- 2017Approved/Agreed
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Completed
Description
The 2016 white paper, Skilled workers for the future, contained 48 measures on how to make post-secondary VET more attractive as a profession-oriented, fully equivalent alternative to higher education. Some of these measures were accepted by the Norwegian parliament in May 2017, including the right to be part of a student welfare organisation, better transitions to study programmes at universities and university colleges, a new national admissions system, new grant schemes, mapping and raising the competence of vocational college teachers, better knowledge about vocational education and a development fund. Several of the measures have been implemented:
- the right of students to be part of a student welfare organisation;
- the transition from vocational colleges to university or university colleges has been improved;
- new surveys have been introduced to increase the knowledge about students and colleges;
- an annual development fund of around NOK 40 million (approx. EUR 3.5 million at 19.07.2023 exchange rate) has been introduced;
- an education quality price of NOK 1 million (aprox; EUR 85 000 at 19.07.2023 exchange rate) has been set up.
The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service was opened up for higher vocational education. Planned development in 2020/21: evaluation of the white paper.
Three reports are expected from an evaluation carried out between August 2020 and December 2022:
- a status report on the implementation of the measures in the white paper Skilled workers for the future (February 2021);
- a report on the funding system for higher vocational education (January 2022);
- the final evaluation report in full (December 2022).
Work was underway.
The status report on the implementation of the measures was published.
The first interim evaluation report provided an overview of the status of the implementation of the 48 measures. Many of the measures put forward through the White Paper have been implemented, among other things, because in recent years significant changes have been made to the regulations on vocational colleges. Several steps have also been taken to strengthen the knowledge base in various areas. Each measure has been implemented to a different extent, and the work on transitional arrangements between higher vocational education and university and college education was highlighted as one of the areas where work remains to be done. Actors in the field generally pointed to a positive development. In particular, measures to designate such type of training as higher vocational education, and to introduce credits for standardised study time and learning outcomes. There are still some obstacles, especially related to funding.
The second report was published in 2022 and explored how the funding system for vocational colleges worked for the various actors. The report also examined whether the system contributed to raise quality and whether the education offers responded to labour market needs.
Main findings of the report were as follows:
- The evaluation suggests that the changes introduced in the funding of higher vocational education as a result of the white paper have been reasonable;
- The system of basic funding, a result-based incentive and development funds that vocational colleges can apply for is considered positive, but the sector believes that the level of funding is too low to ensure the necessary quality in the future;
- The administrative responsibility of the county councils is seen positive given their proximity to the vocational colleges and to working life. Still, there are also some challenges with the quality of the administration and its predictability for the students. The admission to higher vocational education has to be predictable;
- The report points out that the vocational college sector is positive about competitive funding, but the sector believes that the share of project funding is too big compared to basic funding.
The final report from the evaluation was published on 21.03.2023. The report shows that the vocational colleges have had a positive development. The development can largely be attributed to measures from the White Paper, together with the increased attention to the sector. The knowledge base for the sector has been strengthened, the number of students is increasing, there has been a positive development in several areas important to ensure increased quality, and there has been a positive development in terms of visibility and attractiveness. At the same time, there is still work to be done to realise further the desired effects of the measures in the White Paper. The final evaluation points out, among other things, the following:
- there is still a need for measures to ensure clear organisation and management in the sector;
- an obstacle to development is the lack of predictability concerning growth and financing;
- the use of project funds can prevent investment in a solid professional environment;
- the sector is complex and with major variations, which may be an obstacle to achieving goals.
The final evaluation report pointed out the need to assess what the sector is supposed to be and which types of institutions naturally form this sector.
A new White Paper for higher vocational colleges was being drafted, expected to be published in 2025.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Research (KD)
Target groups
Learners
- Adult learners
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- National, regional and local authorities
Other
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
High-quality and timely skills intelligence is a powerful policy tool, helping improve economic competitiveness and fostering social progress and equality through the provision of targeted skills training to all citizens (Cedefop, 2020). Skills intelligence is the outcome of an expert-driven process of identifying, analysing, synthesising and presenting quantitative and/or qualitative skills and labour market information. Skills intelligence draws on data from multiple sources, such as graduate tracking systems, skills anticipation mechanisms, including at sectoral and regional levels. Actions related to establishing and developing such systems fall under this thematic sub-category.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
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.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
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
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Skilled workers for the future: white paper, 2016: Norway. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28769