Linking Learning Venues in Denmark

The two learning venues are linked in different ways. The schools address the coherence between the learning venues in their pedagogical didactical strategy. Teachers visit the apprentice’s company, and the student’s personal educational plan provides a key tool for integrating and coordinating the two learning venues.

Coherence between the two learning venues can be supported in different ways. VET colleges are recommended to focus on this coherence, to include it in their pedagogical-didactical strategy and to integrate it in quality assurance procedures. Teachers are encouraged to visit companies and to cooperate with in-company trainers, as well as to take part in some on-the-job learning schemes in a company for a period of time.

The Ministry of Children and Education monitors the VET colleges by using quality supervision. The trade committees monitor the apprenticeship companies. VET colleges produce annual reports (part of quality-assurance practice) to the Ministry about their progress in achieving national goals and the agreed action plans. The student plan (Elevplan) and the logbook in which apprentices report on the tasks they undertake are concrete examples of measures supporting the coherence between the two learning venues.

Training content from the alternating periods can be coordinated by using the student plan (Elevplan), an instrument where the school (first and foremost the teachers) provides

• an overview of the student’s programme and the specialities chosen,
• the personal student plan and the local curricula,
• an overview of the competence goals to be achieved during the placement period and,
• an overview of the student’s absences

Teachers, students and employers have access to this instrument, and when used comprehensively, coordination is quite effective for the coherence and progression of training.

Another instrument used is the placement statement (Praktikerklæring). This contains a statement about the tasks the apprentice has undertaken in a given period and with what results. The statement must be signed and handed over to the VET college after each practical period. To make communication and coordination easier, the trade committees recommend using a logbook in which the apprentice fills in what activities have been conducted while the employer fills in an assessment of the apprentice. By using the logbook, the college (teacher), apprentice and employer (trainer) have a good basis for communication and coordination.