Education and skills upgrading - Employment and integration

The Danish society is at present characterised by growth and progress in all areas of the economy. This also applies to the labour market where the level of employment is historic high and where in many places there is a shortage of qualified labour. This means that many people who in the past had problems getting a foothold in the labour market have now found employment. This also applies to the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, the socially marginalised and social groups which for other reasons have had problems getting started.

Everyone is needed in the labour market. This has created a need for an extraordinary effort to help more people to find work. It is the Government's aim to make a special effort in relation to the unemployed and people of a different ethnic origin who need to train and upgrade their skills in the labour market.

This is to be implemented through the following initiatives in particular:

• An improved job rotation scheme which also includes a special job rotation benefit for enterprises using the scheme.
• An improvement of the grant scheme for enterprises which enter into vocational education and training contracts with adults.
• A pilot project on screening of the literacy skills of the unemployed. This will be aimed at people with little or no formal education.
• Young unemployed persons between the ages of 18 and 30 who do not already have a qualification are to be given the greatest possible encouragement to take a normal education programme on normal terms and conditions.
• Ny chance til alle (A new chance for everyone) - a special action aimed at passive recipients of cash benefit and starting assistance who have been recipients of benefit for more than one year.
• Together with the municipal stakeholders and the social partners, the Government has entered into a four-party agreement giving immigrants better opportunities to learn to speak Danish and gain practical skills and qualifications.
• A basic course in labour market Danish for immigrants is being developed. The course, which is being offered as a three-year trial under the Ministry of Integration, is being organised based on the needs of the labour market and with the view of a possible later participation in, for example, labour market training or general adult education.

This page is part of the publication " Denmark's strategy for lifelong learning "
© The Ministry of Education 2007