Kea reports summer uk

SUMMER 2013

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE

NOW IS THE TIME!

MOTIVATED GENERATION

KNOW-HOW IN PRACTICE PAGE 48

AN OPEN DOOR TO A JOB PAGE 25

TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP PAGE 42

STUDENTS AIM FOR A JOB PAGE 14

INSIGHT AND VISIONS Education that creates value for tomorrow’s society COPENHAGEN SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

SUMMER 2013

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE

NOW IS THE TIME!

MOTIVATED GENERATION

KNOW-HOW IN PRACTICE PAGE 48

AN OPEN DOOR TO A JOB PAGE 25

TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP PAGE 42

STUDENTS AIM FOR A JOB PAGE 14

INSIGHT AND VISIONS Education that creates value for tomorrow’s society COPENHAGEN SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

HALSKÆDE 299 / ARMBÅND 199 / ARMBÅND 299 / ARMBÅND 299 / RING 249 / RING 199 pilgrim.dk / find nærmeste forhandler på pilgrim.dk/stores

KEA Reports

SUMMER 2013 Contents 11

06 INTRO 14

– Market Manager Jørgen Ravnsbæk Andersen and Knowledge Manager Pernille Berg, KEA, welcome you to KEA Reports.

08 INSIDE – Glimpses from life at KEA.

14 THE MOTIVATED GENERATION – The students at KEA are the most motivated generation in a long time. They are focused on their job opportunities after graduation.

20

20 EDUCATION IS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE – Rector of KEA Ingo Østerskov and economist and former Chairman of the Danish Economic Council Torben M. Andersen discuss challenges, values and quality in education.

25 AN OPEN DOOR TO A JOB 25

– Internships lead to confidence in one’s own abilities as well as good connections. KEA students share their internship experiences.

Cover: Photography JAN SØNDERGAARD from Tools of the trades page 48

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Contents 34

42

34 PRACTICALLY SPEAKING

– The right balance between theory and practice is often the topic of debate. Also at KEA where internships are a mandatory part of all educational programmes.

40 WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD – At KEA, business and industry are an integrated part of the the programmes. Read the report from EConcept Development.

42 NOW IS THE TIME!

– Entrepreneurship is the new black, but can entrepreneurship be taught?

48

48 THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

– Students talk about tools that are specific to their field.

58 BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS – We need more women in the traditionally male-dominated professions. KEA’s Construction Management programme is taking action to change the balance.

62 I HAVE THE WORLD’S GREATEST STUDENTS EVERY YEAR – Anette Ristorp Ohlsen shares her thoughts on teaching in the Optometry programme.

66

66 NEW INSPIRATION IS GOLD – Learning should be a life-long endeavour. For our own sake and for the sake of our workplaces and society.

70

70 LIFE-LONG LEARNING – The independent business owner, the district manager and the HR director share their experiences with continuing education at KEA.

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KEA Reports

INTRO Welcome to KEA REPORTS, which replace KEA QUARTERLY.

Reports portray day-to-day life at KEA and offer a glimpse of our many exciting initiatives and activities. At KEA, we focus on providing education that is relevant both to the students and to business and industry. The articles in KEA Reports therefore reflect current topics that are also high on the political agenda.

KEA

The main theme of this edition of KEA Reports is the value of education for Denmark. It is the ambition of the Danish government to ensure that today’s children and youth become the best educated generation in the history of Denmark, because education generates jobs, innovation and growth to fund tomorrow’s welfare society. How do we best do that? We put this question to Professor and former Chairman of the Danish Economic Council Torben M. Andersen of Aarhus University and Rector of KEA Ingo Østerskov on page 40.

In educational contexts, ‘value creation’ and ‘practice’ have long been buzzwords. There is a growing awareness that theory alone cannot meet the challenges society is facing, but how do we strike the right balance between theory and practice to ensure that our educational efforts create maximum value for society? At KEA, part of the answer is to have theory and practice go hand in hand. All KEA students do a long internship as part of their studies. This internship benefits the students, who get a fi rst-hand glimpse of the challenges facing business and industry as well as valuable experience that is a help in their subsequent studies. You can read about the students’ wide-ranging internship experiences on page 25. And fortunately, the students are not the only ones who benefit from the internships: KEA grows every time a relationship with the surrounding world is formed and maintained, and the companies tell us that hosting interns from KEA is both inspiring and rewarding.

We believe that we can achieve much more together than we can alone. Therefore, business, industry, universities and other knowledge-heavy institutions in Denmark and abroad are an integrated part of research, development and teaching at KEA. This results in talented and competent students who help us develop and raise our many projects to new heights, and who time and again come up with solutions to real-life challenges. (For example, see on page 40 how students in KEA’s E-Concept Development line helped Harboes Brewery develop an Asian launch strategy for one of their products.)

