Norway introduces a skills reform and provides funding to support flexible further education and life-long learning.

In 2020, the Norwegian government has implemented the skills reform “Learning throughout Life” (“Lære hele livet”) in order to improve the system of further education and training for working life and make it more flexible.  The national reform has two main goals:

• Employees should have up-to-date skills.
• Training and guidance should be should be supplied to address the needed skills.

To improve students’ access to educational loans as well as to a public, free online career service are among the measures that will be reinforced – in concrete terms, the reform legal text contains the regulation of the counties’ duty to offer career guidance. In addition, the Norwegian government has allocated funding for sectorial programmes and flexible further education for employees. 

Competence package

In response to the current Covid-19 situation, the government is launching a competence package of NOK 190 million:

• NOK 100 million for tripartite industry programs
• NOK 50 million for online training
• NOK 20 million to universities and colleges to make room for more on develop the existing education system
• NOK 20 million for the training of the unskilled

The skills package will better equip people for professional life after the coronavirus crisis.  More tailored education and training offers are being created for crisis-stricken industries and their employees.  Moreover, the government is providing funding to existing education programmes to make participation in formal education possible for unemployed.

More information:  chapter 14.4 and chapter 14.5 in the national descriptions of Norway.

Source:  Eurydice Unit Norway