How you don't forget the patient as a person
Basic courses 1 and 2, main course, levels and specialities — and how school and practice alternate throughout
The first thing you must understand about the electronics and low-voltage education is that it is a sandwich education. You do not go to school for four or five years straight. Instead, you alternate between school stays at a vocational school and apprenticeship periods out in a company, and it is precisely the alternation that means you both learn the theory and get it into your hands on real tasks.
§The Four Phases in Broad Strokes
The course is divided into a basic course and a main course. The basic course is your school start where you lay the foundation. The main course is where you are truly in training and alternate between the company and shorter school periods. The table below gives you the quick overview before we go into each phase.
| Phase. | Where | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Vocational school. | Broad intro days to vocational educations — typically for you coming directly from 9th or 10th grade |
| Basic course 2 | Vocational school. | Targeted inspections on construction sites have among other things focused on 'fall from height' 'struck by objects' and 'crushing' as recurring accident types. |
| Main course | Company + school | Alternation between practical training and school stays; here you choose stage and specialization |
| Journeyman's exam | Skole/virksomhed | Final test that makes you a skilled worker |
§Basic course 1 — the broad start
If you start directly after grade 9 or 10, you normally begin on basic course 1. It is a broad introduction to the entire technical field where you get a taste of several subjects and find out whether electronics is right for you. If you come later in life or with a different background, you can skip GF1 and go straight on.
§Basic course 2 — now it is about electronics
On basic course 2, you are focused. Here you work with the basics of analog and digital technology, learn to read diagrams, solder components and use measuring instruments, and you get to grips with the basic subjects like mathematics and physics that are linked to the trade. GF2 ends with a basic course exam, and you must pass it to be able to move on to the main course.
§Main course — levels and specializations
On the main course, you alternate between your company and school periods. The education is built in steps: you can finish early on step 1 as an electronics assistant, go on to step 2 as an electronics technician, or build on step 3 and specialize. This means you have natural stopping points along the way and at the same time an open path if you want to go further.
- 01Step 2 — electronics tech: broad skilled foundation level in electronics (step 1 is electronics assistant)
- 02Step 3 — electronics development technician: with focus on developing and building new electronics
- 03Step 3 — medical technician: electronics and equipment within health and hospitals
- 04Step 3 — radio-tv-tech: consumer and communication electronics
§Admission and access requirements
To enter through the main door you normally must have passed primary school's leaving exam and meet a grade requirement in Danish and mathematics. The requirement can change over time so always check the current rules on Optagelse.dk and on the school's own site before applying. Applications to vocational educations are made via Optagelse.dk and there is a fixed deadline in spring to start after summer holidays.
“You don't learn the trade in one long school year — you learn it by switching between theory and practice, again and again.”