From school to apprenticeship

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT?

The overall goal of the project is to retain more young people in education and thereby prevent them from ending up in the NEET group. This is done through a strengthened focus on the transition from school to apprenticeship or internship for students at VET and FGU.

Through targeted preparation, individual support and company-oriented activities, the project works to ensure that more students both obtain and maintain an apprenticeship:

The project will test different interventions among approximately 1,300 students and ensure systematic knowledge sharing across the eight partner schools (three FGU schools and five vocational schools).

A method manual is being developed that describes at least seven specific initiatives and organizational measures that can be used to strengthen the preparation and support of vocational and FGU students throughout the internship and apprenticeship process.

WHO IS BEHIND?

AMU Nordjylland (project leader), Aalborg Business School, EUC Nord, Techcollege, Himmerland Vocational and Upper Secondary Education (HEG), FGU Aalborg, FGU Himmerland and FGU Vendsyssel.

WHICH COURSES ARE PARTICIPATING?

The following programs from TECHCOLLEGE participate:

• The location of the project is in the development phase. A decision will be made in late summer 2026 on which specific education programs will participate in the project.

THE PROJECT IN NUMBERS

Total project funding: DKK 14,486,836.80

EU Social Fund Plus grant: DKK 5,780,247.88

North Jutland Region: DKK 3,867,985.43

Self-financing: DKK 3,470,483.49

Participant funding: DKK 1,368,120.00

TECHCOLLEGE's total budget: 1,309,961.71

Project period: October 6, 2025 – December 31, 2028

WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE PART OF THE PROJECT?

The project is based on the recognition that the challenges with apprenticeships and internships are complex and cannot be solved by one actor alone.

The purpose of the project is to strengthen the transition from school to apprenticeship and internship for VET and FGU students through a joint holistic effort that works in parallel with the students, companies and schools.

Students must be better equipped with both concrete tools and individual support, companies must be supported in accepting and retaining students, and schools must have clear structures and common methods to bind the parties together.

The project has three main initiatives:

Main activity 1

Student-oriented efforts

Activities that strengthen students' skills, motivation and opportunities to find, obtain and maintain an educational agreement

Practical teaching modules: Development of teaching modules in apprenticeship search, job interview training, personal branding and networking techniques, etc. The teaching is linked to labor market education and includes cases from real companies, so that students meet realistic requirements and expectations.

Apprenticeship mentor : Individual support is also offered in the form of an apprenticeship mentor who follows the student before, during and after the internship/apprenticeship. The mentor helps with applications, interviews, personal challenges and acts as a link to the companies. The mentoring scheme can be adapted to the different needs of the schools, but has the common goal of giving the students a hands-on effort so that no one is left alone.

Apprenticeship clubs : To strengthen motivation through community, apprenticeship clubs are established where students meet and share experiences, and external actors can contribute. The apprenticeship club can take place both during the internship search phase, during training periods (possibly online) and as relationship-building activities in connection with the main course.

Main activity 2

Business-oriented efforts

Activities that make it easier for companies to welcome students, create attractive internship and apprenticeship environments, and enter into binding partnerships.

Company dating : Through activities such as apprenticeship dating, company presentations and company visits, students and companies are brought into direct contact. This gives students a realistic picture of the labor market and companies the opportunity to meet potential apprentices.

Support for training managers in companies : Training managers in companies receive support in the form of tools and guidance. The focus is on handling diversity – e.g. diagnoses, dyslexia and cultural backgrounds – and on creating a learning environment where students thrive.

Agreements with companies : Agreements on binding collaborations with companies regarding internships and retention.

Main activity 3

Activities that collect and develop experiences across schools, companies and other actors and that ensure that the project's results are lasting and anchored in practice.

Workshops/presentations : Workshops/presentations and dialogue meetings are held on, among other things, Generation Z / Alpha. Here, knowledge about young people's motivation and working methods is presented, followed by a debate in which companies, KUI, the social partners, students and school employees can participate. In this way, a common understanding is developed of how internship and apprenticeship environments can be made more attractive and retaining. The involvement of the many different actors ensures that a broad infrastructure is created around the young people that can continue even after the project ends.

Knowledge sharing seminar : The project holds knowledge sharing seminars where experiences and data from and ideas for new course trials and workshops are shared. External speakers contribute with new perspectives on how to teach apprenticeships and labour market readiness. In addition, procedures and methods are developed that can be integrated into the schools' daily work and

systematic in retention work.

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED RESULTS OF THE PROJECT?

The expected results of the project are to retain more young people in education and thereby prevent them from ending up in the NEET group. This is done through a strengthened focus on the transition from school to apprenticeship or internship for students at VET and FGU.

Through targeted preparation, individual support and company-oriented activities, the project works to ensure that more students both obtain and maintain an apprenticeship:

The project will test different interventions among approximately 1,300 students and ensure systematic knowledge sharing across the eight partner schools (three FGU schools and five vocational schools).

A method manual is being developed that describes at least seven specific initiatives and organizational measures that can be used to strengthen the preparation and support of vocational and FGU students throughout the internship and apprenticeship process.

Contact

Information regarding the project, contact project managers:

Julie Faerch Petersen: jfpe@techcollege.dk

Mette Zaar Gregersen: meza@techcollege.dk