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Basic courses 1 and 2, main course and alternation between school and training — step by step
When you want to be a civil engineer you follow a vocational education that fits together as a chain: a basic course at school and then a longer main course where you alternate between school periods and training out at a workplace. It's a model where you constantly learn something on the school bench and afterward get to use it in reality — on a building site a road or a place where stones must be laid.
§Basic course 1 and 2
If you come more or less directly from primary school, you start on the 1st part of the basic course. Here you sniff at the construction world, learn the basic moves and find out if the trade is for you. Then comes the 2nd part of the basic course, which is aimed at the structural technician trade and prepares you professionally to begin an apprenticeship. If you left school more than a couple of years ago or have other experience up your sleeve, you can in many cases start directly on the 2nd part.
The basic course is completed with a test, and you must pass to move on. It is also in this period that you really need to find an apprenticeship so you have a company to train with when the main course begins.
§Main course — school and practical work in alternation
The main course is the heart of the training. Here you are employed as an apprentice at a company and alternate between periods at the workplace and periods at school. The rule of thumb is that the vast majority of the time is in training, while the school periods are shorter blocks spread over the course. This way, you build both manual skills and theory at the same time.
It is also in the main course that you choose and cultivate your specialty: civil engineering structure worker, building structure worker or paver. The specialties have slightly different lengths on the school part, because the three trades each require their own knowledge.
§How long does it take?
If you count basic training 1 and 2, the education typically lasts from around 4 years to about 4 years and 6 months. If you choose an EUX variant, where you take general education subjects on top of the craft, the total time can become a bit longer – up to about 5 years. The exact length depends among other things on where you start and your specialisation.
| Phase. | What's happening | Approximately |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Introduction to construction and the first trades | School program |
| Basic course 2 | Targeted structural engineer trade, concluded with exam | School program |
| Main course | Alternation between company training and school periods, choice of specialization | Most of the time |
| Total | Incl. basic course 1 and 2 | Approx. 4 years to 4 years and 6 months (EUX can be longer) |
§Admission and access requirements
To enter you must in principle have passed primary school's leaving exam and meet the common grade requirements in Danish and mathematics that apply to vocational educations. If you don't meet the requirements there is often an opportunity for an entrance interview or entrance exam and the same applies if it has been some time since you left school.
If you are an adult and turning 25 or older, you can in some cases take the education as an arranged adult course (EUV) where experience and previous education can shorten the path. Talk to the counselor at the school you want to apply to — they can make a plan that fits your specific background.