Within a tripartite negotiation process, the social partners have agreed on a new vocational programme for refugees in Denmark. It provides the opportunity for refugees to enter a job-training programme for up to 24 months, plus a financial incentive to companies which employ and train refugees. The programme will be operational by July 2016.

The Ny Integrations-GrundUddannelse (new basic integration programme, IGU) provides refugees with an upskilling programme for up to 24 months, with 20 weeks of educational programme and the rest in on-the-job training in a company. The agreement provides a minimum salary during training: finishing the whole programme grants access to the Danish unemployment benefit system. The programme will operate in parallel to the existing job-training programmes in Denmark.

The agreement also introduces financial incentives for companies employing and training refugees, with minimum administrative bureaucracy.

The IGU and the financial incentive are among 32 initiatives to secure better integration for refugees and their families into the Danish labour market. There is an urgent need for a new model for integrating refugees into the Danish labour market, as it is expected that 25 000 refugees and migrants will arrive in Denmark in 2016.

The government and the social partners continued their discussions in April 2016 on the future shortage of skilled workers and the attempt to ensure an increasing number of practice placements in VET.