1. Summary
Resume - - Deployment of digital technol-
ogies and how it may impact quality of
jobs an innovation opportunities.

2. Teknologisk Institut
Title:
Summary: Survey of competence needs and barriers to tertiary adult continuing vocational educa-
tion and training for skilled workers in technical and production fields
Prepared for:
The Danish Agency for Higher Education
Prepared by:
Danish Technological Institute
Policy and Business Development
Teknologiparken
Kongsvang Allé 29
8000 Aarhus C
April 2015
Hanne Shapiro, Danish Technological Institute
hsh@teknologisk.dk

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Contents
1. Introduction.................................................................................................... 4
1.1. Key messages emerging........................................................................... 4
2. Background and objectives to the study ............................................................. 5
2.1. Method and data basis ............................................................................. 6
3. Conclusions .................................................................................................... 9
3.1. Supply and activity in adult vocational continuing education and training
(tertiary VEU)..................................................................................................... 9
3.2. Skilled workers' job functions and competence needs in the group of
enterprises that invest in digital technologies to enhance agility and innovation
performance .....................................................................................................13
3.3. Barriers to tertiary VEU - and possible solutions .........................................14
4. Analysis of previous educational program activityFejl! Bogmærke er ikke
defineret.

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1. Introduction
In September 2014, Danish Technological Institute was commissioned a study by the
Danish Agency for Higher Education with focus on the impact of digitalization on the de-
mand for skills in manufacturing, installation and construction industries. The study was
published in January 2015 in Danish. This paper presents a short summary of the key
study findings and the context of the study.
1.1. Key messages emerging
 Automation and digitalization do not in all cases drive demands for higher skills
levels, which are hard to meet - as such the European rhetoric of a digital skills
gap may greatly overestimate the nature of the challenge.
 Among app 700 hundred Danish firms surveyed and 25 in depth case studies
primarily within manufacturing and installation half of the firms that have adopt-
ed more advanced digital technology platforms make do with technology suppler
courses, internal training and short labour market skills specific training courses.
 The other half, and almost all of the installation firms ( smart building solutions)
have a growing need for more advanced skills among their skilled workforce
trained in the dual system, and the existing supply does not match changing
needs for a deeper technological foundation knowledge, subject based knowledge
in math, physics, written communication and languages, underpinned by a strong
business process and customer understanding and the opportunities afforded by
pervasive digital technologies.
 In one set of firms training of the shop floor workers occur, when specific new
skills are needed due to changes in the technological base, education and training
beyond that is seen as a high risk to the firm, as it could lead to that the well
performing shop-floor worker is educated out of productive role into a superviso-
ry role. Some flexibility is a target of the train due to that digitalization has been
used as a means to reduce the shop floor workforce to the absolute minimum-
and so to avoid stand still in the production.
 In the other group of firms education and training is deeply embedded in the stra-
tegic direction of the firm- and training occurs in advance in support of business
transformation. The well performing skilled worker is actively encouraged to un-
dertake formal continuing education, which is seen as a central means to ensuring
that the productive shop floor environment is a central motor of innovation- the
shop floor worker is in that sense – an “engineer lite”- but of a different nature
and their hands on practical skills deeply appreciated.
 For half of the firms automation and digital technologies have driven dramatic ef-
ficiency gains- the organizational fat has been cut through a technically driven
lean process, and no slack has remained. Apart from that production processes,
work organization and business models have remained more or less unchanged.
The technologies have however led to that job tasks have become more monoto-
nous with a large proportion of the work time being used for inspection, monitor-
ing and documentation.
 For the other half of the firms a lean process has been used to drive an organiza-
tional focus on where do we produce value, and shop floor workers have actively
been encouraged to come with ideas. The organizational fat has been cut, but
with some slack driving a transformation of business processes and value proposi-
tion. This groupof firms provide an interesting empirical evidence that digital

