Cap on education programmes has young people waiting to enroll

Not many months have passed since the Danish government’s cap on education programmes was adopted in late 2016. The law, designed to avoid people taking two education programmes at the public expense, was after protests from Danes changed in January so that it is now free to take a new programme at the same or lower level six years after completion of the first one.

But according to a study by the education media studentum.dk which it carried out in collaboration with Statistics Denmark, the new law has already had consequences for current and future students’ choices of education.

According to the study, one third of young people applying for an education replied that they have deferred making a choice of study programme as a result of the cap on education programmes.

Afraid of being locked in

Directly asked in the survey, more than two thirds of the young people say they feel pressured after the new law had been put into force. The concerns from young people can be felt at studentum.dk, which has noticed a strong increase in inquiries from young users.

“There is frustration and it recurs in the inquiries that we get and the responses from this year’s survey. It applies to those already studying, and to those who are to choose their programme of education this year. They are simply afraid of being locked into a future job that they have no passion for. Or to end up with an education that does not lead to a job,” says communications consultant Sofie Gry Laursen in a statement.

“[The students] are simply afraid of being locked into a future job that they have no passion for. Or to end up with an education that does not lead to a job,”

Sofie gry laursen, communications consultant, studentum.dk

The concern is not only found among young people who are faced with a choice of education programme, it is also found in young people who are already studying. In the survey, 6 per cent say they are considering interrupting their education programme in favour of another programme with better job opportunities. This is something that according to studentum.dk is due to the high unemployment rate among recent graduates, as recently stated in an analysis from the Economic Council of the Labour Movement (AE)

“When you look at the justifications for changing education programme, there are several who expressed that they want an education with better job opportunities. Others say that want to take a broader education to keep all their options open. One of the themes that I have encountered several times in my contact with users is the fact that with the cap on education programmes it becomes more difficult to create a unique profile by combining higher education programmes at the same level,” says Sofie Gry Laursen to studentum.dk.

1,313 young people participated in the survey.