KEA’s vision is to create educational programmes that help students face reality and develop a clearer understanding of their future potential. KEA programmes shape students’ identity from day one. Mandatory internships and the involvement of actual companies in the courses give the students a clear understanding of their future working life and – perhaps even more importantly – of their own capabilities and opportunities. Knowing one’s own skills and abilities and the challenges that await in future workplaces produces confidence and courage. Not a bad set of qualities to have after graduation when reality knocks on the door. At KEA, we consider this value creation – for the students, the labour market and society as a whole.

Pernille Berg

KNOWLEDGE MANAGER

Jørgen Ravnsbæk Andersen MARKET MANAGER

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PHOTOGR APHY Jan Søndergaard

Intro

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KEA Reports

INSIDE News , upcoming events and o utstanding student work . In brief: glimpses from KEA’s universe .

THE HETSCH MEDAL − RECOGNITION This is the first year that KEA hosts the Hetsch Medal event, which was previously managed by Copenhagen Technical College. The award, which includes a silver and a bronze medal has been handed out to Danish craft makers for 133 years, and everyone who meets the competition criteria may submit works for consideration.

The works will be judged by a committee that includes artist Bjørn Nørgaard, architect Kristin Urup and former Museum Director Bodil Busk Laursen among others. This year’s committee has also called in As Øland from Dansk Fashion & Textile as a special expert. In early May, this year’s award recipients will be presented with the medal at a traditional ceremony at Copenhagen City Hall with the participation of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe. Later, their works will be exhibited at Dansk Fashion & Textile and Kopenhagen Fur’s new innovation and design centre in A.N. Hansens Palæ.

— See more at kea.dk and dmogt.dk.

KARATE KID − SPORTS TALENT Combining a career as an elite athlete with the demands of higher education is a tall order, but at KEA the challenge is slightly more manageable. 25-year-old Hanning Høegh has done karate for 13 years and was about to graduate from the Computer Science programme at KEA, when the World Championships in karate coincided with his final exam. “I was told that KEA was willing to be flexible, and that it wouldn’t be a problem for me to take the final exam once I returned from the World Championships. If KEA had not shown this flexibility, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate on time,” says Hanning, who brought home a silver medal. The ability to combine his studies with competitive sports has encouraged Hanning to continue at KEA, where he is currently taking a bachelor degree in Web Development. And there is no way he will end his karate career until he brings home the gold!

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Inside

ORGANIC ORIGAMI − DESIGN The Japanese art of paper folding, origami, is the main inspiration for Natasja Qvitzau Lund’s fashion label Nuit Comme Oui, which she launched the same year as she began at KEA. Origami involves folding figures from a single sheet of paper, and based on this technique, Natasja has defined a set of guidelines for her design process. The guidelines mean that everything that carries the Nuit Comme Oui label is symmetrically folded from a square piece of fabric and available only in one size. Although the guidelines relate to the design process, they also serve an ethical purpose by helping to avoid waste, thus combining sustainability, art and design in Natasja Qvitzau Lund’s meticulously folded dresses, jackets and pant suits.

— See more at nuitcommeoui.com

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KEA Reports

GREEN GUIDE

− Sustainability is the way of the future, but it can be a difficult field to navigate. The book Guidelines II – A handbook on sustainability in fashion is intended for individuals and companies that wish to make existing production more sustainable or initiate sustainable production.

With case stories involving Jackpot, Noir, Aiayu and the denim maker Kuyichi, among others, the book explains what others have done. One of the book’s authors is Tina Hjort, who teaches sustainable design at KEA. H.R.H Crown Princess Mary has written the preface to the book.

— See more at fashionguidelines.dk

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Inside

WIN-WIN − ENERGY SAVINGSS In

the large department store Field’s in Ørestaden the lights are on, and the ventilation systems are working hard to carry the excess heat from the lamps out of the building. That is not healthy for the bottom line – or for the environment. Therefore, energy technologists from KEA will be working with the consultancy firm eoptimo to find a more energy-efficient solution for Field’s. The joint project lets the students test their theoretical knowledge in practice, and it gives Field’s an additional 55 perspectives on their energy usage. That is good for the students, for Field’s and, not least, for the environment.

— See more at kea.dk

DESIGN AT YOUR FINGERTIPS −

The mobile game Wordfeud gave the old board game Scrabble a world-wide revival, and with Punkt (Point), Tobias Freddie and Mathias Gammelby, both Production Technology students at KEA , have now found a way to make Scrabble accessible to blind users.

Punkt is based on braille and can be used both to teach blind children spelling and to introduce braille to people who have lost their sight as adults. The game was recently nominated for the world’s biggest design prize, INDEX: Award. If the two KEA students win their category, Play & Learning, they will have 100,000 euros to realise their idea.

NOMINATION

— See more at nominateforindexaward.dk.

KEA CONNECT

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

− KEA can call a full house for the two annual KEA Connect events, where prospective students and other interested visitors are offered a glimpse of life at KEA. All the programmes are represented and present examples of student projects. You can chat with a student counsellor or meet other students and hear why they think they have made the right choice. The next KEA Connect / Open House takes place in early November.

