00:00Just one hour away from Copenhagen, a vocational education and training center
00:06is turning Danish students into craftspeople.
00:09I've always been creative and practical with my hands,
00:13and then I thought, I want to learn a trade.
00:16Then Glacier popped up, and it looked really interesting.
00:20I really like the work.
00:22It's not like other types of construction works,
00:25typically a lot of manual labor.
00:27We do have a few heavy lifts here and there,
00:31but mainly it's quite nice work.
00:35It's never too late to learn new stuff,
00:38and when you're open-minded, it's always a possibility.
00:43As Europe works to cut carbon emissions,
00:45the demand for skilled workers is greater than ever.
00:48Vocational education and training centers across the EU are leading the way,
00:53preparing students to drive the energy transition.
00:57About 180 people are enrolled at this school,
01:03learning the skills industries are often looking for,
01:06such as glazing, roofing, and construction.
01:09Students split their time between the classroom and the workplace,
01:13discovering there are plenty of opportunities beyond the traditional academic path,
01:18and it's attracting people from all walks of life.
01:21I studied philosophy and history,
01:24and then I also wanted to get something more of a permanent steady job,
01:30but that's quite hard, being a philosopher or having studied philosophy.
01:35When you work as a glacier, it's a practical trade,
01:38and you feel like you get a more instant satisfaction working with your hands,
01:44and you can see the results more vividly.
01:48I always knew I wouldn't go the academic way.
01:51I've always been better with my hands.
01:53It's good we start pushing more for the green energy and for the environment.
01:58It's a big part of our job, and it's going to perhaps change how we work.
02:04Although vocational education often provides a more secure path to employment than traditional academics,
02:11it continues to suffer from low enrollment and visibility.
02:15The Clever Hands for the Future initiative, coordinated by this school, aims to change that.
02:20Backed by 1,95 million euros from the EU's Social Fund Plus,
02:25the three-year project uses new ways to shine a light on vocational careers.
02:30Projectets hovedformål, det er sådan set at rekruttere,
02:34altså at få en masse unge mennesker til at tage en erhvervsuddannelse.
02:38Den første hovedindsats er, at vi laver et samarbejde mellem nogle af vores EUD-lærere herude og grundskolerne,
02:46så de bliver tilknyttet i en klasse og har en langvejrelation,
02:50hvor det er, at de så kommer ud og viser de unge mennesker,
02:53hey, det er mega fedt at gå til håndværk.
02:55Så prøver vi at oplyse igennem vores jobcentre,
02:58hvor vi har jobcentremedarbejderne ude på skolerne,
03:01og så prøver de håndværksfagene.
03:03Og den måde igennem, så kan de bedre vejlede dem, som skal ud og have et job.
03:09Between 2021 and 2027,
03:12the EU is investing more than 150 billion euros in education and skills,
03:17with a strong focus on vocational education and training.
03:21To tackle skill shortages, especially in the energy and digital sectors,
03:25the European Strategy supports both funding
03:28and the harmonizing of qualifications across member states.
03:33Education is not an EU competence.
03:35It's the competence of governments, of regions.
03:37And there's a lot of important discussions among member states.
03:42Okay, but if we have, you know, European cooperation and exchanges
03:46and a European vocational degree,
03:49how do we make sure that we are able to,
03:51and if we want to have recognition of qualifications,
03:53that we have these quality systems aligned?
03:58Most importantly, you need to build trust between educational systems,
04:02but for the average person, what is important is that
04:05it can travel with his or her diploma, degree, throughout member states,
04:10wherever the industry or the job is better suited to what they're skilled for.
04:16The EU is also working to get more vocational students
04:19involved in international programs like Erasmus+,
04:22and to close the gender gap that still affects many trades.
04:26For Robert, this kind of support sends a strong signal
04:30to those wanting to explore alternative paths in life.
04:33The message I would like to tell is to think about it
04:38and there's more options than you think.
04:40And maybe you have overlooked a good option
04:42that could be a really good way for your future working life.
04:46Europe's future depends not just on technology and craft,
04:49but on people with the skills to make them work.
04:52Investing in vocational education and training today
04:55builds the workforce of tomorrow.
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