BlueEDU-Norway-Aqua-VET
Aquaculture VET system in Norway
In order to receive a Journeyman Certificate (“Fagbrev” in Norwegian) in aquaculture, the candidates have to pass a theoretical and practical exam. Both young and elderly candidates, like staff in fish farming industry, must pass the same exams, since the curriculum in aquaculture is the same.
Staff that are currently employed by fish farming companies, today have two options if they want to receive a Journeyman Certificate. They may:
- Become an apprenticeship for 2 years (Option 1), which is part of the ordinary study path for young students age 16-21, or
- Become candidate of practice (Option 2) after working full time in a relevant job in fish farming industry for 5 years.
For each option the candidates have to pass a theoretical exam first, before they may take the final practical exam. The practical exam may take up to two days to complete.
Both options however, have some limitations that make it less attractive for those who are already in full time employment to take the journeyman certificate. To be an apprentice means that they lose income since the salaries are lower. To be a candidate of practice requires that you wait for five years or longer if you have a full or part time position.
The downside of both options, is that many do not have the desire to go out of work to get a Journeyman Certificate. Thus, the fish farming industry in many cases support their staff by engaging the existing VET schools to offer a separate course (Option 2) for their candidates. These courses may apply flexible training solutions consisting of a combination of e-learning and on-site training, in such a way that it is possible to take the courses when the candidates are in full time employment that in most cases are located in rural areas along the cost of Norway.
The government in Norway is currently (2017) preparing a third path “Fagbrev på Job” (“Option 3”), where a person after one year of full time employment in a company, may apply for and sign a contract with the County and the employer. They will both give guidance and training that leads up to the Journeyman Certificate, while the candidate at the same time does not lose out financially due to a salary reduction. The contract will depend on the individual’s real expertise. For some it may stick with training in under one year, while the maximum duration is four. This is going to be achieved by integrating lifelong learning into VET.