More school learners have the opportunity to take electives in VET

Policy development
Practical measure/Initiative
Denmark
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Timeline
  • 2020Pilot
  • 2021Pilot
  • 2022Pilot
  • 2023Pilot
  • 2024Pilot
ID number
46058

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

In the Danish context primary education covers kindergarten and grades 1-10 (with grade 10 being optional). Grades 7-9 are considered lower secondary education in the European mainstream educational environment. Not all learners thrive in school environments where most teaching is sedentary and takes place within the classroom. Also, there is a persistent challenge of ensuring inclusive access to VET. The pilot programme seeks to address this challenge and the challenge of recruitment to VET by offering learners in lower secondary education (grades 8-9) the option to take electives at a VET school.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

The goal of the pilot programme is to address the diverse needs and motivations of young people while testing whether a teaching approach focused on connecting lower secondary school learners (or primary school learners in the Danish context) with VET can better support them in completing basic education and applying for VET programmes after grade 9.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

The pilot programme is a continuation of the previous framework experiment with EUD 8/9 (VET 8/9), which originated from the political agreement, From primary school to skilled worker - vocational education for the future, in November 2018.

Selected grades 8 and 9 earners may follow a reduced curriculum in lower secondary school (primary school in the Danish context) while also participating in hands-on VET electives. The target group of the programme is learners with special needs who are at risk of not starting or completing a youth education programme. Municipalities involved in the programme are required to participate in an evaluation process to gather insights and assess the outcomes of the programme.

This reduction in core subjects is designed to make room for practical electives at vocational schools, which take up significantly more time than standard elective courses, typically about two days per week. The programme is structured so that learners spend three days per week in their school for core subjects and two days per week at a vocational school, engaging in career-oriented electives. However, due to the reduced number of core subjects in the pilot, learners do not meet the standard requirements to complete compulsory schooling and gain direct admission to a youth education programme. They can still access VET or upper secondary school through interviews and entrance exams. It is essential that learners that...

The pilot programme is a continuation of the previous framework experiment with EUD 8/9 (VET 8/9), which originated from the political agreement, From primary school to skilled worker - vocational education for the future, in November 2018.

Selected grades 8 and 9 earners may follow a reduced curriculum in lower secondary school (primary school in the Danish context) while also participating in hands-on VET electives. The target group of the programme is learners with special needs who are at risk of not starting or completing a youth education programme. Municipalities involved in the programme are required to participate in an evaluation process to gather insights and assess the outcomes of the programme.

This reduction in core subjects is designed to make room for practical electives at vocational schools, which take up significantly more time than standard elective courses, typically about two days per week. The programme is structured so that learners spend three days per week in their school for core subjects and two days per week at a vocational school, engaging in career-oriented electives. However, due to the reduced number of core subjects in the pilot, learners do not meet the standard requirements to complete compulsory schooling and gain direct admission to a youth education programme. They can still access VET or upper secondary school through interviews and entrance exams. It is essential that learners that are offered a place in the pilot are thoroughly informed about how participation may impact their chances of enroling in upper secondary education. The municipality is responsible for providing written information that explains the implications, ensuring both learners and their parents understand the options and consequences of joining the EUD 8/9 programme.

2020
Pilot

In 2020, three municipalities participated in the pilot programme.

2021
Pilot

In 2021, the same three municipalities participated in the pilot programme.

2022
Pilot

In 2022, the same three municipalities participated in the pilot programme.

2023
Pilot

In 2023, the education ministry launched a new phase of the pilot programme under the same framework, expanding it to allow to all municipalities to offer the programme to their pupils. EUR 938 thousand (DKK 7 million) was set aside to be allocated annually in 2024 and 2025.

10 municipalities were approved to participate in the pilot programme, and the remaining municipalities (88 in total) can apply to participate in the pilot, which will run until the academic year 2025/26.

2024
Pilot

The Danish Agency for Education and Quality (STUK, which is responsible for overseeing and ensuring the quality of education across various levels, including primary, secondary, and VET) announced another application round where municipalities could apply to participate in the pilot programme, which extends until the school year 2025/26.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of Children and Education
  • National Agency for Education and Quality (STUK)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Learners

  • Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers

Overige

lower secondary school learners (primary school learners in the Danish context)

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation

Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.

This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.

This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.

Permeability between IVET and CVET and general and vocational pathways, academic and professional higher education

This thematic sub-category refers to ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.

Ensuring equal opportunities and inclusiveness in education and training

This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.

European priorities in VET

EU priorities in VET and LLL are set in the Council Recommendation for VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, adopted on 24 November 2020 and in the Osnabrück Declaration on VET endorsed on 30 November 2020.

VET Recommendation

  • VET promoting equality of opportunities

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET

Country

Denmark

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Practical measure/Initiative
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). More school learners have the opportunity to take electives in VET: Denmark. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/nl/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/46058