Norway: new spring for higher vocational education

Presentation and reasoning for strengthening the sector

White paper No 11, titled Skilled workers for a new era – with higher vocational education, was presented to the Norwegian Parliament on 14 March; it includes 29 measures to improve this education sector. 

Norway is currently facing notable skills shortages, especially in terms of finding the right qualifications. Higher vocational colleges are well-equipped to provide flexible and easily accessible programmes that can address critical skill needs throughout the country. This sector is proactive and adaptable, responding quickly to labour market needs; this is why the government thinks it is important to strengthen it with more knowledge about quality, better and more predictable funding, and more autonomy.

Major changes to foster HVET

One of the main measures in the white paper is to open up higher vocational education to NQF/EQF levels 6 and 7 – in Norway this sector has so far only been able to provide education at NQF levels 5.1 and 5.2. The proposed solution is a two-pillar model, separating VET at all levels from higher academic education. As a result of this change in nature, new descriptions of learning outcomes will be introduced at NQF levels 5-7. 

The main reason for allowing HVET at levels 6 and 7 is employers’ needs for workers with more complex qualifications. The white paper also proposes more international cooperation in higher vocational education – higher NQF levels could potentially help achieve this.

Another proposal is to examine the consequences of using the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) in HVET. This measure would facilitate international cooperation by making it easier to ‘translate’ students' qualifications into other countries’ systems.

Other measures suggested in the white paper will grant the sector greater autonomy –more flexibility in managing their funds – and new powers. One key aspect included in the white paper is the provision that allows HVET colleges to obtain institutional accreditation, as outlined in the Act on Higher Vocational Education. This accreditation enables them to modify existing or establish new study programmes independently, without having to apply for approval from the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT).

Development and implementation timeline

The work on this paper started in 2023. The development process, led by the Ministry of Education and Research, involved extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including education institutions, industry representatives, labour unions, and VET experts. 

The white paper is currently under consideration in the Norwegian Parliament and debates are scheduled to take place until mid-May. Following these discussions, the government plans to implement the proposed measures on an ongoing basis, starting immediately afterwards.

Read more 

• Press release about the press conference: Pressekonferanse: Forsknings- og høyere utdanningsministeren legger fram fagskolemeldingen - regjeringen.no (in Norwegian)
• The white paper: Meld. St. 11 (2024–2025) - regjeringen.no (in Norwegian)
• The first 18 pages of the white paper: Oversettelse av kapittel 1 til engelsk (in English)
• On the process in Parliament (in Norwegian)
• Cedefop and ReferNet (2025). White paper on professional studies: Norway. Timeline of VET policies in Europe. [online tool]  (forthcoming)