The Icelandic guidance website Næsta skref (Next Step) was recently merged with the information web Nám og störf (Education and Employment), making information about vocational education and training easier to access. Aspiring students can quickly determine whether potential pathways suit them, not only in terms of studies but also in terms of possible future employment. It is now possible to find information on either the content of an educational pathway or the professions to which such studies lead. This information is available in Icelandic and English, enabling the many compulsory school students who are not of Icelandic origin to access the information in an additional language.
Next Step website over the years
The Næsta skref website was first developed in Icelandic only between 2012 and 2014 and was owned and operated by the Education and Training Service Centre (Fræðslumiðstöð atvinnulífsins). The focus was on helping people with little formal education find ways to further develop their skills. The texts were short and easy to understand, and it was easy to navigate between education levels. Gradually, the website grew as more pathways were added, and in 2024, it became part of the services of the Directorate of Education and School Services (Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu). The website works very well, is fast and meets young people’s need for instantly accessible information in plain language.
Students can evaluate their strengths, choose between team or independent work, and view a list of matching occupations for further exploration.
Choosing among 100 pathways
The section on secondary education provides an overview of the 100 study paths available at upper secondary level in Iceland, including both general and vocational pathways. It details the number of credits each pathway includes and what students can expect in terms of workplace training. Possible post-secondary pathways are described, specifying whether bridging courses are necessary to enter them, for example, when VET students want to enter university.
Studies at all post-compulsory levels are still being added, clearly showing how long the expected study time is and which schools or universities offer the relevant pathway. If a potential student does not find the first (second or third) pathway interesting, the student’s attention is drawn to similar professions. Guidance professionals have long called for better career education in compulsory schools to help students choose a pathway at upper secondary school that they find both interesting and worthwhile. Dropout rates from upper secondary schools have been high, partly because students discover that the pathway they chose was not as interesting as it first seemed. Now, they should be able to get a more detailed description to make better-informed choices.
The website Nám og störf provided thorough descriptions of different occupations, including short videos for many of them, to display what each professional did during their working day. With the merging of the two websites, more such videos are planned.
| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Iceland, & Cedefop (2025, December 1). Iceland: Taking a leap forward with the Next Step. National news on VET |