— See more at Kea.dk

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KEA Reports

INTERNATIONAL INTERNET SUCCESS − DESIGN The internet has many other uses besides Facebook. For example, this was where Silke Bonde began to market her graphic illustrations of foxes, hedgehogs and raccoons a year and a half ago.

Initially the illustrations were bought by Danish interior web shops, but the 22-year-old E-Design student soon began to look beyond Denmark’s borders, contacting web shops and stores abroad that carried a product line that matched her work. Since then, her business has taken off, and today, Silke’s illustrations are available in more than a dozen countries and a frequently feature in Danish home design magazines.

Silke Bonde graduates as an e-designer this summer and intends to spend her newfound free time to develop new products.

— See more at silkebonde.dk

LIGHTING THE WAY − Two KEA students took part in the Amsterdam Light Festival that took place in December last year. Both Rasmus Freek Engstrøm and Jerry Petersen, who study Architectural Technology and Construction Management at KEA, chose to spend their fifth semester at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, where they both developed contributions to the light festival. Together with his project group, Rasmus created Green Revolution, which highlighted the environmental advantages of LEDs, while Jerry’s project Return of the Bikes won second prize in the Amsterdam Light Festival and became one of the most talked-about projects at the event. The contribution consisted of bicycles welded together, rising out of the canal to reclaim the streets.

The goal was to draw attention to the 25,000 bicycles that are thrown into the canals of Amsterdam every year.

FESTIVAL

— See more at amsterdamlightfestival.com

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Inside

Charlotte and Katrine met when they studied Design Technology at KEA.

FOCUSED −

Charlotte Falck Andersen and Katrine Hjorth-Hess were among the first Design Technology graduates from KEA, and after several years in the lifestyle industry they have now founded the PR agency Inside PR. The idea came when Charlotte was on maternity leave last winter and did not know what she would do once her leave was over. Katrine suggested that they found a PR agency together to work exclusively with interior design, and Charlotte said yes. “After working with PR for many years we saw that there was a gap in the market. Most PR agencies work mainly with fashion, and no one works exclusively with interior design,” says Charlotte, who agrees with Katrine that KEA has played a major role in shaping their current working life. “We studied Design Technology because we were interested in design but didn’t really know how to approach it as a profession. At KEA we worked out what we wanted in our working life, and the internship especially, which we both did at the PR agency Spalt PR, had a huge impact on where we are today.”

PHOTOGR APHY — Amanda Hestehave

INTERIOR

— See more at insidepr.dk

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KEA Reports

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Fe a t u r e

MOTIVATE ME, PLEASE! Today’s youth is a GENERATION UNDER PRESSURE . They want to be able TO SEE A JOB AT THE END OF THEIR STUDIES.

text Leny Malacinski illustration Jesse Lefkowitz

J

eppe Drensholt has it.

It cannot be weighed, measured or photographed, but he brings it when he shows up for class in the Brand Design programme at 8:45 in the morning: motivation.

“When we have big assignments, we often work late into the night and do our best. I have my goal set on an internship in a graphic design agency, and once I graduate I would like to go into business for myself. I don’t want a tedious job from 8:00 to 16:00. I want every day to bring something new. That’s the dream, at least,” says Jeppe Drensholt.

He is one of the 4,112 full-time students who are currently enrolled at KEA , the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology.

Motivation is one of the most important qualities for young people as they complete their lower secondary education and go into the world to find a path to their future.

But without motivation, they get stuck. Almost one in five boys never completes a vocational or higher secondary education. In the vocational programmes, one in three students drops out.

Youth researcher Camilla Hutters finds these figures worrying. Together with a colleague she is currently investigating how to motivate young people to complete an education.

“This generation is not spoiled. It’s a generation under pressure. In Norway they call it The Serious Generation. You could also call them the Goal-Oriented Generation. They live up to calls for them to enrol in education sooner and to graduate sooner. But many find that they can’t navigate in our education system. It’s designed for a very streamlined approach, to be completed within the standard timeframe. That clashes with the reality of young people’s lives, where the labour market is changing, and the conditions for finding a job are changing. The young people are saddled with unrealistic plans. That is one of the factors that affect their motivation negatively,” says Camilla Hutters, who is an associate professor at the Danish Centre for Youth Research, Aarhus University.

In Herning, Louise Byg Kongsholm is director of Pej Gruppen, which has been communicating knowledge about current trends, especially to the lifestyle sector, since 1975. She agrees with Camilla Hutters that today’s young stu-

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dents are much more goal-oriented than students have been for years.

