vocational subject. If a modular curriculum does not exist for a particular vocational subject, education may still be delivered according to the standard curriculum. It is the responsibility of the county authority and the municipality to determine which subjects and curricula are offered in upper secondary for adults.
2024
Module structured adult education permanent from 1. August
As a part of the Completion reform, the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) has decided to make modular curricula a permanent arrangement in adult learning. The goal of the modular approach is to tailor education better to the needs of adults. From August 1, 2024 modular curricula are introduced in both preparatory adult education and modular vocational education. A pilot program for both levels began in 2017, and ends in 2024.
- Preparatory adult education –newly developed modular curricula for learning subjects and languages, at the level below upper secondary education (EQF 4).
- Vocational education and training – modular curricula for 13 different trade certificates.
The objective of module based learning is to provide flexible, efficient, and tailored training courses for adults. In cooperation with participants, the training provider designs an individual course based on the individual's competences, prerequisites, and needs.
2023
New Education Act
The Norwegian Government has submitted a proposal for a new Education Act to the Norwegian Parliament (Storting). The new Education Act and new regulations are planned to come into force from August 2024
Among the proposals for changed legislation concerning VET and adult education are:
- A right to a new trade or journeyman’s certificate, even if the apprentice/student has one already, or has completed with university entrance qualifications. Today you can only take one trade or journeyman’s certificate, and it is not possible to start vocational training is you have taken a general education course.
- New expanded rights for adults are proposed. In addition, it is proposed to modularize training to make it easier for more adults to gain a competence and complete a training they have started but interrupted previously.
Module structured adult education will be permanent
As a part of the Completion reform, the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) has decided that module structured curriculums will be a permanent arrangement in adult learning from August 2024.