38 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 41 | 2023 update vocational training for white-collar jobs. A report by Cedefop (2009) outlined the importance of keeping vocational education programs up to date with the current demands of the global economy. An important part of this process is expanding the Initial Vocational Education and Training programs to make the transition from vocational education to tertiary education easier for students. One of the best ways Denmark could go about doing this is creating more connections between vocational programs and universities, much as it does with local businesses and labor organizations. Furthermore, Denmark could learn from other Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden, which both rank above Denmark in their levels of tertiary attainment (ninth and fifteenth, respectively). Both countries have developed vocational programs in which classroom learning and government curriculum play a more central role than in Denmark. Moving in this direction would help ensure that students who wish to make the transition from vocational to tertiary education are prepared academically. The Cedefop report also recommends vocational institutions continue to develop relationships with white-collar employers to create tertiary-level apprenticeships, which Denmark has begun and continues to do. During the past two decades, Danish businesses have also increased focus on university recruiting. For the Danish education system to produce a greater number of tertiary graduates, college recruitment for jobs must be expanded, and vocational institutions need to build stronger relationships with college recruiters to help ease the transition between vocational and academic education. Vocational training, like the Academic Preparation Program, which prepares students for both the workforce and further education upon completion, also needs to be better advertised to students. Finally, Denmark must encourage unions to foster tertiary white-collar apprenticeships, promote a more academically based curriculum for vocational institutions, and provide increased motivation to pursue these opportunities. A second major change would involve how Denmark deals with international students. Currently there are a disproportionate number of international students from other EU countries compared to those from non-EU countries in Danish higher education programs, hurting both the economy and the cultural diversity of the student experience. Denmark is working on reducing the number of international students allowed in programs where postgraduate retention rates are low, with an overall goal of decreasing international enrollment by 28% (ICEF, 2018). Yet studies show that accepting students from varying ethnic backgrounds helps boost extracurricular activities and out-of-major coursework (Luo & Jamieson-Drake, 2013). In order to maintain this balance, Denmark must consider a solution that increases the number of tuition-paying, non-EU international students it takes in, including requiring them to remain in the country and contribute to the economy after graduation. This could be done by requiring international students to sign a contract in which they agree to work in Denmark after graduation for as many years as their degree took them to complete. For each year they work, a year’s worth of tuition would be removed from their balance until they no longer have a balance, and they could then leave the country without financial penalty. However, it is more than likely that once they have established themselves in their career in Denmark, they would choose to continue their employment. This system would help reduce the cost of international education on Danish citizens by charging foreign students tuition if they chose to leave or through revenue and taxes they generate by deciding to stay. Conclusion The Danish education system promotes well-developed vocational and academic programs for students who have completed lower secondary education. However, due to a variety of factors, including the financial incentive, work-life balance, and societal norms, many Danish students do not complete longterm tertiary degrees. Moreover, most international students who study in Denmark do not pay tuition or remain in the country after completing their education, creating labor shortages in the fields of health care, engineering, information technology, and education. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has helped emphasize the job security that tertiary degrees provide, and recent policies are working to limit the number of international students, Denmark must continue to ease the transition from vocational to tertiary education by following the examples set by other Nordic countries. Finally, it must work to increase the diversity of the tertiary student body by including international students and also implementing a system to incentivize these students to live and work in Denmark after their graduation. If Denmark can enact these changes, its economy and labor force will be better suited to adapt to the changing world markets, while remaining on the cutting edge of science and technology. References Adams, C., Eicher, L. C., Kyhlberg, E., & Lofstad, R. (2017). Secondary education in Scandinavia: Denmark,
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