Challenges for the Danish VET-system - on the path towards a future model

Abstract

The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, LO, has just launched a process aiming at the development of a new model for the Danish VET-system. LO wants to develop a new VET-model regarding structure, content and educational principles. The model building process involves several trade unions, researchers and consultants and, of course, LO itself. The process was launched as a joint seminar, a 'workshop on problems', where representatives from trade unions pointed out what they considered the main problems and challenges for the Danish VET-system. A couple of research projects linked to the process presented their main themes as well. At the seminar, the problems new VET-models are expected to solve were listed. Generally spoken LO seek VET-solutions that in the long term are able to secure the demand for skilled employees in all public and private business sectors, and solutions that at the same time contribute to a good start for young people and re-entry possibilities for employees occupied in sectors under structural changes. More specifically questions that have to been answered during this model building process are as follows: Shall all curricula have the same structure of alternance? How shall new business areas, i.e. the growing wellbeing sector, be covered by initial vocational education – how can it be avoided that different trade unions fight each other regarding these new areas? How can future VETmodels cover both youngsters leaving public school and adults who want to or are forced to change the occupational field? Are there better principles of alternance than the existing ones facing the fact that fewer and fewer enterprises are able to cover the whole spectrum of a profession? How can the principle of alternance become real for the learners? The paper will describe both the character of the model building process and describe the reasoning behind the mentioned challenges.