Vocational secondary education in Denmark ( da, erhvervsuddannelse) takes place at special state-funded

vocational school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...

s (''erhvervsskoler''), most of which are either technical schools (''tekniske skoler'') or business colleges (''handelsskoler''). The creation of vocational training began as early as the 1400s, but wasn't fully established until 1875 when Denmark passed legislation that would allow for the use of government grants towards technical and training schools. Vocational training schools are jointly run by business and trade associations, such as unions who hope to create a form of stream-lined training into the labour force.Matthews, Hugh.Scandinavian Review; New York Vol. 80, Iss. 2, (Autumn 1992): 13. Through a combination of teaching in

vocational schools A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...

and

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

, mostly in

private companies A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

, students are trained for work in eight specific fields which include: construction, commerce, metal, agriculture, transportation, food, service, and media.Ministry of Education, Copenhagen (Denmark).Undefined, (1983). This form of education is very popular among students in the upper secondary division of school where over 50% join vocational training. The vocational secondary education in Denmark includes the addition of work-place based training. Many students utilize this time in vocational training to expand their skills and create a stronger program of focus for their field. The implementation of a workplace training is mandatory for at least 3 months.Field, S., et al. (2012), A Skills beyond School Review of Denmark, OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264173668-en A large proportion of Denmark's labor force comes from these vocational programs. The vocational study force has a long relationship with the industries students would enter after graduation, quickly and smoothly entering the labor force. The long term unemployment (12 months or more) is 19%, well below the average of other OECD countries. Vocational education takes 2-5 years and can be commenced after the completion of the

compulsory Compulsion may refer to: * Compulsive behavior, a psychological condition in which a person does a behavior compulsively, having an overwhelming feeling that they must do so. * Obsessive–compulsive disorder, a mental disorder characterized by i ...

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

folkeskole The Danish language, Danish–Norwegian language, Norwegian term Folkeskole ("public school") may refer to any of the following: * Danish Folkeskole Education, the Danish primary and lower secondary educational system * Volksschule, a historical pri ...

'' ('public school'), i.e. at age 15-16. Contrary to academically oriented types of

secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...

such as the Gymnasium, vocational secondary education aims directly at jobs rather than

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

, although it is possible, with certain requirements, to enter a

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

to study for instance

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

upon completing vocational education. Students train for work in a specific

profession A profession is a field of work that has been successfully ''professionalized''. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, '' professionals'', who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are accepted by ...

(e.g. as an

electrician An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance ...

or a

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

), but the different education programmes are organized in eight main groups that share certain subjects: *Building *Crafts and technique *From earth to table (hotel, cooking, foods, agriculture) *Mechanics, transport and logistics *Commercial area (trade, office, finance) *Service *Technology and communication *Vocational elementary course In addition, it is also possible to pursue vocational secondary education aimed at work in social and health institutions such as

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to in ...

s: Basic Social and Health Education (''Social- og Sundhedsuddannelse'' or ''SoSu''). Furthermore, there are programmes combining vocational elements with more academically oriented elements:

Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX) In Denmark, the Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX, in Danish: ''Højere Teknisk Eksamen'') is a 3-year vocationally oriented general upper secondary programme which builds on the 10th-11th form of the Folkeskole. It leads to the high ...

and

Higher Commercial Examination Programme Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000 * ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...

. These aim at

and are comparable to the more general and theoretical Gymnasium and

Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) The Higher Preparatory Examination (in Danish: ''Højere Forberedelseseksamen'' or ''HF'') is a 2-year general upper secondary programme building on to the 10th form of the Folkeskole and leading to the higher preparatory examination (the HF-e ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Denmark , European portal for youngsters in vocational education training (MavoieProEurope)