“At a crucial stage of their identity formation they are confronted with an all-encompassing crisis. Their predecessors had job offers on hand even before they had graduated. This generation is walking right into unemployment. That creates a new form of motivation that to some extent resembles the motivation we saw in the 1980s, when unemployment was soaring. So we have a generation who is determined to get ahead, do well, earn high marks, land a job that is relevant to their studies so they can pull ahead of the crowd in their quest to get a job, etc.,” says Louise Byg Kongshøj.

KEA IS A LABORATORY

From a research point of view, KEA, the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, is an interesting laboratory. In 2009, several vocational programmes were brought together under the initials KEA , ranging from sanitary plumbers to multimedia designers and surveyors.

The variation in drop-out rates clearly reflects the diversity of the student population. In the Computer Science programme, 61 percent do not graduate, while the Design Technology program-

KEA Reports

they should come. Others say that they just broke up with their girlfriend/boyfriend. It seems that their biggest problem is getting up in the morning. Then I have to explain the consequences to them, since eventually the students are expelled if they don’t show up,” says Ole M. Brandt.

In his assessment, young people’s view of authority has changed drastically since he was a student in the 1960s-70s.

“If the teacher used a stern voice on us, it almost felt like a beating. Today’s youth is much more immune At a crucial stage of their to that. We have to talk with them and help them work out identity formation what they want. But they do an allhave to show up for class,” says student counsellor Ole encompassing crisis.

M. Brandt.

He has also met students who said that they would rather receive student aid than This generation is welfare payments. Louise Byg Konsholm of Pej Grupwalking right into pen says that students skip unemployment a class because there are alThus, it is not only the stuways competing options: new form of motivation dents’ initial motivation for “They are constantly opbecoming a multimedia detimizing in relation to their signer or an electrician that own situation. That also determines whether they means that classic autho– Louise Byg Kongshøj, Director of Pej Gruppen. see it through. The teaching rity figures and rules don’t and the demands of the promean much to them. If class grammes are at least equally impor- in part because they are unsure about is boring or seems irrelevant, they don’t tant, and the students quickly respond what they want for their future, and come.” to whether the courses seem relevant or in part because they are unsure about too theoretical. If they do not feel that whether they can use what they learn in The German theorist and professor of their studies will be useful in a future a job as, say, IT support technicians. education Thomas Ziehe works with the job their motivation may evaporate.

When KEA students have these con- loss of institutional authority, among In other words: The students want cerns they often come to see the student other topics, and he argues that the to be able to see a job at the end of counsellors. Ole M. Brandt is the stu- school as an institution has lost power dent counsellor for IT Technology, and and status. In his assessment, the rejectheir studies.

If that is not the case they begin to he has met many students who have tion of tradition and confining structufeel that they do not fit into the pro- difficulty keeping up. Because they are res that was the pride of 1970s educagramme, they begin to fall behind, and depressed, have had a death in the fa- tion is lost on today’s youth. A fundaeventually they stop showing up in the mily or simply fail to see the point of mental liberal and democratic attitude in the education system has become the morning. Two students in the IT Tech- showing up for class. nology programme, for example, say “Some say that they can’t keep up norm, which means that students take that they are considering dropping out, with the class, so they don’t see why it for granted and do not perceive it as a me only loses 5 percent of the students.

Youth researcher Camilla Hutters is especially interested in drop-outs and those at risk of dropping out.

“The two figures reflect that young people have very different perceptions of their programmes and associate them with different opportunities for achieving status and identity. Young people make choices aimed at securing the best opportunities.

They ask, ‘What job can I get? What programme can I get into?’” says Camilla Hutters. Another explanation for the variation in dropout rates lies in the demands of the programmes. The Computer Science programme is easier to get into, but it is a very demanding programme, and many students are taken aback by the level of maths skills it requires.

They struggle because they lack sufficient maths skills from lower or upper secondary school.

“

confronted with

they are

Their predecessors had job offers on hand even before they had graduated.

. That creates that to some extent resembles the motivation we saw in the 1980s”

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Fe a t u r e

– facts – gift. That affects their view of the education, Ziehe argues: If the students do not feel that the courses are relevant to them, their everyday life and their ‘lifeworld’, they lose their motivation.

Today’s students have a high degree of influence, but according to Ziehe, that can actually be a burden. They have grown up in families where everything is negotiable and up for debate, and sometimes it may be more appealing to have someone tell one what is the right thing to do. Or to have someone – for example the educational institution – dictate that education is important and needs to be a priority, or there will be consequences. Even if the institutions have lost their authority, that does not mean that young people no longer need authority, says Thomas Ziehe.

THE HIGHLY MOTIVATED ALSO SKIP CLASS

In fact, it is not only the least motivated who skip class. In the Brand Design programme too, there are sometimes vacant chairs, says Nanna Kanneworff, who teaches the Professional Bachelor programme Design and Business.

“The students are very dedicated, but I have to admit that we are in tough competition with all the other things going on in their lives. And sometimes it’s hard to compete. They often put their paid jobs first if we give them exercises or assignments that are not graded or mandatory.

