Vocational subjects are more popular than last year, and a record number of girls have applied for construction and civil engineering, technology, and industrial subjects, the application figures for Norwegian high schools show.
“This is good news for our working life, which needs more skilled workers. I hope that the application numbers are also an expression of the students feeling that they can apply for the program they want, regardless of gender,” Minister of Education Tonje Brenna (AP) said.
There are 2,300 more applicants for vocational education programs than for study-preparatory education programs for the first year of High School.
1,300 fewer applicants have chosen study specialization for the first year as the first choice compared to last year, but this is still the field of study with the most applicants.
Differences
There are large geographical differences between what the students apply for. Møre og Romsdal and Nordland are the counties where most (61%) choose vocational subjects. In Oslo, only 28% of students have done the same.
There is a decrease in the number of applicants for health and youth development subjects, but this is still the vocational education program with the most applicants at all levels. Technology and industry subjects have the largest increase in the number of applicants, with 540 more applicants for the first year of high school compared with 2021.
Brenna promises that the county municipalities will receive extra funds to secure more apprenticeships.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayEducation
Do you have a news tip for Norway Today? We want to hear it. Get in touch at [email protected]
A degree in underwater basket weaving and oral penmanship is not going to go very far in the workforce.
vo·ca·tion
/vōˈkāSH(ə)n/
noun
1. a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation:
“not all of us have a vocation to be nurses or doctors”
pro·fes·sion
/prəˈfeSH(ə)n/
noun
1. a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification:
oc·cu·pa·tion
/ˌäkyəˈpāSH(ə)n/
noun
1. a job or profession:
“his prime occupation was as editor”
We can be rather Hoity-toity with our words.