Danish-German Competence Centre

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The need to strengthen the cross-border efforts in the area of vocational training and further education stems from a desire to adapt the workforce competence level to the demands on the labor market. The shortage of skilled labor will be a challenge on both sides of the border in the near future. More than fifty percent of nowadays school graduates aim at a higher-education diploma, whereas at the same time the industrycontinues to look for skilled workers and engineers. On the Danish side of the border there is a shortage of traineeship positions. On the German side we see an increasing trend to the opposite. The general objective of the project is to develop a 'template' model to facilitate vocational training and educational qualifications that are recognized in both countries. The development of cross-border competencies is a specific focal point in this respect because it is a promising way to develop the Southern Jutland and Northern Schleswig-Holstein labor market in a longer perspective. Cross-border "life-long learning" aims at encouraging young talents to come to the region and stay here, thereby improving the industry's access to a qualified workforce. The cross-border concept is continuously disseminated to other higher-education and skill enhancement training facilities as well as the neighboring regions. The project has brought together all players and participants in the field of vocational training and further education in order to enter into a strategic cooperation. The implementation of the approach in existing organizational structures proves that the effort to develop template models is not dependent on economic trends and should be made a future integral part of education and training offered by schools and businesses in the region. Unlike earlier approaches, this project is not focused on cross-border recognition of various education profiles but mainly on rather more practice-oriented common education and training schemes with two equivalent diplomas. To achieve this objective it will, at the same time, be necessary to further develop the organizational and competence skills among the education and training professionals on both sides of the border. Experience gained in the provision and facilitation of cross-border mobility is the basis for the demand analysis/needs assessment with regard to cultural understanding, language and mobility barriers.

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