System of Adult Further and Continuing Vocational Training - Denmark

Source: Ministry of Education

• Overview
• The Organisation of Adult Labour Market Training Programmes (AMU-courses)

Overview

Throughout the second half of the 1990s, the Danish Government reformed the system of continuing vocational training by increasing its market and demand orientation, accompanied by increased financial allowances for employees attending training.

Key characteristics of adult vocational training in Denmark:

• Vocational training is considered a public responsibility, with regard to delivery, running cost and allowances.
• The social partners are closely involved in the work to identify training needs, and to develop and determine the content of the training programmes.
• Continuing vocational training is an integral part of Danish labour market policy and is considered to be an on-going, life-long process with opportunities at all stages of a person’s working life.

Vocational training in Denmark comprises "labour market training programmes" and "vocational training programmes". The labour market programmes, the AMU-courses, fall under the competence of the Ministry of Labour and the vocational training programmes fall under the competence of the Ministry of Education. Both types of training programmes are offered by both AMU-centres (vocational training centres) (the Ministry of Labour) and by universities, technical and business schools (the Ministry of Education). The vocational training system offers training to persons who are already in employment as well as to unemployed persons. The qualifications which a person obtains by participating in a specific training programme are formally recognised by the social partners and well-known and accepted on the labour market generally. These training programmes give nationally recognised competence.

The Organisation of Adult Labour Market Training Programmes (AMU-courses)

The Minister of Labour has the overall responsibility for the adult vocational training programmes and for the legislation existing in this field. The administration of the adult vocational training system is the responsibility of Arbejdsmarkedsstyrelsen (the National Labour Market Authority/AMS) which is also responsible for the public employment service system. The tripartite co-operation runs as a red thread from the central to the decentralised level, i.e. from Uddannelsesrådet (Educational Council) to the local co-operation in the individual training institutions. The organisation of adult vocational training activities is based on a broad co-operation with the social partners who are involved in the work to identify training needs, and to develop and determine the content of the training programmes as well as training of teachers.

There are 24 independent AMU-centres with a number of units spread all over the country. AMU-training courses are also organised by technical and business schools, and in some cases also by private training institutions. The vocational training system offers training in more than 50 sectors/occupations. A committee for continued training has been set up for each sector/occupation - Efteruddannelsesudvalgene - and together with AMS and the Educational Council these committees are responsible for the content of the vocational training programmes.

The organisations of employers and employees have presently set up 53 committees for continued training, which are, among other things, responsible for developing training programmes in their respective sectors or occupational fields. The committees for continued training also make recommendations to the Educational Council on the needs for training and are responsible for the training of teachers.

The Educational Council is a joint body composed of representatives of the social partners as well as public authorities, granted with the task of advising the Minister of Labour on matters concerning vocational training programmes, including the dimensioning of training activities.

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