About 8,000 young adults in Denmark are being offered a second chance at their education.
Negative learning experiences have made many young adults give up on education, so Denmark has come up with an innovative solution to aid the 12% of the country’s 15-29 year-olds that are not in education, employment or training.
Spending £25 million on a state-of-the-art building in Haderslev, southern Denmark, Voksenuddannelsescentre Syd or VUC Syd, is offering a different style of learning experience. Lessons are delivered in igloo-shaped rooms, and much of the centre has glass walls. Architects have gone to great lengths to ensure VUC Syd does not resemble a school, creating a stylish interior and offering state-of-the-art technology.
VUC Syd is open to everyone, but the main age group attending is young adults in their early 20’s. To facilitate learning, each student who joins a receives an iPad which they are allowed to take home.
Vinnie Lerche, head of development at VUC Syd said, “The message is; we take your education very seriously. We want to invest in it”.
4,000 students are already accessing courses at VUC Syd by distance learning, and courses are offered to people living overseas, including Chinese students.
Online text books created by staff at the centre help students gain skills for work or prepare them for further training or academic study.
VUC Syd director Hans Jorgen Hansen said, “The biggest challenge is to give students confidence,. People have never seen their potential. Many have to start from the basics.”