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technologies may not only lead to „digital taylorism‟1
, but can enhance the job
quality, the agility of the work organization, and digitally enabled service intensive
innovation in manufacturing firms.
 In both instances decisions taken are seen as an alternative to more off-shoring-
and in the manufacturing industries the platform for small series or 0-series pro-
duction.
 The competitiveness strategy pursued defines whether the implementation of digi-
tal technologies lead to „digital taylorism* that is narrow jobs with a high degree
of routinisation at the shop floor level, or whether digital technologies become a
means to avoid commodisation- and instead create jobs that require both deeper
and broader skills of the shop floor workers so that they can contribute to cus-
tomer involving innovation processes.
 In both cases there has been a strong call for improving efficiency- and it is worth
noticing that Danish manufacturing firms on an average have improved the
productivity about 30 pct. during the period 2008- 2013- compared to an average
of not quite 10% for the EU as a whole.2
in Europe as a whole. However, whereas
the prime driver and outcomes of digital investments have been efficiency gains in
half of the companies, the investment in digital technologies have in the other half
led to wide transformations of business processes, work organization and value
proposition product/ service configuration.
 At present no attempts are being made to monitor the outcomes of the two differ-
ent strategic choices. In the recently published “Information Technology Outlook
from World Economic Forum” Denmark comes out as number 15- two sets of in-
dicators stand out- Some years ago Denmark was perceived as a leading country
in e-gov- driving innovations also in the private sector, that time is long gone.
Though Denmark according to The WEF survey has a high ICT user ability and in
general a strong technological absorptive capacity, the usage of digital technolo-
gies for organizational innovation and innovation of business models.
 In another study we have found how Danish SMEs in manufacturing manage to
become lead niece sub-suppliers in globalized markets through an innovative and
service intensive deployment of technologies- is Denmark missing out due to a
housewife wallet vision and strategic approach to the digital economy?
2. Background and objectives to the study
As a follow-up to the tripartite negotiations- between the government, the Confederation
of Unions and the Confederation of Employers, 1 billion DKK were allocated to more and
better adult education as part of the government‟s Growth Plan to kick start the economy
through targeted public investments and deregulation. Of this amount, DKK 355 million
has been reserved for further education of skilled workers to technician level through
participation in adult continuing professional education and training (VEU) at short-cycle
tertiary levels (academy profession levels). Tertiary VEU (adult continuing professional
education and training) is to be significantly renewed and expanded through 2020. The
goal is for the number of part-time programs at tertiary level to be increased, especially
in technical, production, and adjacent fields, in order to maintain and develop advanced
production in Denmark through increased qualification levels in the workforce. It is un-
1
Brown Phil, Lauder Hugh, Ashton David (2012) Global Auction of Skills Broken Promises of Education, jobs
and Earnings. Oxford University Press
2
http://www.ae.dk/sites/www.ae.dk/files/dokumenter/analyse/ae_dansk-industri-staar-toptunet-til-
fremgang.pdf

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clear whether the current limited supply of tertiary adult continuing training programs in
technical and production fields is sufficient to match coming competence needs, and
therefore new supply and program organizational forms may be necessary. Since 2005
there has been an increase in the total number of part-time participants in tertiary VEU in
the fields of information technology, innovation, product and production, laboratory and
biotechnology, and transport and logistics. However, at the same time there has been a
decrease in the number of skilled workers who have participated. In 2013 skilled workers
accounted for one-third of course participants, except in the field of transport and logis-
tics, where this figure was 46%. With this background, the overall objectives of the map-
ping have been:
To survey competence needs in technical and production fields. The goal is for
education institutions to become better acquainted with competences in technical and
production fields that enterprises and employees need to acquire through tertiary adult
continuing training.
To survey perceived barriers to participation in continuing education and train-
ing. The survey has identified perceived barriers for participation in tertiary VEU at en-
terprise level, and employee level, and at a systemic level.
To survey existing and planned supply. The survey has identified existing supply and
the use of tertiary part-time technical and production education programs for skilled
workers. The survey has identified participants' profiles and professional background,
course activity in modules as opposed to entire education programs, and differences in
regional activity. In addition, the survey has clarified which barriers education institutions
are faced with in supplying VEU to skilled workers, and which initiatives institutions have
launched to make this supply more appealing to skilled workers. Finally, the survey has
identified education institutions' planned supply of tertiary VEU in technical, production,
and related fields.
Proposals for new education programs and delivery. The survey data and the inter-
views have been used as sources to develop generic skills profiles needed for digital
manufacturing, intelligent installations and digital construction. The aim of the Ministry
was from the outset that the analysis should be sufficient granular so that that the ge-
neric task based skills profiles at a later stage could be used as the core resource base
for curriculum development. The analysis also presents concrete proposals for delivery
models that may reduce perceived barriers. Finally, the analysis provides examples of
how the stakeholders - such as education institutions, employer associations, industry
associations, and employee associations - all can collaborate with enterprises and em-
ployees to lower barriers and increase motivation for participating in tertiary continuing
adult training.
2.1. Method and data basis
The study is based on the following data:
Desk research of previous analyses of competence needs and skilled workers'
use of tertiary adult continuing training in technical fields.
Introductory interviews with the Trade Panel for the Implementation of the
VEU-billion. Introductory interviews were held with this group which represents stake-

