Denmark’s skills championship has awarded winners across 48 vocational disciplines after nearly 300 young competitors took part in this year’s DM i Skills in Hjørring, highlighting both the strength of Danish vocational education and the continued challenge of attracting more pupils to skilled trades.
A national contest for Denmark’s future skilled workers
The annual DM i Skills competition brought together young people from Denmark’s vocational education and training programmes (erhvervsuddannelser) for three days of practical contests in Hjørring, in northern Jutland. According to SkillsDenmark, winners were selected in 48 different competition fields, with 56 winners in total because some categories awarded more than one first place.
The disciplines covered a wide range of trades and professions, including bakers, bricklayers, pavers, roofers, carpenters and social and health care assistants. The format is designed to show vocational skills in a public setting, making craftsmanship visible to pupils, families and employers.
Søren Heisel, chair of SkillsDenmark, said the event had shown young people delivering “craftsmanship and professional skill at an absolute world-class level.” He added that Denmark had “so much talent and commitment,” which he said was promising for the future of skilled workers in the country.
Hjørring event drew about 50,000 visitors
This year’s championship was held in Hjørring and drew around 50,000 visitors, according to the municipality. The audience included school pupils, young people, parents and others interested in vocational training.
Visitors were not only able to watch the competitions but also to try some of the trades themselves. That public-facing dimension is central to the event’s purpose: DM i Skills is not only a championship, but also a recruitment and awareness platform for vocational education.
Hjørring Municipality highlighted local winner Caroline Kammer Olesen from Sosu Nord, who was named the best social and health care assistant. Her category also reflects the broader role of vocational education in Denmark’s welfare system, where skilled care workers are essential to the functioning of health and social services.
Denmark still falls short of its vocational education target
The celebration of young skilled workers comes against a more difficult policy backdrop. Since 2015, Denmark has had a political target that 30 percent of each youth cohort should choose a vocational education pathway after lower secondary school.
That target remains out of reach. Figures from the Danish Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet) show that 19 percent of pupils leaving the Folkeskole this summer applied for a vocational education programme this year.
The gap matters for Denmark’s labour market. Like several Nordic and European countries, Denmark faces long-term demand for skilled labour in construction, care, green technology and technical trades. Competitions such as DM i Skills therefore serve a wider purpose: they seek to raise the status of vocational pathways at a time when many young people still choose upper-secondary academic routes.
Vejle and Næstved will host the next editions
The next DM i Skills will take place in Vejle in 2027, while the 2028 edition is scheduled for Næstved. The rotating host model allows different parts of Denmark to connect local schools, employers and municipalities with the national vocational education agenda.
For Denmark, the championship offers a positive public stage for young skilled workers. But the figures on applications show that visibility alone may not be enough. The coming years will indicate whether events like DM i Skills, combined with policy measures and employer demand, can help narrow the gap between Denmark’s vocational education ambitions and the choices made by young people.