Many have jobs that are relevant to their studies, but of course their qualifications suffer if they don’t get enough practice,” says Nanna Kanneworff.

The lowest turnout she has had was a lesson where some 15 out of 42 students showed up. Today’s students typically make up their own minds and may not show up if a particular lesson seems less relevant to them.

“That also affects me as a teacher.

When the students put a lower priority on school, our motivation as teachers suffers too. When they ask ahead of time whether the scheduled activities on Thursday are mandatory, or whether they will be graded, I know they’re not going to show up. In my opinion, all exercises and assignments should be mandatory; when we ask them to do something, it should be a priority.

E X P L O S I V E I N C R E A S E I N Q U O TA 2

searching. But they never get around to that,” says Louise Byg Kongsholm.

A P P L I C AT I O N S F O R B U S I N E S S AC A DEMIES.

The business academies have seen the biggest increase in the number of Quota 2 applications; on 15 March 2013, the number of applications they received was up 41 percent from 2012.

These figures suggest that young people see the business academy programmes as relevant. They make smart choices: They listen to the companies’ call for qualified labour, are motivated and base their choices on job opportunities.

The Danish Minister of Education Morten Østergaard (R) welcomes this trend; in a comment to DR Nyheder he said, “I am overjoyed to see that the short-term higher education programmes account for so much of the growth in Quota 2 applications.

Paradoxically, at a time of high unemployment we also hear about companies that have problems finding people with the right qualifications. Here, the business academies offer an obvious answer to bottleneck issues, because they can deliver graduates within a relatively short time span.”

The teacher shouldn’t have to discuss whether or not the assignment is important,” says Nanna Kanneworff.

“As a generation, they are more focused on their own individual success than on the success of the team or the community. It’s first-come, first-serve and ‘survival of the fittest’. They want to optimise their time,” says Louise Byg Kongsholm, director of Pej Gruppen.

“Because they have so many options to choose from – offline and online – they have to prioritise constantly, make choices and plan their time carefully.

They don’t want to waste a single minute. They don’t want to be bored – it’s virtually a generation who doesn’t know how to be bored. Waiting time is always spent with a smartphone, every waking hour is packed. Being bored can lead to new ideas, innovation and soul

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appeals especially to young people who would not thrive in long university programmes, buried in theory books.

That is also true of the 27-year-old plumber Rasmus Berg, who is a student in the Sanitary Plumbing programme.

In school, he was a boy who could not keep his feet still when he had to listen to the teacher.

“I wasn’t very good at sitting still, and then one day my dad said that he had found me an apprenticeship as a plumber,” says Rasmus Berg.

After working and training for seven years he is now enrolled at KEA, qualifying as a sanitary plumber, so that he can open his own company.

“I love it here. I learn more about the stuff I’ve been working on for the past seven years. And today I have no problem sitting still,” says Rasmus Berg.

He thinks his fellow students are motivated, although he acknowledges that the turnout may suffer when the topic of the day is Excel spreadsheets.

Youth researcher Camilla Hutters, who is examining what it will take to encourage more young people to complete an education, points out, however, that it is not only the students who need to deliver.

The drop-out rates also reflect the ability of the teachers to appeal to the students and make the content relevant.

“For many students in the business academies, it is important that the programmes are not too long, and that they are able to see the relevance. For example, I talked with a man who studied innovation, and he was disappointed to find that they don’t actually learn how to innovate. Instead, a teacher reviewed theories on innovation based on a book.

The students at KEA want to learn something that is directly applicable in the job market,” says Camilla Hutters.

KEA

Young people are also under pressure because they have to make a choice that, at the time, feels as if it is ‘for life’.

“What they find most stressful is this feeling that they have to make a choice that will determine the rest of their life.

And of course, no one can do that. Hen-

KEA Reports

a day you study,” says Simon ce, drop-outs and false starts Bacon Tranekær Kullegaard. are part and parcel of living in a society such as ours. It is a natural part of finding the THE NEW GENERATION IS right education in today’s unWELL PREPARED predictable job market,” says However, the most important Camilla Hutters. task facing the young generation is not optional. It is clearly Drop-out rates are higmandatory: how to manage in her among younger students. a society where the gaps in the More than two out of three safety net might appear to be KEA students are under 24, growing? How to operate in and older students have loa job market that is changing wer drop-out rates, because rapidly before one’s eyes? they already have training or Briefly put: Is there any because they are more setthope for today’s youth? led, with a family and a job.

Nanna Kanneworff, who 28-year-old Anders Hald teaches brand design, thinks studies automation technothere is. logy, and in his class only “The great thing about two students have dropped this generation is their couout. With a degree in autois their courage rage. We had a student who mation technology he will wanted an internship with be qualified to program the Hugo Boss. They had never industrial computers that internship with Hugo Boss. had interns before, and it’s excontrol assembly lines and tremely difficult to get in. But other production technology never had interns before she wrote a motivated appliin factories. cation and delivered it in per“I am fairly happy with son, and in the end she landed the programme. It could do an internship and even got a with a slightly more practimotivated application job there afterwards. My own cal slant, and there have been generation was more humble. some initial problems because We had more respect for the it’s a new programme, but the she landed an internship establishment, and that made teachers are good,” he says. it harder for us to kick in the He thinks that his geneeven got a job door to the companies.” ration is a little spoiled.