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holder organizations and education institutions. The goal of these interviews was to im-
prove the collection of data by including the panel's assessments of developing trends in
skilled workers' competence needs and barriers to supply.
Meetings with the Trade Panel. Meetings were held so that the Panel could contribute
with input to the analysis process.
Enterprise survey. A telephone interview survey was carried out with 709 enterprises
working in technical and production fields. Each interview lasted about 30 minutes. Re-
spondents were representatives from enterprise management who were familiar with
skilled workers' job functions and competence needs. Respondents were initially asked to
focus on skilled workers in production and with technical job functions, and to leave out
skilled workers with administrative job functions. Certain enterprises were eliminated
from the sample, such as those with simple craftsman-based production or those that
only had warehouse or sales function in Denmark.
Enterprise job functions, production processes, and competence needs are all complex
fields with very large sample spaces. Since this makes it difficult to pre-define response
categories, the interview process was organized through open questions. Answers were
then categorized so that they could be grouped and quantified.
Qualitative interviews with enterprises. Qualitative interviews were carried out with
25 enterprises, primarily in process industry, manufacturing, installation technology, and
contracting. Most of the enterprises chosen for this were large in size, based on the pre-
sumption that larger enterprises would more clearly present trends in skills needs that
will affect their Danish sub-suppliers. There has also been an expectation that these en-
terprises overall have a more strategic approach to tertiary VEU and can therefore be
seen as an indicator of future demand, and their requirements will influence demands to
their Danish sub-suppliers within the value chain.
The purpose of the qualitative interviews has been to obtain in-depth insight into how
and to which extent digital technologies drive changes in the production process, busi-
ness model and products and services, and how these are linked to the competition
strategy pursued and subsequent changes in job task, work organization practices and
skills demanded. When discussing job functions a tasks based approach was used in-
formed by both OECD - the digital economy working group -and the US O*NET methodo-
logical development to get a sufficiently granular understanding of the nature of change
occurring. In so far as possible, respondents were production line or function managers,
skilled workers and their shop stewards, and HR managers.
The interviews dealt with the following themes:
 Linkage between competitiveness strategy pursued and the way digital technolo-
gies are deployed;
 What are the linkages between enterprises' use of digital technology, work organi-
zation practices, quality of jobs, and skills utilization - skills development practic-
es?
 What is perceived as skilled performance in a highly digitalized work environment
- and are there varied perceptions?
 What is the organization and extent of restructuring due to digitalization, and its
impact on tasks and models of flexibility?

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 What is the role and value of skills formation - use and choice of suppliers- and
are there any barriers to this?
Statistical analysis of education activity
Danish Technological Institute has analyzed statistics from the Danish Agency for Higher
Education (Uni-C data bank) for participants in tertiary vocationally-oriented adult and
continuing education and training courses. The analysis identifies participants' education-
al background (highest completed qualification), employment status before participation,
professional background, etc.
Information on current and anticipated supply of continuing educational activity
During the mapping of supply, a form was used to gather information from academies of
professional higher education on their current and expected supply of tertiary education
programs for skilled workers (tertiary academy profession programs) in technical and
production fields. This mapping focuses on tertiary programs that target skilled workers
in production, technical fields, and building and construction.

