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Context: Vocational education and training (VET) plays a crucial role in the social inclusion of refugees. The aim of this paper is to examine how the VET systems of Austria, Denmark and Germany responded to the arrival of young refugees since 2015. VET in these countries is categorised as system of collective skill formation, which offers apprenticeships in addition to school-based training. The article examines and juxtaposes the legal rights, the actual opportunities and the barriers to refugees' participation in and completion of VET at upper secondary level in the three selected countries. Methods: The study is based on reviews of literature and an analysis of refugee policies in the three countries. The literature search used a snowballing strategy and included policy documents, research publications and grey literature from organisations of civil society. The literature review employed a narrative, issue-focused approach to explore and compare key categories relating to the research question. To elaborate, refine and structure the categories for each of the three countries we used an input-process-output model and a combination of deductive and inductive analysis procedure. Findings: The findings of the study are divided into six categories that structure the analysis: Admission requirements, validation of prior learning, vocational guidance and preparation, language training, social support measures and access to apprenticeships. The analysis reveals that both asylum seekers and recognised refugees have more opportunities in Germany than in the other two countries regarding the key categories. The findings show no major differences in the position of the social partners in the three countries in relation to refugees' participation in VET, however the national governments reacted differently to the influx of refugees. In Austria and Denmark, governments with strong anti-immigration agendas took office and reduced the access to and participation in VET for asylum seekers and refugees. At the same time, the German government introduced various integration measures for refugees in cooperation with employers with the aim of making VET more accessible to refugees. Conclusion: To access and complete VET, refugees depend on supporting measures to overcome a variety of barriers, e.g. regarding language training and access to apprenticeships. Overall, reforms in Germany demonstrate promising initiatives to overcome the barriers to the integration of refugees in VET, while reforms in Austria and Denmark have limited refugees' opportunities to access and complete VET.

In recent decades, a range of policy measures to support young people's school-to-work transitions has been initiated across Europe. However, these transition policies have rarely been studied systematically, particularly from a comparative perspective. Thus, the aim of this article is to compare Swedish, Danish and Finnish policies for supporting young people's educational and school-to-work transitions. Synthesising and analysing recent research, the article critically draws on Walther's (2006) classification of transition regimes that recognises a Nordic universalistic regime of youth transitions characterised by emphasis on collective social responsibility, individual motivation and personal development. We conclude that significant policy changes have occurred during the last two decades. Coercive measures have been adopted and social support reduced, making young people more individually responsible for the success of their transitions. Hence, current transition policies diverge in many respects from qualities traditionally ascribed to the Nordic transition regime. We also find significant differences between the three countries' transition policies, which in some cases indicate policy trade-offs. In addition, we conclude that transition policies are generally weakly coordinated across policy domains, which increases the risk of unintended consequences of these policies.

Upper secondary vocational education in Denmark is based on the apprenticeship model, which is recognised as a valuable route to employment for young people, who are not aiming for higher education. However, the apprenticeship model has a major weakness: it does not provide eligibility for higher education. The purpose of this article is to examine this problem in a historical perspective. The article builds on a combination of policy studies, statistical cohort studies and interview studies. First, the article explores why progression from apprenticeship to higher education has become a major policy problem in Denmark. Secondly, it explores political initiatives taken to "build bridges" to higher education. Thirdly, it examines the development of technical higher vocational education, which has been a main destination for the former apprentices. Lastly, it examines changes in the transition patterns from apprenticeships to higher education in recent decades and examines why the transition rate has declined. Explanations for the decline are identified at the structural, the institutional and the individual levels. It concludes by pointing at a dilemma behind the policies pursued: Trying to strengthen the links from apprenticeship to higher education involves a risk of weakening the current strong links to the labour market.

