An inclusive system

One of the main policy concerns has been to reduce the dropout rate from the VET programmes and to make VET a very inclusive system, attracting both “strong” and “weak” learners. As in many other countries, there has been a general trend for more young people to go into general upper secondary education programmes. For this reason, efforts are being made to improve the image of the VET system so that it is not merely an attractive choice for “weak” learners.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem by creating a highly individualised system where trainees have wide-ranging possibilities for drawing up their own education plans, laying down their own objectives and having their prior learning recognised. In order to make the system even more inclusive, a number of alternative routes to partial qualifications, or more practically-oriented qualifications, have been drawn up. Finally, policy initiatives have focused on vocational proficiency levels and standards. Some VET programmes, e.g. those in commercial training, have been met with sectoral demands for higher vocational proficiency levels in order to ensure progression in the programmes (from the basic to the main course), and hereby improving the overall level of competency.

Practically-oriented young people

The report from the inter-ministerial working group concerning more practical access routes to VET⁷ introduced a new typology of young people: the practically-oriented young people. This group was defined on the basis of the PISA surveys and results showing that a considerable group of young people had very poor basic skills in literacy, numeracy, and writing. As a consequence, this group has problems completing a youth education programme. The survey showed that especially children of immigrants and refugees had poor basic skills. Approximately 60% of all young people from ethnic minorities drop out of a VET programme due to proficiency problems.

The “practically-oriented young people” can be defined by three characteristics: they have learning disabilities, social problems and cultural problems. Furthermore, they make very high demands on education and have unrealistic expectations as to what and how fast they can learn. Very often, their basic schooling has been a bad experience, so it is difficult for them to complete a VET programme.

For this reason, a number of initiatives have been launched to provide this very diverse target group with suitable, more practical alternatives in VET. These include a project testing the framework for the flexible VET programmes; better possibilities for disseminating the training places that are available among trainees searching for one (http://www. praktikpladsen.dk); and establishing Danish as an optional second native language subject for ethnic minorities at the colleges.

Furthermore, a number of alternatives or supplements to the ordinary route have been established that prioritise practical training, e.g. short VET programmes, partial qualifications, apprenticeship pathway, pre-training, (EUD+) and additional qualifications.

Short VET programmes

The short VET programmes were launched in 2005. The aim of the programmes was to offer an alternative to the practicallyoriented young people and to ensure their employment after the completion of a programme. The programmes are therefore targeted at sectors where the possibilities of employment are good, and where there is a need for both short specialised qualifications and “ordinary” qualifications. The demand for skilled workers with short specialised qualifications is increasing in certain industrial sectors, such as the retail and butchering trades.

Partial qualifications

In the main part of the VET programmes, partial qualifications have been drawn up by the trade committees. Partial qualifications are directed at trainees who may not have the skills or the patience to obtain full vocational qualifications. Approximately 70 out of 110 VET programmes offer partial qualifications. The partial qualifications correspond to current job profiles. The partial qualifications offer trainees the possibility of acquiring part of a qualification and thus also the possibility of completing the qualification later. The partial qualification is completed with a test and a certified partial qualification.

The division of the programmes into partial qualifications is related to the ongoing development of a national qualification framework, corresponding to the European Qualification Framework (EQF).

The apprenticeship pathway

The trainees may choose an apprenticeship pathway (mesterlære) into VET. The apprenticeship pathway constitutes an alternative, especially for practically-oriented trainees who are tired of school. In the apprenticeship pathway, the entire basic course is acquired by means of in-company training. The trainees will be able to acquire suffient competences to start on the main course after having completed the first year of their apprenticeship. The elements of in-company training, and the objectives to be atttained, will be described in the personal education plan for the individual trainee. The education plan constitutes an important binding element for all stakeholders (the college, the enterprise and the trainee). The college and the enterprise are responsible for guiding and counselling the trainee and for evaluating the competences acquired by the trainee during the in-company training in order for the trainee to access the main course. The trainees will be able to take the basic subjects required both during the apprenticeship (within the enterprise or at a college) and during the main course. The apprenticeship pathway is concluded with exactly the same examinations and tests as trainees who have taken the school or company pathway, thus ensuring that the competences mastered at the end are the same for alle trainees, regardless of how they have been attained. In this regard, the apprenticeship model is one step closer to the entirely competence-based system, where it is less important how and where the competences have been acquired.

Pre-training

Young people (15-18 years old) may start in pre-training in an enterprise for a period of 3-6 months in order for both young persons and enterprises to “size each other up”. After a short introducation period, the trainee participates in the production processes within the enterprise. The contract entered into by the enterprise and the trainee is binding after a three-month trial period. If any of the parties want to terminate the contract after the trial period, it has to go through legal negotiations in the trade committee. The pre-training model aims to provide an option with less commitment for both enterprises and young people.

EUD+

In 2005, it became possible for trainees under the age of 25 to complete a VET programme as part of the EUD+ scheme. This option allows a trainee to complete a basic course and the first part of a main course, either in a company or in the compensatory practical training scheme. Afterwards, the trainee has to be employed in a company and have at least six months of ordinary employment in order to obtain relevant qualifications. If the trainee then wants to continue on the next part of the VET programme, he or she has to have his/ her qualifications assessed at a vocational college and a personal education plan must be drawn up, describing the learning activities, employment and/or practical training he/she has had at school or in the company. The EUD+ scheme is completed without any educational contract and is provided by those colleges that are approved to provide the main courses. The EUD+ scheme is targeted at the practically-oriented young people, providing them with the possibility of acquiring full qualifications at a later stage.

Additional qualifications

The Danish VET system seeks to provide direct access to the labour market and also to offer trainees access to further and higher education. This enables trainees to add academic qualifications to their vocational qualifications. Trainees wanting to follow courses at a higher level, for instance within the vocationally-oriented upper secondary education programmes (hhx/htx – higher commercial and technical examination), can do so either by prolonging their basic course, by being exempted from other subjects (in case of APL) or by taking extra courses during the main course. The aim of taking an additional qualification is to ensure access to further and higher education. Some VET programmes may serve as an entry into specific education programmes at tertiary level (e.g. architect or designer).

Footnotes

This page is part of the electronic publication "The Danish Vocational Education and Training System. 2nd edition"
© The Ministry of Education 2008