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3. Conclusions
3.1. Supply and activity in adult vocational continuing education
and training (tertiary VEU)
Activity in tertiary VEU is currently increasing - but from a low initial level
There has not previously been any widespread tradition for further education of skilled
workers in technical and production fields. The supply of part-time studies has been
modest and demand - calculated by the number of participants - has been limited.
Recent years have seen an increase in activity within tertiary VEU. Statistical analyses
show an increase in participants in part-time academy profession programs, for example
in the Innovation, Product, and Production program, where the number of participants
increased from 502 in 2012 to 947 in 2013. This program, however, has a very wide tar-
get group, and the number of skilled workers participating has been declining since the
crisis. Information on education institutions' current and expected supply of part-time
academy profession programs shows an expected increase in participants for the begin-
ning of 2015 - especially for Innovation, Product, and Production. A similar increase in
participants is expected for Energy Technology.
New academy profession programs in the pipeline
Information from education institutions shows that new academy profession programs
are in the process of being approved and are expected to start in 2015 in the field of Au-
tomation and Operations and as a new program for Energy Technologist. In addition
there are plans for new programs for building and construction and for the automotive
fields.
On the basis of recent years' increased participation rates in tertiary VEU, increased ac-
tivity can be expected in technical and production fields due to increased supply targeting
employed adults, where supply has hitherto been limited. Expectations of increased ac-
tivity can also be substantiated by the fact that increasing numbers of enterprises fore-
see increased needs for skilled workers with higher qualification levels so that they can
be better prepared for participation in development functions and work processes that
target customers and are often organized in project form. Education institutions admit
that tertiary VEU has not been a high priority in recent years. This indicates that the
market is under development, but institutions also indicate that they have already im-
plemented a number of initiatives with regard to building relationships, discovering de-
mand, and marketing.
Potentials for increased demand for tertiary VEU
Recent overall increase in tertiary VEU indicates a potential for realizing greater demand
for part-time academy profession programs in so far as there is a relevant high-quality
supply targeting production and technical fields and construction, along with flexible
models for supply. The enterprise survey shows that 41% of enterprises in production,
installation technology, and building and construction expect skilled employees in tech-
nical and production jobs to need to strengthen their competences to a tertiary qualifica-
tion level. Data indicate that this is the equivalent of 32,000 skilled workers who will
need a competence boost. It should be noted, however, that this can take place through
individual modules as well as through an entire program carried out part-time. In addi-
tion, the survey does not indicate how much enterprises are willing to invest in increased

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tertiary VEU efforts. Finally, some middle managers and employees indicate that interest
for enrolling in a tertiary VEU program will be greatest for employees with at least 10
years remaining on the labor market; this can have consequences for demand, given the
age profile of skilled workers, with an aging workforce in both manufacturing and con-
struction in particular.
Education and training can under certain circumstance contribute to skills based
innovation
Although skilled workers' participation rate in tertiary VEU has so far been relatively low -
about 1/3 of all participants - the mapping shows that academies of professional higher
education can contribute to enterprise development; 36% of enterprises report that
skilled workers have within the past three years participated in further education and
courses supplied by academies of professional higher education. The installation technol-
ogy field is especially represented - 56% - probably because a number of electricians
have obtained special qualifications related to energy or have participated in full-time
programs to become installation contractors. A great number - 91% - of these enterpris-
es indicate that they are satisfied with the outcome of these initiatives, and that their
employees' core professional competences have been strengthened. Value added has
permitted these enterprises to take on new assignments and broaden their market so
that they can deliver for broader service contacts. These results indicate that tertiary VEU
can strengthen competitiveness in other technical, production, and construction trades, if
supply is made visible and especially if supply is increasingly organized as part-time de-
livery that can accommodate working adults and the fact that enterprise production has
been trimmed since the crisis and it is difficult to make do without the individual employ-
ee. The interviews emphasize an increased awareness in enterprises that tertiary VEU
and individual modules can give skilled workers a more in-depth knowledge basis and
permit them to understand and react within complex contexts thereby strengthening firm
agility and the overall innovation performance and speed of innovation, according to
company data. In this way tertiary VEU is a potential innovation enabler.
Implementation of digital technologies not skills neutral- two main approaches
It has often been said that there is but a modest tradition for formalized tertiary VEU in
technical, production, and construction fields. Nevertheless the analysis indicates that
enterprises are quite educationally active, but have various strategic approaches to ter-
tiary VEU and to use of the public further and continuing education systems. The map-
ping shows two main approaches to competence development of skilled workers. These
approaches cross sectoral lines, and are linked to enterprises' organization of work pro-
cesses and approach to automation and digitization, and ultimately to the competitive-
ness strategies pursued. Though efficiency gains are a highly prioritized target for in-
vestment in automation and a wider range of digital technologies for all the, then for one
group of companies it is the key priority, whilst for the other group efficiency gains are
complemented by a wider transformation of business processes, work organization and
product/service configuration and with the aim of achieving agility and higher speed of
innovation and strong customer relationships.
The strategic approach to digitalization has huge consequences for the quality of work,
skills utilization and development opportunities.
The reactive firms

