A reform of vocational education and training programmes came into force in Denmark on 1 August 2015. It aims at ensuring high quality vocational education and training as well as improving opportunities for further education.  The reform is based on the Agreement on Better and More Attractive Vocational Training and Education (February 2014) which establishes four overall objectives for vocational education and training (VET): 

• More students must choose to start a VET immediately following Folkeskolens Examination after the 9th form or the optional 10th form. 
• More people must complete a VET. 
• VETs must challenge all students so they may reach their fullest potential. 
• Trust and well-being in the VETs must be strengthened. 

With this reform, several measures are being introduced to reach these objectives:

• Four new main subject areas, each containing a number of VET programmes, are introduced to make it easier and more predictable for young people to choose a VET. 
• Clear admission requirements and offers for all young people are created, continued efforts are made regarding internships, and a stronger education guarantee is given. 
• A new VET for adults at the age of 25 or above is created with the aim of giving this group a more attractive, clear and focused path from unskilled to skilled workers. 
• An extended use of EUX – a combination of vocational education and general upper secondary courses – is introduced with the purpose of giving more young people an opportunity to pass an upper secondary education at the same time as a VET. The aim is to strengthen the opportunities for continued education following the VETs. 

For more information: 

• Read a more detailed description of the new reform of the Danish vocational education and training programmes in the reform chapter of the Eurydice website. 
• See also an overview of the reform on Improving Vocational Education and Training made by the Danish Ministry of Children, Education and Gender Equality (the former Ministry of Education).

Source: Danish Eurydice Unit.