Vocational Education and Training

At DTI we have over the last 35 years built strong expertise within HRD and VET.
Our key clients are, and have always been, national and international authorities involved in education, labour market and working environment. In that respect, we work to a large extent with analyses and project development focusing particularly on diversity management, knowledge resources, education planning, qualification analyses, training needs assessments, work organisation and competence development and HRD.

We also undertake analyses, surveys and evaluation assignments related to trade and industry development and education systems, and offer counselling services at many levels, from clarification of strategy and business policy issues to seminars and workshops in specific areas.

The Danish Model
The Danish “flexicurity” model is presently acting as an inspiration to different regions and countries throughout Europe. The main reason to this is that Denmark has succeeded in establishing strong growth, supported by national legislation that allows companies to hire and fire employees rather freely, and at the same time by having in place a national social system that support the unemployed. But this is not the full picture.

Supporting this development the labour market system is constantly observing the labour market, looking for areas and branches where a lack of qualified labour might threaten the growth. By registering the unemployed the labour market system knows the qualifications of the unemployed workforce and the needs of the companies. 
If qualifications are not adequate in the unemployed workforce, a national system for VET provides the courses needed. The VET system has, more importantly, the role of educating young people.

Two- and Triparty system
One of the major reasons why the Labour Market and VET systems work successfully is that the systems are “Consensus Policy Areas”. In short, this means that trade unions and federations of employers are responsible for the implementation of the policies through different Councils.

The Labour Market system consists of regional Labour Market Councils, involving the trade unions, the federations or employers and government officials (The Triparty system).

The VET system is based on local schools, where the trade unions and the federations of employer are appointed to the board. The content of the VET seminars are again the responsibility of branch boards, consisting of both trade unions,
and federation of employers.

Labour Market System – Analysis
Analyses carried out by DTI usually targets:

  • Effect of specific measures
  • Challenges of specifics groups in the workforce

Labour Market System – Development projects
DTI is on an ongoing basis involved directly in the development of the labour market system. The services provided include:

  • Organisation of the system
  • New approaches to specific groups
  • New approaches to specific branches

VET – Analysis
The analyses carried out concerning VET are focussing on:

  • New jobs and new qualifications needed
  • VET Quality
  • The structure of vet system
  • The motivation amongst participants

VET – Development projects
Development projects, often implemented with schools and different VET boards often target:

  • VET School Organisation
  • Quality in the training
  • Organizing cooperation of school and business life
  • HR policies within the different enterprises

In general DTI is, and has been, involved in various projects, constantly developing and improving the two central elements of the Danish Flexicurity Model, the Labour Market System and the VET-system.

Training
When it comes to training in the form of in-service training and employee up-grade courses, DTI is the largest HRD training provider in Scandinavia servicing around 30,000 trainees annually. DTI was again in 2003 elected the best course and training supplier in Denmark as rated by an independent research institute.

Coming out as the best in eleven out of the past twelve years gives the required feedback insuring that the systems and approach to assure the training of professionals is first rate and DTI is able to meet the trainees at their level in order to create value added training and education.

Outside Scandinavia DTI is involved in a number of international training projects. Among other things, DTI has for the last five years been present on the HRD training market in Poland, providing both general and specific courses for SMEs,
SME employees, unemployed and persons threatened by unemployment. In the framework of Phare HRD projects, DTI has trained more than 12,000 people during the past 18 months.