1. LINKING LABOUR MARKET
WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
IN A DANISH PERSPECTIVE
DANSKE STUDERENDES FÆLLESRÅD
MICHAEL TOLENTINO FREDERIKSEN AND
VIKTOR KJELDGAARD GRØNNE

2. DENMARK?
• POPULATION: 5,543,453
• CAPITAL: COPENHAGEN
• APPROX 20% OF THE POPULATION HAS
AN ACADEMIC EDUCATION
• 135,000 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (2011)
• 8 UNIVERSITIES

3. PAST EXPRIENCES
• UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE 80’S
• RECORD BREAKING EMPLOYMENT
RATE IN 2007
• “KNOWLEDGE PILOTS”
• “ICEBREAKER SCHEME”

4. CURRENT SITUATION
• THE THREE PART NEGOTIATIONS
ENDED WITHOUT RESULTS

5. THE KINDERGARTEN

6. CURRENT SITUATION
• THREE PART NEGOTIATIONS ENDED
WITHOUT RESULTS
• GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT
27,3%
– DJØF= 27,9%
– DM = 27,2%
• A SHIFT IN THE PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED
• ACADEMICS ARE PRIMARILY
EMPLOYED IN THE LARGER CITIES

7. “TAKE WHATEVER JOB YOU CAN
GET”

8. DSF’S INITIATIVES
• COOPERATION WITH THE CENTRAL
ACADEMIC ORGANISATION
• POLITICAL DIALOGUE / LOBBY WORK
• DEFENCE OF GRADUATES
– “IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT, BUT THE
MARKET’S”
• NETTO-CAMPAIGN

9. “ACADEMICS SHOULD ALSO
APPLY FOR JOBS IN NETTO”

10. GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
• MORE MONEY HAS BEEN DIRECTED
TO THE “KNOWLEDGE PILOT”-SCHEME
• THE POSSIBILITY TO ACCESS THE
“KNOWLEDGE PILOT”-SCHEME HAS
BEEN BROADENED
• YOUNG ENTERPRISE DENMARK HAS
BEEN STARTED

11. UNIVERSITY INITIATIVES
• PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AMONG STUDENTS
• INVESTMENTS IN CAREER CENTERS
• NEW WAYS OF THINKING EDUCATION
• PROJECTS ARE WRITTEN IN
COOPERATION WITH COMPANIES
• MORE REAL LIFE CASES ARE USED IN
THE EDUCATION
– INCREASE OF EXTERNAL LECTURERES

12. CONCLUSION
• A MORE PRACTICE BASED APPROACH
HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE
UNIVERSITIES
• THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYING
ACADEMICS HAS BEEN MOVED TO
SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED
COMPANIES
– ACADEMICS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK
JOBS OUTSIDE THE LARGER CITIES
• THE UNIVERSITIES HAVE TAKEN ON