How boat mechanic education is structured
From basic course to journeyman's certificate — and how school and practical training change along the way
Building painter is a vocational education and that means you learn the trade both in the classroom and in a real company. The education is not something you get through in half a year — it typically stretches over several years where you alternate between school and apprenticeship. It may sound complicated but the structure follows a fixed pattern that is easy to understand once you know the pieces.
§The three main parts
The education consists of a basic course and a main course. The basic course is divided into two: basic course 1 and basic course 2. Each of the two parts lasts about half a year. Then comes the main course which is the longest part and where you really get into the trade. Altogether the entire education takes from approximately 3 years and 9 months to around 4½ years depending on your path through it.
| Part | Where | Duration (approx.) | What's happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | School | 6 months | Broad introduction to construction trades — for you coming directly from compulsory school |
| Basic course 2 | School | 6 months | You aim for the painting trade and prepare to start in a business. |
| Main course | Apprenticeship + school stay | ca. 2 år 9 mdr. – 3 år 3 mdr. | You work in a painting company and attend school in periods |
Basic course 1
Basic course 1 is for you starting while you are young and coming more or less directly from 9th or 10th grade. Here you get a broad introduction to the building and crafts sector so you can find out if the painter trade is right for you. If you are older or have been on the job market for a while, you can often skip basic course 1 and start directly on basic course 2.
Basic course 2
On basic course 2, you choose painter trade. Now it is about the painter's basic subjects: surface preparation, choice of products, application, color theory, and safety. Basic course 2 prepares you to enter an apprenticeship with a company so you can move on to the main course.
§Main course — where you truly become a painter
The main course is the longest and most important part. Here you are employed at a painting company and learn the trade by performing it together with experienced craftspeople. At regular intervals, school calls you in for school periods, where you catch up on the theory and learn new techniques. This alternation between workplace and school is called block release training, and it is the very core of a vocational training: you learn in the reality you will later work in.
§Entry requirements and admission
To start the basic course you must in principle have completed 9th or 10th grade and achieved at least grade 2.0 on average in both Danish and mathematics at primary school's leaving exam. You must also be assessed as education-ready. If you don't meet the grade requirement there are other ways in — for example via an entrance exam and interview at the school.
- 01Completed 9th or 10th grade
- 02At least 2.0 on average in Danish and Mathematics
- 03Assessed education-ready
- 04For the main course: a training agreement with a company (or school practice)
§EUX—journeyman certificate and higher education diploma in one
If you want to combine the craft with academic subjects, you can take the education as EUX. Then you get both a journeyman certificate as a building painter and a high school exam that gives access to several higher educations. EUX takes up more of the school part and therefore typically takes a bit longer.
“The education ends with a journeyman exam. If you pass, you get your journeyman certificate and are now a trained builder painter—a skilled craftsperson with a recognized professional credential in hand.”