Technical Vocational Education and Training
The main principle in the Danish technical Vocational Education and Training (VET) system is that of dual training, whereby training alternates between education and training in a vocational college and in-company training. This dual training principle is both a pedagogical principle and an organisational-institutional principle, which makes demands on both the pedagogical planning of the programmes and on the cooperation between the colleges and the enterprises.
The coordination between school-based and work-based learning constitutes a particular challenge for all the stakeholders in the system, as it is a key factor ensuring coherence in the programmes. Although the dual training principle has been debated animatedly over the past couple of years, it is important to bear in mind that it ensures a smooth transition from training to the labour market.
People who have completed a VET programme have an employment rate of approximately 80% one year after completion of their training, which is a strong indicator of a well-functioning system.
There are two access routes to the VET programmes: the school pathway and the company pathway. Trainees can either enrol on a basic course or start in an enterprise with which they have a training contract. In both cases, school periods (1/3-1/2 of the entire training programme) will alternate with periods of in-company training (1/2-2/3).
The VET system encompasses programmes of durations from 18 months to 5.5 years that are divided into two parts: a basic course, which is broad in its scope and a main course, in which the trainee specialises within a craft or a trade.
There are 12 basic courses
• animals, plants and nature;
• body and style;
• building and construction;
• cars, aeroplanes and other means of transport;
• electricity, controlling and computer technology;
• facility service;
• food production, processing and preparation;
• media production;
• production and development;
• transport and logistics;
• commerce;
• health, care and pedagogics. |
