Description
Country
Focus area
The continuing training and education committees are similar to the trade committees that exist for vocational education (eud) and both committees are nationwide and set up at a central level. However, the main difference is that the continuing training and education comittees deal with vocational adult and continuing education, while the trade comittees deal with vocational education in generel.
There are 11 continuing and education comittees. The number of comittees are established by the social partners (employer organizations and trade unions).
The task of the committees is to follow the vocational development and development opportunities within each of the relevant areas. These are for example industry, office, social- and healthcare, transportation and so on. They are responsible for the maintenance of the continuing educations e.g. new establishments, reorganizations and the closure of education centres.
There are 11 continuing and education comittees. The number of comittees are established by the social partners (employer organizations and trade unions).
The task of the committees is to follow the vocational development and development opportunities within each of the relevant areas. These are for example industry, office, social- and healthcare, transportation and so on. They are responsible for the maintenance of the continuing educations e.g. new establishments, reorganizations and the closure of education centres.
Link
Reference/weblink
Implementation level
At what level is the initiative implemented?
National
Legal base
Legal base (E.g. Law, regulation, implementing provision, other)
Law on labour market education, see:
https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2008/190 (danish)
https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2008/190 (danish)
Starting period
TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
The committees were implemented in 2003
Perspective
PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
It does not seem like the committees use skill forecasts and skill foresight. The committees base their work on analyses of educational needs and on their collaboration with the business community within the specific industry
Policy area
To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
Funding
How it is funded?
Funded by national government
Skill mismatch
Skill mismatch target
What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
The task of the committees is to develop continuing education, which can meet the labour market's needs for vocationally continuing education targeted skilled and unskilled workers.
Skills matching focus
How does the initiative address skills mismatches?
The committees address mismatch more broadly across the population since they coordinate the entire continuing education effort within the VET-area.
Methods
Methods
What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
Other
The committees develop the continuing education effort on the basis of analyses of the educational needs as well as their cooperation with the business community within the specific field
Use of skills intelligence
How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
LMI is used by the committees in the maintenance of the continuing educations e.g. when deciding if new establishments, reorganizations or closures of educations are to be made
Stakeholders
Main responsible body
Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
National agency
The Agency of Education and Quality (Styelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet)
Other involved organisations
Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
National agency
The Agency of Education and Quality (Styelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet): The Agency assures that the educations that are being developed live up to the formal rules. Furthermore, the agency supervise the educational providers of the continuing education (AMU-providers)
Social partner: employer organisation
The social partners are responsible for developing the continuing education and associated tests.
Social partner: trade union
The social partners are responsible for developing the continuing education and associated tests.
Training Providers
The training is being provided by different institutions such as business schools, private educational institutions and a few university colleges
Beneficiaries
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Other
Skilled and unskilled workers (not specified what kind of workers within these groups, e.g. what kind of skills mismatches they represent).
Companies: The companies benefit from the initiative since the committees make sure that the skill shortages these experience are being taken care of through the provision of courses that matches these demands.
Companies: The companies benefit from the initiative since the committees make sure that the skill shortages these experience are being taken care of through the provision of courses that matches these demands.
Sustainability
Success factors
SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
Even though the participation of the courses provided has been declining for some years now, an analysis from EVA in 2019 shows that around one in three companies still use these for its employees at least once a year. Similarly, despite the decline in activity, there are still almost half a million students annually
Monitoring and evaluation
MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
Several analyses have been conducted. For example by EVA, who, in the period between 2007-2019 have investigated the companies use and assessments of continuing education within the VET-area. See https://www.eva.dk/voksen-efteruddannelse/virksomheders-brug-vurderinge… (danish)
Updates
UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
Yes
Throughout the years there have been some challenges regarding the entire continuing educations-system - especially regarding the economy and managerial incentives, which were inappropriate. In 2009, the responsible Ministry became aware of this and it lead to a series of tightening's (for example, the access to and opportunities to receive complementation and board and lodging were pretty favourable before (due to wanting to encourage the workforce to participate in continuing education and training)). See: https://www.ft.dk/samling/20111/almdel/BUU/bilag/24/1039685.pdf (danish)
Effectiveness
EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
No evaluations of the committees work can be found. However, analyses show that the activities within the continuing vocational education have been declining from 2010 onwards (the number of course participants)
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
The committees - as a policy instrument - seem sustainable for now. This is due to the fact that they coordinate the entire continuing vocational education-area and, therefore, play an important role in fixing the skill shortages-gap which the companies experience. Furthermore, they enable unskilled and skilled workers to participate in upskilling courses, which is important looking into a labour market that changes quickly due to among other things the green transition and digitization. However, there's been some challenges wihtin the continuing education area, for example the fact that net number of course participants have dropped significantly since 2010.
Other instruments in Denmark
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