Further and continuing education – what you can build on
From journeyman certificate to technician, installer and diploma engineer
When you have the journeyman's certificate you have a trade you can live on the rest of your life. But you also have a foundation you can build on if you want to specialize move up in responsibility or go in a completely different direction. The Danish education system is built so skilled vocational education can lead further — often with your practical experience as a big advantage.
§Stay up to date with AMU
The first and fastest level is short courses, e.g. AMU courses, that keep your competencies sharp. They can be courses in a particular control system, in robot programming, in a new component type or in safety. They are short, targeted and give you new papers without you having to leave the labour market for a long time.
§Business academy education.
If you want to go further at a higher level, professional academy educations are within reach. As a skilled automation technician you have a strong starting point for technical academy educations that build on your field and give you more theory, project management and broader technical understanding.
- 01Automation Technologist – Close to your own trade, with more project and control.
- 02Energy technician – emphasizing energy and supply systems.
- 03IT technologist – if you're drawn to software and electronics.
§Installer and professional bachelor
With work experience you can also aim towards an installer education giving you responsibility and rights in the electrical field or towards a professional bachelor education e.g. as a diploma engineer in a technical field. These paths are longer but they build directly on the understanding you already have of systems in practice.
§The way towards engineer via access courses
As a skilled refrigeration technician you can build a bridge to further education including engineering studies via access courses or supplementary subjects if you later want to study further at a level that requires gymnasium subjects. Unlike several other vocational apprenticeships refrigeration technician cannot be taken as EUX so the gymnasium part must be taken as supplementation afterwards.
§Make a plan – but don't rush
You don't need to know now where you end up. Many first take a few years as a skilled worker, find out what interests them, and then build further when the direction is clear. What matters is knowing that the doors stand open: the journeyman certificate closes nothing – it opens.