25-year-old Simon Bacon “I guess we’re a little spoiTranekær Kullegaard has a led with being able to pick – Nanna Kanneworff, teacher at the Professional different perception of his and choose among education Bachelor programme Design and Business. own generation. He thinks programmes. Perhaps people that his peers might trip should pay more attention to “I probably don’t spend as much themselves up because their expectations what society needs and study engineering, for example, instead of studying time studying as I ought to. I just bought are too high. history and graduating into unemploy- a flat, so I work as a marketing assistant “I think that my generation is focuin a clothing firm. With classes four sed on self-fashioning. Everyone has to ment,” says Anders Hald.

He has already looked into his own days a week, I have a long work week,” be unique and special, so we lose sight he says. job opportunities, which are promising. of the fact that it’s okay to be an acStill, he prefers to continue working countant or a check-out clerk. We also Simon Bacon Tranekær Kullegaard studies Ideation, which deals with con- to taking loans to fund his studies. have so many options that it can seem “Many of my mates will graduate overwhelming. In principle, all options cept development and idea generation.

He acknowledges that he does not put a with heavy debt, and I don’t want to do are on the table, and every time you high enough priority on his studies, but that. I have always had a job. And I don’t opt for one thing you dismiss another it is not because he lacks motivation. He feel that I learn less because I work so option. I think that’s something that has to work 15-20 hours a week to pay much on the side. I guess, you’ll always affects many people in my generation,” feel guilty, no matter how many hours he says. his rent. 

“The great thing about this generation . We had a student who wanted an They had , and it’s extremely difficult to get in. But she wrote a and delivered it in person, and in the end and there afterwards.”

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KEA Reports

EDUCATION IS ALL ABOUT the good life Everybody is talking about education. The Danish government has a goal of making the current youth generation the best-educated in Danish history. We need to use education to drive job creation, innovation and growth to be able to fund tomorrow’s welfare society. But we cannot compromise on quality. On this, Ingo Østerskov, rector of KEA, and Professor Torben M. Andersen of Aarhus University, former chairman of the Danish Economic Council, agree .

text Signe Løntoft photography Amanda Hestehave

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Interview

Rector of KEA, Ingo Østerskov (left) and Professor of Economics Torben M. Andersen

I

n the debate on the future education agenda, the focus may be on the details or on the big picture. On budget management and spreadsheets or on values and visions. On Bildung and culture or on qualifications and the job market. On recruitment and retainment or on quality and content. And finally, it may be on how education programmes can match the demands of business and industry more closely – while also offering something that is not specifically in demand but which nevertheless contributes to value creation. Briefly put – a conversation about education can be framed in many different ways, as education is both about the individual’s dreams and about building our future society.

In other words, one has to stay sharp to be a fly on the wall during a conversation about the future of the education system. Not least when this conversation takes place been two of Denmark’s leading capacities within the field. Torben M. Andersen [TA], a professor at Aarhus University and former chairman of the Danish Economic Council, and Ingo Østerskov [IØ], the rector of KEA, have met to discuss some of tomorrow’s challenges.

What are the most important challenges for the education sector in the coming years?

[TA]: “There is no doubt that in the coming years we will see a focus on including the residual group. Today we have a large group of young people who are not educated, and unless we change that, there are going to be serious consequences.

The individual will have a problem, because the job market is unforgiving in the sense that there are fewer and fewer jobs that don’t require specific qualifications. Someone without proper professional training will find it very difficult to gain a stable foothold on the labour market in the future. And for society, it is crucial to ensure that the vast majority are educated, because we won’t be able to afford our welfare society unless the employment ratio goes up.”

How should the education sector respond to that challenge?

[TA]: “We know that early intervention is important. If we take, for example, a chap in his early 20s who did not do well in school and then later drifted a bit, it’ll be extremely dif-

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KEA Reports ficult to get him enrolled in a programme that he will be able to complete. That is why it’s important to get the young people off to a good start.”

[IØ]: “As educational institutions we have to create programmes that are engaging and inspiring. And we need to tell young people that it is less crucial which programme they enrol in. The main thing is to find an inspiring learning environment. There will be plenty of opportunity to change direction or add components in the course of one’s studies. For example, when I was a kid I wanted to be an engine driver, because I loved trains and railways. In my upper secondary years I began to take an interest in economics, and then I had a new dream: to be director general of the state railways. That is why I enrolled in the bachelor of commerce programme.

Once I had begun my studies, however, I began to really nerd out with economics and embarked on a research career at the business college, and then things took a different direction...