Purpose: Since 2007, it has been mandatory for all vocational schools in Denmark to assess the prior qualifications of all students when they begin at the school and to use this assessment to divide students into different ability-based courses (streaming) with the aim of increasing the retention of students. The purpose of this paper is to explore students' experiences of being placed on a low-ability course by using case studies of two classes from separate vocational schools in Denmark with different practices regarding the streaming of students. Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on theories of student drop-out and engagement (Rumberger, 1993; Finn, 1989) and on the differentiation-polarization theory (Gamoran, 2010) concerning the effects of streaming students into ability-based classes. Two cases are described, representing on the one hand predominately positive experiences of streaming (better relations to teachers and peers) and on the other hand predominately negative experiences of streaming (low teacher expectations and negative peer-learning). Findings: The study shows that the two schools have organized streaming differently and that the students have very diverse experiences of being placed in a low-ability class depending on the way the schools organize streaming. Originality/value: The paper discusses the basic dilemma that schools face when they have to teach students with very diverse backgrounds and levels of engagement. The study shows that the division of students into separate streams involves a risk of reducing the level of engagement among students in the low-ability courses, but it also suggests how streaming can be organized to increase the engagement of students and possibly reduce their risk of dropping out of vocational education.

The last two decades have seen an increasing political concern in the high dropout rates and low performance in education of boys compared to girls--at times in the form of a "moral panic". This has also been the case in Denmark where "the boy problem" in education now is placed high on the agenda of education policy. The purpose of this article is to examine this "boy problem" in relation to the dual system of vocational education and training (VET) in Denmark. By considering the gender divisions and the value of the VET programmes on the labour market, it explores what kind of problems boys have in VET. Secondly, it explores the role of VET for students at risk of dropping out based on individual qualitative interviews with 106 students, two-thirds male, attending vocational schools in Denmark. The analyses show that most students experience the dual system of VET as a valuable alternative to general education, but social and institutional processes of differentiation in the vocational schools place a significant group of students in a position where they have little chance of completing the programme. In the conclusion, some reflections are made on the effect of a recent reform of VET in relation to these problems.

The purpose of this paper is to explore current patterns of transition from education to work in the Dual System of VET in Denmark. First it will explore some of the significant changes that have taken place in the transition process. Then it will discuss two dimensions of the role of vocations and occupations in the transition process. One dimension is to connect the educational system with the employment system. The other is to offer imagined future identities for young people entering vocational education. The last part of the paper will present some findings from two research projects on the role and meaning of vocations in the transition from education to work in the Danish dual system. One surprising result is that graduates from the VET system have a very high mobility in the labour market even though the programmes provide mainly specific qualifications.

