How you become a mentor and supervisor
From basic course to journeyman's certificate — alternation between school and apprenticeship
Fine mechanic is a vocational education under the main area technology, construction and transport. This means you learn the trade by alternating between school and apprenticeship in a company — you earn money while learning and build practical experience at the same time as you get the professional and theoretical foundation at school.
§Basic course 1 and 2
If you come more or less directly from 9th or 10th grade, you start on basic course 1. Here the teaching is broad and exploratory — you work with several specialized directions and find out if the metal trade is for you. Basic course 1 normally lasts about half a year.
Then you continue to basic course 2 which is targeted at the precision engineering trade itself. If you come from a gymnasium education or have been out of the school system for a while you can start directly on basic course 2. Basic course 2 also typically lasts about half a year and ends with an exam that must be passed before you can move on to the main program.
§Main course — alternation between school and practical work
On the main course, you are employed as an apprentice in a company. Most of the time takes place at the apprenticeship, but you are called in regularly to school periods where you work with the profession-specific and theoretical. School and practice build on each other all the time: what you practice at school, you bring back to the company, and vice versa.
How long the main course is depends on which speciality you are aiming for. For precision engineer and weapons specialities, the main course typically stretches over around two and a half years on top of the basic course, while the locksmith speciality is longer. Adding it all up, the education can last up to four and a half years, while precision engineer assistant is a shorter course.
| Phase | What's happening | Approximate duration |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Broad introduction, choice of trade direction (typically directly from compulsory school) | ca. ½ år |
| Basic course 2 | Targeted precision mechanic trade, concluded with exam | ca. ½ år |
| Main course | Lærling i virksomhed med løbende skoleperioder | depends on specialty |
| Total | All the way to journeyman certificate | op til ca. 4½ år |
§How to apply
You apply via Optagelse.dk. As a general rule you must have at least 2.0 average in both Danish and mathematics from primary school to meet the admission requirement — if you don't meet it, you can apply through other routes such as an admission interview or exam. There's a joint application deadline in spring each year, so keep an eye on the date if you want to start in summer.
If you don't have an apprenticeship position
It is normally you yourself who finds a company to apprentice at, but if you cannot secure an agreement, there are schemes where the school can offer training so you can still move forward. It is a good idea to start looking for an apprenticeship early — preferably already while you are on the basic course.