That’s just one example of how we set out with certain ideas but often wind up somewhere else entirely.”

[TA]: “I would also question just how rational field-of-study choices really are. For most of us, choosing a field of study is a rather vague process – it’s down to chance, people we’ve met, people we’ve heard about, what they do for a living, etc. So the particular study choice is less essential than just making sure that everyone is enrolled in some sort of training or education.”

[IØ]: “Another factor today is the widespread use of ongoing and supplementary training, and that is only going to increase. Today, it is almost inconceivable to complete vocational training and then expect to be active within the same field of work for 30-40 years. Things develop so rapidly today that some form of added qualifications or training will be necessary at some point. Thus, there is a constant process of fine-tuning. Someone might take additional training in order to move to another field of work or pursue a new interest or a particular job opportunity, and companies might give their employees additional training because their needs change.

This leads to a life-long process of adaptation between the labour market and the labour force.”

To what degree and how should educational programmes adapt to the needs of business and industry?

[IØ]: “That depends which sectors of the education system we are talking about. Of course, Torben and I represent different institutions. In my opinion, a university should pursue a long-term strategy and should also include the research aspect in its programme planning. A business academy, on the other hand, should take a much more short-term view in relation to the job market situations that we need to aim our programmes at. But generally speaking, I think there is a tendency right now for the education system to develop closer ties to business and industry and to focus more on how the learning we provide through our programmes contributes to value creation in society.”

[TA]: “There is a greater emphasis on the notion that the future of the welfare society depends on our ability to educate the majority of the population in a way that enables them to contribute on the job market. Therefore, the point is not that the educational programmes should adapt to the needs of business and industry but rather that we serve the interest of society as well as the individual by providing programmes that generate value.”

“Education is about so much more than jobs. It’s about what sort of life one wants.”

Ingo Østerskov, Rector of KEA.

Ingo Østerskov and Torben M. Andersen discuss the education challenges facing Denmark.

[IØ]: “As rector, I would add that of course our programmes should be targeted at the industries and professions that we train people for, so that our graduates can enter directly into the everyday activities of the workplace and create value. At the same time, we should also promote the innovative and entrepreneurial gene in the students that enables them to come up with new ideas for many of the smaller companies – or start a business of their own. I see a great potential there, as many of our students have the desire and the drive to do that.

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Interview Our job, then, is to offer inspiration, guide them in the right direction and let them carry out assignments in cooperation with our business contacts in order to facilitate synergy.”

How do we ensure that the programmes match the needs of the labour market – and avoid giving people qualifications they cannot use?

[TA]: “First of all, there’s always a risk of compromising on quality when setting as an objective that a certain percentage should complete vocational or academic studies. And dropping standards would be an absolute disaster. Also, there is little point in having a large share of people complete higher education if our focus becomes too narrow. We need to include the vocational programmes, and they need to be high-quality, otherwise we’ll have problems. Internationally, for example, Korea’s strong focus on education has led to a boom in education. But the way they’ve gone about it means that everyone now feels that one’s life is a failure if one doesn’t get into university. That has led to truly absurd consequences where these poor kids are pushed so hard and taken to extra tuition around the clock. Another result is a high rate of unemployment among university graduates while there is a shortage of skilled labourers.”

[IØ]:“In Denmark, too, there has been a tendency to view upper secondary education as more prestigious than vocational training, but the trend is turning. Right now, there is an awareness that we need to change. As a society, we also have to examine whether quite so many people really need to take master’s degrees, or whether more people might get by with a bachelor’s degree with the option of adding a master’s degree later. From society’s point of view, it makes a big difference whether people extend their studies by two years to take a master’s degree, or whether they do a master’s programme later on, after they have been on the job market for 10-12 years, and their employer pays for part of the programme as well as their salary.”

and a drive that leads to other things – and that’s preferable to lying on the sofa.”

Is life going to get tougher for young people in the coming years?

[IØ]: “That depends what you mean by ‘tougher’. I do think we’re going to see a more acute awareness that one has to obtain the necessary qualifications to gain a strong position on the labour market. Naturally, that implies some form of pressure. You have a responsibility for getting an education and acquiring knowledge that makes you a valued player in the labour market.” 

Does the crisis make us focus more on education as the path to growth?

[TA]: “It probably does, but it’s not just about growth. It’s also about values. There is solid documentation that education improves one’s foothold on the labour market but also one’s general health and standard of living and other aspects that we normally associate with the good life. In a welfare society, we have certain goals for the population, which are not just about growth but also about equal opportunities – and that is hard unless we provide a reasonable level of education to as many people as possible. In that sense, education can be seen as active redistribution of wealth or as a social measure, because we know that the ones who don’t succeed in the education system have poorer living conditions than the ones who do.”

