32 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 41 | 2023 Workforce education in Denmark Bryce Erdman Denmark is known for its well-funded, tertiary education system that allows students to obtain most degree levels without much debt. However, due to a variety of factors, there is a shortage of students who pursue long-term degrees. This article presents an overview of the workforce education system in Denmark, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and proposes recommendations to address these issues. Introduction The Danish education system is viewed throughout the world as a well-developed model of secondary and tertiary education where students worry less about paying tuition and more about making the most of the experience. Yet, what many do not realize is that Denmark has an expansive system of vocational schooling that occurs both during and after what would be the US equivalent of high school. This system leads to high employment in traditional blue-collar and certain lower-level white-collar jobs. However, the Danish workforce is also in need of higher-level professional workers, including engineers, health-care experts, and lawyers (European Commission, 2023). Due to a combination of the tax structure and a resulting lack of incentive for seeking out higher salaries, as well as the job security provided by the vocational system, Denmark has a shortage of these skilled workers. To expand the number of students pursuing longer-term tertiary education in technical professional fields, Denmark must promote the personal and societal values of such positions, at the same time making the transition from current vocational training more readily attainable. Danish education system Danes have a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to education. Known as ansvar for egen læring (responsibility for own learning), this philosophy has been prominent in policies throughout the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries (Cort, 2010). Danes live up to this responsibility, with 80% of students continuing into upper secondary education once they complete their compulsory schooling. In Denmark, compulsory schooling ends with the ninth grade when students are 16 years old. They then have the option to attend tenth grade, and most do in order to boost their grades or to help them decide on a future career path (InterNations, 2022). Following the tenth grade, upper secondary education takes place between the ages of 16 and 19 and prepares students for additional vocational or tertiary education. Danish citizens remain dedicated to education throughout life, with many returning to either vocational or tertiary education after the age of 25 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2023). Secondary education Upper secondary education has two distinct tracks, the first of which is meant to enhance students’ inclass education, while also preparing them for a specific job or further vocational training upon completing the program. In this track, students can choose between four different curricular subsets that align with their interests. At the conclusion of each, students must pass an exam to qualify for moving on to university education. Table 1 outlines the scope and duration of each of these paths. The objective of the Higher Preparatory Examination curriculum is to prepare students to pass the qualifying exams at selective vocational schools or university colleges for tertiary education, whereas the Higher General Examination curriculum allows students to specialize in subjects such as humanities, social science, and natural science (Ministry of Children and Education, 2022). In contrast, both the Higher Commercial Examination and the Higher Technical Examination are more focused programs. Students interested in business and socioeconomic topics may choose the former; students interested in science and technology may choose the latter (Adams et al., 2017). The goal of the Higher Commercial Examination and the Higher Technical Examination programs is to give students a greater chance of admittance into business and technical colleges than
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