The Danish government has signed a tripartite agreement with local councils, Danish Regions, the Danish Trade Union Confederation (Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation – FH), and the Union of Public Employees (Forbundet af Offenligt Ansatte – FOA). The deal aims to improve care quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), elderly care and hospitals by increasing the number of qualified staff.

This agreement builds on political deals struck in 2024 and 2025 between the government and parties in the Danish Parliament (Folketinget). These earlier agreements focused on helping students complete vocational education and training programmes.

More training places for pedagogical assistants

To raise standards in ECEC, Denmark needs more qualified staff. Under this agreement, municipalities will create at least 2,000 training places annually from 2027 to 2029 for the pedagogical assistant programme. This is 379 more places per year than in 2024 and will help applicants previously rejected due to limited capacity.

More training places for social and healthcare students

The agreement sets higher targets for training places in social and healthcare programmes to ensure more qualified staff in elderly care and hospitals. From 2027 to 2031, municipalities and regions will provide:

• 6,500 annual places on the social and health assistant programme (up from 6,000)

• 4,500 annual places on the social and health worker programme (up from 3,000)

Trainee salary for students at the social and health worker programme

Furthermore, the municipalities will employ students at the age of 25 or above at the social and health worker programme. This entails that the students receive a trainee salary of between DKK 6,600 and DKK 17,200 extra every month compared to state educational grants.

The initiative is temporary and will apply from January 2027 to December 2029.

Trainee salaries for students at the social and health worker programme

To encourage a broad composition of student types when it comes to experience and age, municipalities will employ students aged 25 or above on the social and health worker programme and pay them a trainee salary. This will give them DKK 6,600-17,200 extra per month compared to standard state grants. The scheme is temporary and will runs from January 2027 to December 2029.

For more information: https://uvm.dk/aktuelt/nyheder/2025/december/ny-trepartsaftale-skal-sikre-mere-uddannet-personale-i-landets-dagtilbud-aeldrepleje-og-sygehuse/

Source: Eurydice Unit Denmark