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One group of firms can be characterized as "reactive" - a term enterprises themselves
use. They only invest in any form of training when there is a specific and apparent need,
competence development aims at training the skills for specific job tasks in conjunction
with using new equipment and tools in particular - and mostly in the form of informal
training, which at best leads to a certificate from a supplier. The attitude is that if in-
vestments in education are to be made, the demand for tertiary VEU must originate from
the employee, and the employers do not encourage their employees to undertake educa-
tion and training unless it is for an existing and specific job role where a mis-match or a
gap has arisen. The idea of educating the workforce to raise the general competence lev-
el of the firm- also when the education is relevant to the business strategy, tertiary VEU
is seen as a major risk, which will likely result in employees being "educated out of the
shop floor". These enterprises typically have clear dividing lines between what skilled
workers do, what unskilled workers do and what engineers do- with the two first having
quite specific and narrow job functions. With digital technologies the skilled worker has
more of a monitoring and inspection role, and there numbers have been reduced sub-
stantially as a result of digitalization. The unskilled workers employed- have often been in
the same company for years- and they know their specific work tasks so well, so it re-
quires relatively little training to upskill them to use new digital equipment is the percep-
tion of several companies. These enterprises have invested in digitalization primarily to
improve efficiency, and changes in work processes are primarily driven by the automa-
tion of some tasks at the shop floor. Adaptation of work tasks and training mainly aim to
ensure that shop floor workers can use more than one piece of equipment in the actual
production process, but workers are only trained to undertake those specific extra tasks.
Automation in this sense primarily revolves around reduction of costs and with reference
to the salary levels of the skilled employees. When these companies invest in training
they primarily focus on specific technical skills and they see a big advantage in using the
suppliers rather than public providers; the argument is that shop-floor workers are
trained on the equipment they are going to use, and this reduces implementation costs
and ensures that workers are up to maximum productivity faster. A few of the enterpris-
es have comprehensive in-house continuing training targeting their technology basis and
products. Several enterprises admit that peer training is not the best solution, because it
is often too unstructured for quality demands.
Proactive firms
The other group of enterprises has a more strategic approach to competence develop-
ment. These enterprises see opportunities to strengthen development functions and cus-
tomer involvement through increased internal flexibility, so that engineers and skilled
workers collaborated in project-like and more fluid work processes that will typically en-
gage customers and users in development processes. The implementation of digital tech-
nologies is seen as a strategic choice to improve agility and speed of innovation, and it is
typically accompanied by transformation of work organization practices, business models
and product/ service configuration and value proposition. Skilled workers trained in the
dual system is in that context perceived as a critical source of innovation due to their
tacit insights in production processes and materials. Due to that perceived skills needs
are not so much an issue about ICT operational skills as it is a question of developing a
breadth and with of skills that can support that the shop floor worker can play an ena-
bling role in the digital transformation of the enterprise and its value proposition.
Hence, there is a strong motivation at the company level to ensure that skilled workers
have a deeper and coherent understanding of the business processes as a whole and how