In ecological sciences, animal diets are often simplified to 'resources' or 'caloric quantities'. However, in the present study, we investigated the optimal foraging strategy of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua when both macro‐ and micro‐nutritional requirements are accounted for. Proteins cannot be synthesized from fatty acids, so the proteins for gonad development must come from other dietary sources. In addition, micronutrients are required in smaller quantities. For example, for cod, arachidonic acid (ARA) acts as a micronutrient precursor for prostaglandins, which is important for reproduction. We formulated a dynamic state‐dependent model to make predictions about optimal diet choice and foraging behavior. We applied the model to a case study in the strait between Denmark and Sweden. The model predicted that energy acquired from dietary protein should be twice that acquired from lipids, with a small increase in the lipid requirements when gonads are growing. The model also predicted that the 'energy sparing effect of lipids' made it beneficial to engage in risky foraging activity to supplement a lean diet with a little bit of fat. When we constructed the model to also optimize ARA uptake, the cod consumed relatively more ARA‐rich crabs in the months prior to spawning, despite the otherwise poor energetic value of this prey. In support of the model predictions, field observations indicated that lipid stores reached a peak shortly after the arrival of the lipid‐rich migrating herring and the fatty acid signal of these herring were evident in the liver of nearly all cod. Three month later, only half of the cod contained the herring‐derived fatty acid signal, supporting the predicted shift in prey type prior to spawning. From these model predictions and field observations, we conclude that, also in the wild, nutritional requirements can be at least as important as pure energy acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal trends of N2O fluxes across the soil-atmosphere interface were determined using continuous flux chamber measurements over an entire growing season of a subsurface aerating macrophyte ( P halaris arundinacea) in a nonmanaged Danish wetland. Observed N2O fluxes were linked to changes in subsurface N2O and O2 concentrations, water level ( WL), light intensity as well as mineral- N availability. Weekly concentration profiles showed that seasonal variations in N2O concentrations were directly linked to the position of the WL and O2 availability at the capillary fringe above the WL. N2O flux measurements showed surprisingly high temporal variability with marked changes in fluxes and shifts in flux directions from net source to net sink within hours associated with changing light conditions. Systematic diurnal shifts between net N2O emission during day time and deposition during night time were observed when max subsurface N2O concentrations were located below the root zone. Correlation ( P < 0.001) between diurnal variations in O2 concentrations and incoming photosynthetically active radiation highlighted the importance of plant-driven subsoil aeration of the root zone and the associated controls on coupled nitrification/denitrification. Therefore, P . arundinacea played an important role in facilitating N2O transport from the root zone to the atmosphere, and exclusion of the aboveground biomass in flux chamber measurements may lead to significant underestimations on net ecosystem N2O emissions. Complex interactions between seasonal changes in O2 and mineral- N availability following near-surface WL fluctuations in combination with plant-mediated gas transport by P . arundinacea controlled the subsurface N2O concentrations and gas transport mechanisms responsible for N2O fluxes across the soil-atmosphere interface. Results demonstrate the necessity for addressing this high temporal variability and potential plant transport of N2O in future studies of net N2O exchange across the soil-atmosphere interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocational education and training in Denmark is based on the dual system and the apprenticeship model and in many ways constitutes a success story. Since the 1930s, the social partners have had a decisive influence on the VET system through the principle of occupational self-governance, and this is a major reason why the dual system has survived until today. Although none of the system's stakeholders seriously question the value of apprenticeship, it is confronted with two major challenges that pose questions as to whether apprenticeship can remain the basis for vocational education in the future. The first challenge relates to whether companies can provide a stable supply of training placements of sufficient magnitude. The second challenge relates to whether occupational self-governance can survive the pressure from growing government intervention aimed at integrating the VET system within general educational policy. In order to answer these questions, the first part of this article examines how the Danish dual system came about as part of a historical process. In the second part of the article, the challenges confronting the VET system are examined in order to assess the future of a VET system based on apprenticeship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-synthetic cannabinoids (SSCs) are derivatives of phytocannabinoids with slight chemical modifications. SSCs have appeared as legal alternatives to tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 9 -THC) in recent years. This study investigates the prevalence of SSCs in seized drug samples from Danish police and custom authorities seized in Eastern Denmark in the period 2018-2023. Screening data obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were reprocessed to enable detection of SSCs. Seized drug samples were categorized into six types of formulations. Δ 8 -THC was the first SSC observed and appeared in 2019 followed by hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), tetrahydrocannabidiol (H4-CBD), hexahydrocannabinol acetate (HHC-O-Acetate), hexahydrocannabiphorol (HHCP) and tetrahydrocannabiphorol (Δ 9 -THCP). Only one sample positive for SSCs was observed before the third quarter of 2021, with positive samples increasing from third quarter of 2022. Over the study period, a total of 15% (n = 216) of seized cannabis products were positive for SSCs. HHC was the most frequently identified SSC and found in 10% (n = 137) of samples, followed by H4-CBD at 4% (n = 53), Δ 8 -THC at 3% (n = 44), and HHC-O-Acetate, HHCP, and THCP each at 1% (n = 10-20). SSCs appeared in 56% of E-cigarette products, 20% of hashish, 17% of concentrates, 10% of edibles, and 10% of plant materials. In conclusion, SSCs represent a new type of cannabinoids with a rapidly growing popularity and with specific compounds dominating at different periods. Some of the observed trends were likely influenced by the scheduling of HHC in May of 2023 in Denmark., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Forensic Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)