Strategy for digital competence and infrastructure

Policy development
Strategy/Action plan
Norway
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Timeline
  • 2022Design
  • 2023Approved/Agreed
  • 2024Completed
ID number
43626

Background

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

Technological development is progressing rapidly. The government has decided to develop a strategy for digital competence and infrastructure until 2030, to ensure that Norway can keep up with the rapid changes.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

The government's objective is to strengthen the digital competence of the population, to ensure the world of work has access to better digital competence and infrastructure, and to make digitisation a core competence in the public sector.

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 strategy for digital competence and infrastructure, from kindergarten to upper secondary education, contributes to the government's overall digitalisation and education policy goals as they emerge from the government's political platform. It aims to enable children and young people to experience a greater emphasis on practical skills and abilities in school. Increased competence, better equipment and more learning arenas are highlighted in the political platform as measures that can contribute to more practical and varied everyday school life.

The upcoming strategy is expected to run until 2030 as an umbrella document where various areas will be specified in measures and action plans throughout this period. Both kindergarten and vocational education and training are intended to be treated separately in the new strategy.

2022
Design

Input rounds were conducted to develop the content of the strategy.

2023
Approved/Agreed

The strategy was published 20 April 2023. For vocational education and training and higher VET the strategy aims to strengthen the professional digital competence at universities, colleges, higher vocational colleges and vocational education and training, for these sectors to develop relevant basic, continuous education for teachers, skilled workers, managers and other employees in the nursery sector.

The strategy also recommends developing an action plan for digital competence and infrastructure for vocational education and training, based on the model of tripartite cooperation.

It is a goal to ensure training of the students in relevant digital equipment, to qualify them as apprentices.

Last point concerning VET is to further develop measures which give students in vocational education and training access to technology used in the world of work.

2024
Completed

The Directorate for Education and Training updated the information webpage concerning digital competence in schools. The page is a collection of resources for digitisation for those who work with kindergartens and lower- and upper secondary schools.

This was to ensure that teachers, school leaders and school owners develop their competences to be able to support pupils' learning in this field.

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 Education and Research (KD)

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 in upper secondary, including apprentices
  • Young people (15-29 years old)

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.

Modernising VET infrastructure

This thematic category looks at how VET schools and companies providing VET are supported to update and upgrade their physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, including digital and green technologies, so that learners in all VET programmes and specialities have access to state-of-the-art equipment and are able to acquire relevant and up-to-date vocational and technical skills and competences. Modernising infrastructure in remote and rural areas increases the inclusiveness of VET and LLL.

Modernising infrastructure for vocational training

This thematic sub-category refers to measures for modernising physical infrastructure, equipment and technology needed to acquire vocational skills in VET schools and institutions that provide CVET or adult learning, including VET school workshops and labs.

Improving digital infrastructure of VET provision

This thematic sub-category focuses on establishing and upgrading to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, equipment and technology, such as computers, hardware, connectivity and good broadband speed that should ensure quality and inclusive VET provision, especially in blended and virtual modes. It also includes specific measures to remove the digital divide, e.g. supporting geographically remote or rural areas to ensure social inclusion through access to such infrastructure for learning and teaching. It also includes support measures for learners from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to acquire the necessary equipment.

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.

Osnabrück Declaration

  • Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET

Subsystem

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

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.
News item about the new strategy
Link to the strategy

Country

Norway

Type of development

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

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Strategy for digital competence and infrastructure: Norway. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/sl/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/43626