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value added is and can be generated - also because in this digital environment they typi-
cally move from having relatively fixed job tasks to a much more fluid role of task alloca-
tion. Rather than recruiting new staff with an associate degree, this group of companies
emphasize that they need people with skills at the associate degree level in terms of the
technological foundation skills and knowledge base, but they should also have a deep and
practical understanding of the production processes - hence the focus on building on top
of an upper secondary vocational profile through the apprenticeship system, to achieve
what the production managers call an engineer lite. Whereas the companies that have
implemented digital technologies primarily for efficiency gains see further education as a
risk of educating the skilled workers out of the shop floor, the companies that pursue a
wider transformation strategy- see a coherent skills investment- and skills utilization
strategy as a key element to successful digital transformation.
Formalised further education potentially replace vendor certificates and in-
house training when digital technologies become a driver of a wider enterprise
transformation
Through further and higher level education and training skilled workers can contribute to
the development and documentation of complex customer-adapted solutions by acquiring
insights into technology platforms where advanced programmable robots play increasing-
ly important roles and requirements for documentation are increasingly detailed. The
main reason for investment in formalized further education and training is that skilled
workers thus can contribute across development, production, and maintenance, which in
turn greatly enhance productivity. Through the digital integrated platform the enterprises
closely link development, production, delivery and services and the digital technologies
also tend to drive an opening of innovation processes with a closer involvement of cus-
tomer, ends users and collaboration with lead firms in design and development. It there-
fore becomes a strategic challenge that the shop floor worker understands and can oper-
ate and change tasks within the digitally integrated production environment from a tech-
nical, functional, and business process and value creation perspective. Within that envi-
ronment the tasks undergo major transformations and are no longer tied to one or two
specific job functions. The successful transformation is key to achieving increased organi-
zational agility. For that reason in-house training and technical certifications are not suffi-
cient due to that the skilled shop floor worker must be able to act upon increasingly
complex information in an organizational context of flux - and this increases the need for
a knowledge base and associated skills which are deeper and also wider than the type of
codified skills sets that platform supplier certificates typically represent. Though there is
a need for academic content, both employees, shop stewards and production managers
interviewed emphasize that a curriculum transformation is needed as well. It should take
it point of departure in recognizable situations and challenges from the production envi-
ronment- and should offer rich opportunities to acquire academic skills applied to the
solving of a particular challenge, and quite a large number of companies point to that
learning could be enhanced by adopting simulations that emulate the digital production
environment and the collaboration within and across firm boundaries.
It is arguable, however, whether the education providers of associate courses have a
sufficient understanding of the disruptive and transformative potentials of digital technol-
ogy to be able to deliver the type of education needed, in particular because they so far
have had limited engagement with enterprises and mainly through HRM representatives.

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3.2. Skilled workers' job functions and competence needs in the
enterprises that pursue agility
Changing work processes - skilled workers with transversal functions
Danish manufacturing enterprises are currently - at varying rates and with varying ambi-
tions - digitizing and automating their production processes and facilities. The tendency
towards more advanced and automated production facilities brings changes in the organ-
ization of work processes. Where skilled workers previously performed specific and well
defined functions, they must increasingly take part in tasks and functions across the en-
tire production plant in those companies that implement digital technologies for wider
innovation purposes. Skilled production workers typically monitor, maintain, and optimize
the production facility so it can function as efficiently as possible. As a consequence of
increased automation and digitization, some enterprises reorganize their procedures to
increase innovation speed and to involve clients to a greater degree in development, for
example in designing production processes or specifying installation solutions and their
documentation. If these enterprises are to perform with agility and a high level of inter-
nal flexibility they must work in a project-based manner, which demands new technical
project management skills in their skilled workers.
Increased demands for documentation, communication, and technical English
As skilled workers carry out functions that are increasingly cross-disciplinary and flexible,
they are faced with increasing demands for documentation of work processes and must
be increasingly fluent in technical English and German. Documentation can take up as
much as 75% of a skilled worker's day.
Formalization and broader technological skills requirements
All trades are faced with increased automation, digitization, and speed of innovation of
technology platforms and accompanying communication protocols. Skilled workers are
thus faced with demands for more in-depth structured knowledge about technology plat-
forms, integration, user interfaces, and communication protocols and standards - rather
than demands for specific skills. Many skilled workers are self-taught in new technology,
especially programming. Control and monitoring technology has become more complex,
and it is no longer sufficient to merely have PLC skills. There is a need for knowledge
about developmental trends of PLC systems, including a systematic and structured ap-
proach to their programming. As more and more advanced robots are implemented in
production facilities, there are increased demands for skilled workers' knowhow, also re-
garding fine-tuning of robots. Some enterprises that are furthest in implementing robot
technology and automation find that adult continuing education and training (AMU) no
longer is sufficient, as skilled workers need a deeper conceptual knowledge about the
technologies as well as formalized programming skills - and typically this requires some
higher level of math and physics in particular, several companies have found. Develop-
ments in control technology also have consequences for electro-technical fields. Skilled
workers must increasingly understand test data and component-embedded software in
order to troubleshoot efficiently and correctly and deliver proactive service.
Exploiting data
Increased automation and digitization present new opportunities for production optimiza-
tion by analyzing production data, for example related to breakdowns, in order to pre-
vent future occurrences. Data can also be used for traceability and security purposes
and in an innovation context. Many manufacturing companies are aware of the poten-

