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Basic course, main course, alternation between school and apprenticeship — and how long it actually takes
If you are thinking about becoming a dairy technician, it is good to know exactly what you are getting into. It is a vocational education, and it is built up of a basic course at a vocational school and a main course where you alternate between school stays and work at an apprenticeship in a dairy company. Here you get to go through the entire course so the sequence is in place before you apply.
The first thing you encounter is the two parts of the basic course. Basic course 1 is for you who come more or less directly from primary school, and here you get a taste of the entire subject area before you make your final choice. Basic course 2 is aimed at the dairy trade and prepares you to start in a company. Then comes the main course, where you truly learn to control the production of milk, cheese, butter and powder.
| Share | Where | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Vocational school | Broad introduction to the field — for you coming from compulsory school |
| Basic course 2 | Vocational school | The dairy profession specifically, concludes with an examination that must be passed |
| Main course | Apprenticeship + school placement | Four school periods professional dives and final journeyman exam |
Basic course 2 typically lasts between 15 and 20 weeks depending on your background — if you already have a certain level in English and maths, it can be shorter. The main course is a total of 40 weeks of school spread over four periods, and between them you work in the dairy.
What's special about a vocational education is that you don't just sit at school. In the main program you alternate between school periods where you learn theory microbiology chemistry and machine learning and periods where you work in real dairy production. This means you can constantly take what you learn at school out into production — and come back with questions from everyday life.
The total duration for the dairy qualification is set at around three years and two months when apprenticeship and school attendance are added together. If you are an adult or have relevant experience, your program can be shortened because earlier education and work can count as credit. Adults follow a specially arranged path.
To start you normally must have completed primary school and meet a grade requirement of at least 2.0 in both Danish and mathematics. If you don't meet the requirement there are typically other ways in for example via an entrance exam and interview. You apply via optagelse.dk and there is an application deadline in spring which you must be aware of.
“School and dairy go hand in hand — you learn the profession by using it while learning it.”