The education's structure from basic course to journeyman exam.
How the basic course, main course, and the two tiers work together
The path to becoming a shipfitter is structured as an alternating program. You alternate between school and work in a company until you hold a journeyman exam in your hand. This way you gain both the theoretical understanding of engines, hydraulics and pipe systems and the practical routine you'll need when you stand with a wrench at a diesel engine on a vessel.
§Basic course 1 and 2
If you come more or less directly from 9th or 10th grade, you typically start with the first part of the basic course and then the second part at a vocational school. The two parts are about 20 weeks each. Here you get the broad subject foundation: machined and manual processing, introductory knowledge of diesel engines, repair techniques, measurement and control technology and general subjects.
If you are 25 or have relevant work experience, you instead follow an adult course where your existing knowledge is assessed in a prior learning recognition, and parts of the course can be shortened.
§The main course and the two levels
The education is tiered. You can finish as an industrial fitter on tier 1 or you can continue to the speciality of ship fitter. The main course for industrial fitter lasts about two years and the speciality of ship fitter adds about another year and a half on top. If you go all the way you therefore end up on an education that in total can stretch up to four and a half years.
In the main course you alternate between school periods and practical periods with your employer. As an industrial fitter you learn, among other things, to make spare parts in metal, assemble and perform preventive maintenance. As a ship fitter you move on to greater complexity and work with advanced equipment and technical systems onboard ships.
| Phase. | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 (approx. 20 weeks) | Broad professional foundation and clarification | Vocational school. |
| Basic course 2 (approx. 20 weeks) | More professional direction towards metal and fitter trades | Vocational school. |
| Main course level 1 – industrial fitter | Alternation between school and practical training, approx. 2 years | School + company |
| Main course specialization – ship fitter | An additional approx. 1½ years with more complex tasks | School + company |
§Entry requirements and admission
To begin the basic course you must have passed elementary school's final exam or an equivalent exam and you should have at least 2.0 on average in both Danish and math. If you already have an education agreement with a company you meet the admission requirement for vocational education but you must still have completed your compulsory education.
To progress to the main course there are transition requirements: you must, among other things, have passed mathematics and physics at a specified level, and you must have a training agreement or agreement on school practice.
“The point of the basic course is that you must be able to do the basics and be clear about the trade before you commit to an employer in the main course.”