1 Better education – more people in work

The Danish society is facing major challenges in the coming years if we are to do well in the global competition and maintain high employment. The continuous readjustment to the knowledge society and the new trends in the world around us, such as increasing outsourcing of jobs, make new demands on our competences.

Therefore, it has never been so important as it is now that individuals keep acquiring new skills throughout their lives. This is a challenge for both individuals and companies, and requires an increased adult education and vocational training effort on the labour market, not least to support all the low skilled and those who are struggling to get a foothold on the labour market.

The education system plays an essential role in our society as a provider of qualifications and competences that are recognised and accepted within the labour market. A well-functioning education system characterised by high quality and flexibility is an essential precondition for promoting growth, wealth and welfare.

Not only education provides useful competences. We learn in many different settings in life. Recognition of prior learning builds on the basic notion that the individual should not learn the same thing twice but should have the opportunity to use and build on his or her competences, irrespective of where and how they were acquired. The Government has already taken steps to promote recognition of prior learning in, for instance, the vocational initial and adult education programmes, within mainstream tertiary education and the adult education system at tertiary level. But the work is far from done.

It is the Government's intention to strengthen individuals' opportunities for having recognised within the education system the competences that they have achieved through education, work, liberal adult education and activities in civil society such as membership of NGOs, sports clubs etc. Good results have been achieved in other countries, such as France and Norway. It would raise the general competence level and benefit employment and readjustment within the labour market if individuals – based on their own qualifications and needs – can get a credit transfer of their prior learning and thereby further develop their competences within the education system in a flexible manner.

As part of the implementation of 'Better Education', the four ministers responsible for education will take the initiative, each within his or her own field, to strengthen the recognition of prior learning within the education system in the coming years. This applies specifically to adult education and vocational training, but also to qualifying mainstream and tertiary education.

Increased recognition of prior learning should be seen as an essential aspect of the Government's initiatives to further develop a user-friendly, flexible and well-functioning education system where quality is the absolute main priority. It also supports the Government initiatives 'More people in work' and 'Faster through the education system' as well as the Government's integration efforts.

Furthermore, this Government initiative will also be an important Danish contribution to European cooperation on promoting the recognition of competences within the labour market and facilitating access to lifelong learning.

This page is included in the publication "Recognition of Prior Learning within the education system" as chapter 1 of 6
© The Ministry of Education 2005