34 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 41 | 2023 on employment forecasts, skills assessment, and training requirements (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training [Cedefop], 2012). The ministry then makes changes to the vocational curricula based on these recommendations (European Commission, 2022c). Table 2 summarizes these vocational programs. Tertiary education Tertiary education is defined as any level of education completed after secondary or high school and may be referred to as higher education or university. Currently in Denmark, approximately 38% of students complete some level of tertiary education, placing them at the average percentage among the 38 members of the OECD (2019). Denmark’s goal is for at least 50% of students to receive some form of tertiary education (Vujkov & Andevski, 2021). Tertiary education consists of three paths for students to follow: University, University College, and Academy Profession. University programs are the longest and most academically rigorous of the three; they include both undergraduate and graduate work. University College programs emphasize theoretical knowledge along with hands-on training. Completion of one of these programs awards students a bachelor’s degree and prepares them for positions traditionally held by college-educated workers. Finally, Academy Profession degree programs use inclass learning as well as in-office internships to best prepare students to enter the workforce. Academy Profession programs also allow students the option of returning to complete a full-length bachelor’s degree at a later time (Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, 2022). All tertiary education programs are available to citizens of Denmark, the European Union (EU), and Switzerland for no cost. Table 3 outlines the types of tertiary education. The Danish job market In general, the Danish job market is strong, with an unemployment rate of 4.5% in 2022 as opposed to the EU average of 6% (European Commission, 2023). With its well-developed vocational education system, Denmark has strong employment for skilled trade workers. Although these jobs will always be in demand, they do not top the shortage lists published by the government. Participation in trade unions is high (approximately 66% of the population), with the largest union representing some 1.15 million employees (European Trade Union Institute, 2022). These unions help workers negotiate better salaries and supplement the social safety net in Denmark, further incentivizing Danish workers to complete shorter terms of education and take midlevel positions. Table 4 provides a summary of the shortage list in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and at the beginning of 2023. It shows that fields like health care and engineering have continued to see a shortage of positions. In fact, doctor shortages have long been reported, and Denmark has gone about solving this shortage by appealing to the EU and the European Employment Services to fill up to 200 openings with non-Danish doctors. Despite the program’s success, it serves as an example of Denmark’s inability to provide enough quality candidates for these positions. On a similar note, the Danish Society of Engineers (2018) recently reported that unemployment for engineers is extremely low. The same can be seen in the information technology and education fields. Meanwhile, the number of job openings in corporate and management positions has fallen since the beginning of the pandemic. Denmark also has well-developed white-collar unions to provide a support structure for employees. The second largest organization of unions in Table 3 Tertiary education programs Source: European Education Directory, 2014.
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