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tials, but currently lack the skills to make use of the data both for operational and strate-
gic purpose.
The analysis led to the development of three generic competence profiles in industrial
automation, intelligent buildings, and digital construction - plus subject areas in for ex-
ample materials technology and materials recycling and re-use based on a task based
approach to analysis of the nature of change in skills at the occupational level.
3.3. Barriers to tertiary VEU - and possible solutions
Enterprise and employee barriers
The mapping shows major barriers to participation in formal continuing education and
training for the enterprises and their employees. It is a barrier if the enterprise has to
make do without one of its production employees because staffing of the production line
has been trimmed to the utmost since the crisis. At present most of the formal continuing
education and training provision in technical fields at the tertiary level is not offered as
modules and with a flexible time duration. Some enterprises point out that some employ-
ees may be hesitant to enroll in a tertiary education program because many skilled work-
ers in technical, industrial, and construction fields are older and have not been in formal
education for many years. Education institutions unanimously indicate that some skilled
workers might need to start with "refreshment courses" in technical mathematics, written
communication, physics, English, and study techniques if they are to complete and bene-
fit sufficiently from tertiary VEU. Competence assessment and clarification coupled with
targeted personal guidance could optimize the outcome of participation, but in the ter-
tiary sector validation of prior learning plays a limited role.
Flexible forms of education are important
The enterprises were asked about initiatives that could make tertiary VEU more attractive
and easier for skilled workers to complete. Responses show that it is especially important
for programs to be carried out as part-time education (55%), to be more praxis-oriented
and organized so they target adults (55%), and to be preceded by customized preparato-
ry introduction courses for employees who have not been in a formal education setting
for some time (54%). Many enterprises also indicate that programs should include the
possibility of enterprise located teaching (52%). The use of digital learning technologies
is also somewhat significant (31%). In the qualitative interviews, enterprises point out
that the increasing digitization of work processes must also be reflected in the organiza-
tion and implementation of education programs in the use of software and platforms. It is
however worth noticing that the experiences in using advanced digital simulations - for
example as developed by Siemens - are almost untrodden territory in continuing tech-
nical training in Denmark at present.
The limited supply of tertiary VEU limits visibility. Enterprises need targeted
guidance
Not surprisingly, the mapping shows that the limited supply has an effect on the visibility
of tertiary VEU for technical and production fields; 62% of enterprises say that targeted
guidance and information from suppliers could increase their participation in tertiary VEU.
Enterprises point to a lack of consumer information that can give them an overview of
tertiary VEU, and they find that regulations and application procedures for subsidy are
much too complicated and that there is little knowledge available about conditions for
receiving adult education grants (SVU). Enterprises would like to see a single internet

15. Teknologisk Institut
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site which presents an overview of academy profession programs, information about
when and where modules are offered, and what the costs are. Enterprises would like to
see activities that can increase interaction between education institutions and enterprises
and clarify needs and development trends; they also need more information - based on
enterprise experience - about the effects of tertiary VEU. This is especially important be-
cause of the current speed of technological development.
Systematic outreach in progress
Education institutions admit that written marketing material by itself is insufficient to
increase demand. There is a need for outreach to and counselling of enterprises; here the
social partners and trade associations can play a central role in clarifying the value added
of tertiary VEU. Some academies of professional higher education are beginning to col-
laborate with social partners and trade associations to meet with enterprises' manage-
ment and shop stewards in order to initiate dialog about further education opportunities
for skilled workers. Several enterprises point out the importance of also including middle
management - for example plant managers - since they typically have the direct respon-
sibility - rather than central HRM - for deciding on education and training of the shop
floor workers.