Challenges to Vocational Education and Training in the Nordic Countries.

Overview & Synopsis

In the Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland), as well as in the rest of the world, it is a constant challenge to match education and training to the rapid pace of change. In order to meet the demands of the future, major changes in both the structure and content of vocational education and training have taken place during the 1990s in all Nordic countries. For example, Norway has radically changed its model of technical and vocational education. Since 1994, vocational and technical education has been based on the 2+2 model--2 years in school followed by 2 years in a training enterprise. In Finland, upper secondary vocational education and training programs have been lengthened, with the time for on-the-job training increased. The philosophy in the Nordic countries is that vocational education and training involves competence building beyond the acquisition of work-related skills. Students who complete their education should have the skills they need to function in the society and to participate in democratic processes. There are, however, also differences between Nordic countries. Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish vocational education and training have traditionally been strictly institution based, although recent reforms have increased work-based training, especially in Norway and Finland. Denmark, however, retains the traditional apprenticeship system, but in a modernized form. In the future, the system in the Nordic countries should be reformed to enhance the status of vocational education, to make it more flexible, and to increase the focus on lifelong education. (KC)