How you ensure food safety at all stages
Basic course, main course and alternation between school and practice
Tool education is a vocational qualification where you alternate between school and work in a company. This means you are constantly testing what you learn in the classroom and workshop on real production tasks. Here you get an overview of how the programme is structured and what you need to get started.
§The two basic courses
If you come more or less directly from 9th or 10th grade, you start on basic course 1. Here you spend the first half year sniffing at the main area, getting the basic subjects in place and finding out if the trade is for you. Basic course 2 is more aimed at the trade itself — here you work specifically with your trade and prepare for training in a company. Both basic courses last about half a year.
§Main course — the largest part
The main course is the longest part of the training and takes place partly at school, partly as training at a company. The school periods come in several chunks spread over the course, and between them you work at your training company. Finally, you conclude with a journeyman's exam, where you show that you master the trade.
| Part 1 · The trunk | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Introduction to the main area and foundational subjects (typical for you straight from primary school) | Vocational school |
| Basic course 2 | Trade-targeted teaching, ready for training. | Vocational school |
| Main course | Alternation between school periods and company training, concludes with journeyman exam | School + apprenticeship |
§How long does it take?
Altogether, tool training typically takes between four and a half and five and a half years, depending on your progression and choice of specialisation. A large part of the time is on-the-job training where you receive payment.
§Admission and access requirements
To enter you must in principle have passed primary school's leaving exam with at least grade 2.0 on average in both Danish and mathematics. If you don't meet the grade requirement there are other ways in — for example via an entrance exam and interview at the school. Ask the individual vocational school if you are unsure about your situation.
§EUX and paths for adults
If you want academic subjects on top, you can take the education as EUX — then you get both a journeyman certificate and study competence that opens for higher education. If you are over 25, you can go an adult path (euv) where your previous experience can shorten the course.
“The education is built so theory and practice constantly meet — you do not just learn about the trade you stand in it.”