The path to a craft certificate without primary and secondary education
The path to a craft certificate is often long and unpredictable for immigrants with little formal schooling who want to find work quickly. Asker municipality has implemented a successful combination of vocational courses, industry-oriented Norwegian language tuition and relevant work placements. NAV Asker is also quick to provide wage subsidies to employers.
- CHALLENGES: It is difficult to find a job without an education and formal qualifications. Many move from work placement to work placement without receiving an offer of employment.
- MEASURES: Vocational courses, industry-oriented Norwegian language tuition, relevant work placements and the use of wage subsidies. The measure is a cooperation between the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), the open university Folkeuniversitetet, and the municipal and county authorities. The participants are closely followed up.
- RESULTS: The participants acquire formal qualifications. The municipal authority reports that the course creates more predictability and a more secure economic framework for the participants. They have more chance of getting a job and less social benefits have been paid to the group in recent years.
About the measure
‘Craft certificate without primary and secondary education’ offers an alternative path towards achieving a craft certificate based on a model from the experience-based trade certification scheme. During the course period, the participants take the theoretical component of the child care and youth worker or health worker vocational programmes. The course comprises theory one day a week, industry-oriented Norwegian language tuition one day a week and relevant work placements three days a week. The Norwegian language tuition is adapted to the objective of passing the theoretical component for the craft certificate and finding work. The Norwegian language tuition is provided in full by the open university Folkeuniversitetet, while the participants take the test as external candidates under the auspices of the county authority.
The course is open to participants from the districts NAV Asker and NAV Bærum. The bulk of the participants come from the introduction programme, the Jobbsjansen project and the qualification programme, but others can also apply as long as they are registered jobseekers and are entitled to follow-up from NAV. The participants are closely followed up by NAV counsellors.
NAV provides mentor subsidies and wage subsidies when necessary to ensure good training during the work placement and increase the chance of employment. NAV Asker has found it beneficial to think across municipal borders and support schemes. It is also essential that the participants have funding throughout the process. By combining different support schemes, labour market measures, courses and training, the participants receive more comprehensive follow-up for a longer period. The course is funded through NAV’s training measures.
How to get going
- Be aware that finding jobs for the participants can be a long process.
- Assess the need for local labour and arrange for courses that suit this need.
- Assess different course possibilities. There are many different course providers across Norway.
- Consider whether you can collaborate with another municipality, department or sector.
- Familiarise yourself with employment processes and talk to recruitment managers in the work placement establishments.
- Think numbers and finances throughout the process. This makes it easier to get the management on side and gain support for the scheme.
- Being able to put a price tag on all elements of the courses makes it easier to cooperate on courses and work placements, for instance with other municipal authorities.
Contact information
Would you like to know more about how NAV Asker provides vocational courses combined with industry-oriented Norwegian language tuition and relevant work placements?
Phone: (+47) 90 17 47 63 / (+47) 40 01 99 63