LINKING LABOUR MARKET

WITH HIGHER EDUCATION

IN A DANISH PERSPECTIVE

DANSKE STUDERENDES FÆLLESRÅD

MICHAEL TOLENTINO FREDERIKSEN AND

VIKTOR KJELDGAARD GRØNNE

DENMARK?

• POPULATION: 5,543,453

• CAPITAL: COPENHAGEN

• APPROX 20% OF THE POPULATION HAS

AN ACADEMIC EDUCATION

• 135,000 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (2011)

• 8 UNIVERSITIES

PAST EXPRIENCES

• UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE 80’S

• RECORD BREAKING EMPLOYMENT

RATE IN 2007

• “KNOWLEDGE PILOTS”

• “ICEBREAKER SCHEME”

CURRENT SITUATION

• THE THREE PART NEGOTIATIONS

ENDED WITHOUT RESULTS

THE KINDERGARTEN

CURRENT SITUATION

• THREE PART NEGOTIATIONS ENDED

WITHOUT RESULTS

• GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT

27,3%

– DJØF= 27,9%

– DM = 27,2%

• A SHIFT IN THE PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED

• ACADEMICS ARE PRIMARILY

EMPLOYED IN THE LARGER CITIES

• “PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE THE JOBS

THAT ARE AVAILABLE”

“TAKE WHATEVER JOB YOU CAN

GET”

DSF’S INITIATIVES

• COOPERATION WITH THE CENTRAL

ACADEMIC ORGANISATION

• POLITICAL DIALOGUE / LOBBY WORK

• DEFENCE OF GRADUATES

– “IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT, BUT THE

MARKET’S”

• NETTO-CAMPAIGN

“ACADEMICS SHOULD ALSO

APPLY FOR JOBS IN NETTO”

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

• MORE MONEY HAS BEEN DIRECTED

TO THE “KNOWLEDGE PILOT”-SCHEME

• THE POSSIBILITY TO ACCESS THE

“KNOWLEDGE PILOT”-SCHEME HAS

BEEN BROADENED

• YOUNG ENTERPRISE DENMARK HAS

BEEN STARTED

UNIVERSITY INITIATIVES

• PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AMONG STUDENTS

• INVESTMENTS IN CAREER CENTERS

• NEW WAYS OF THINKING EDUCATION

• PROJECTS ARE WRITTEN IN

COOPERATION WITH COMPANIES

• MORE REAL LIFE CASES ARE USED IN

THE EDUCATION

– INCREASE OF EXTERNAL LECTURERES

• EXPANDING OUTSIDE ORIGINAL

CONCLUSION

• A MORE PRACTICE BASED APPROACH

HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE

UNIVERSITIES

• THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYING

ACADEMICS HAS BEEN MOVED TO

SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED

COMPANIES

– ACADEMICS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK

JOBS OUTSIDE THE LARGER CITIES

• THE UNIVERSITIES HAVE TAKEN ON

RESPONSIBILITY