[IØ]: “That’s a good example that education cannot be viewed in isolation. In debating education we have to include the full range of aspects involved instead of focusing solely on jobs. Education is about so much more than jobs. It’s about what sort of life one wants. Completing an education programme means acquiring professional qualifications, sure, but it also means gaining entrance to an environment where one meets other people, forming a network, perhaps joining a sports club through one’s school or college, perhaps being active in the study environment in various ways. It offers a life

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–facts – I N G O ØS T E RS KOV

Rector of KEA MSc (Economics and Business Administration) from Copenhagen Business College Previously head of education at Køge Business College, head of development at Vestsjællands Handelshøjskolecenter and managing director of BEC, Business Education College TORBEN M. ANDERSEN

Professor of economics at Aarhus University Former chairman of the Danish Economic Council and the Danish Welfare Commission

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D P o r t fo l i o

AN OPEN DOOR TO A JOB

Good connections, invaluable experience and greater confidence in one’s own skills and abilities. Internships offer a chance to go into the world and take on real-life challenges. Hear what eight students have to say about their internships in Denmark and abroad. text Michael Schmidt and Terne Thorsen photography Thomas Skou

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KEA Reports

EMILIE SOFIE NIELSEN 23 years, DESIGN TECH NOLOGIST Internship in Fashion Marketing and PR at Seventh House PR in New York, June-October 2012.

What made you choose to study Design Technology at KEA? I study Design Technology in the Design/ Business programme with a specialty in marketing, because I wanted to learn about design, sourcing and marketing.

Where did you do your internship?

Seventh House PR is a communication firm that works with marketing, branding and event planning, handles press relations and produces fashion shows for designers. When I started there, we were ten interns in total. Interns count for nothing, so you really have to prove your worth. I eventually worked my way up to be personal assistant to the director, Mandie Erickson, a very demanding woman. Both the level and the pace were really high, and they expected so much from me. As an intern I handled the press wardrobe and worked with stylists who needed clothes for magazines or for styling celebrities. When I became a PA, my responsibilities grew, and I worked longer hours, and I was now in charge of the director’s calendar, organising events and handling budgets.

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How did you get in touch with the firm?

I found the firm at freefashioninternship.com – a site that I recommend to anyone who would like to do a fashion internship in the United States. I wrote an unsolicited application and then arranged to call them via Skype.

How do you draw on your experiences from the internship today?

Much of what I learned as an intern is part of the curriculum at school, and it’s great that my internship is meaningful in relation to my studies. I also learned a lot about myself – and that is experience that I use on daily basis.

Do you have any advice for other KEA students looking for internships?

If someone would like an internship in the United States, they should apply early, because there are so many things to sort out. It’s also important to be open and willing to learn, and not to be afraid of trying something new – after all, that’s why you’re there.

P o r t fo l i o

ROLF WINKLER 22 years, IT TECH NOLOGY, THE N ETWOR K LIN E Internship at K E A, Januar yMarch 2013.

What made you choose to study IT Technology at KEA? It’s an IT programme with an emphasis on networks, the connection between computers. We learn about all the layers involved in transmitting data from one unit to another – routers, switches, servers etc. In addition, we have classes on programming and management, for example, which provide a good understanding of the technical aspects.

ses on the theoretical aspects of the project, but later we hope to develop a prototype.

Why did you do your internship at KEA? An internship at KEA has slightly wider parameters than an internship in a company. KEA makes it possible to create something from scratch. The project I worked on was one I had intended do concurrent with my classes, but that proved impossible because the semester was more demanding than I had expected. So instead it became an internship project.

What was the most exciting experience?

To get out there and act as an IT professional. To be the guy that people ask whether something is doable. That sense of professional pride is a very unique thing to experience for the first time.

What is your internship project about?

We are developing a solution for a new KEA building. A system that collects data from sensors all over this five-storey building. Around 200 sensors, which monitor everything from air moisture to CO2, water, electricity etc. The idea is to use this big data set to determine how ‘green’ the building is. The information is also used by the energy technologists, who can monitor the replacement of clean air etc. The internship focu-

What have you learned from your internship?

I have had the experience of working with a loosely defined assignment. It’s up to me to take the initiative and come up with ideas to find optimum solutions.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

To achieve the goal and to maintain quality and focus. Sometimes one has to take a step back and look at the project as a whole to avoid getting bogged down by details.

How does your internship relate to your studies?

It’s a perfect extension of what I’ve learned in my studies.

The theory culminates in the practical aspects and takes on a more hands-on character.

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KEA Reports

ISABELLA M. JØRGENSEN 22 years, M U LTIMEDIA DESIGN – DA NISH LIN E Art-Intern at the adverti sing agency Leo Burnett / Laeufer in Berlin, Januar y-June 2013

What made you choose to study Multimedia Design at KEA? After originally enrolling at CBS I soon came to miss the practical aspect and the freedom to think and create on my own.

I found this latitude in KEA’s Multimedia Design programme.

The school defines the framework but otherwise gives us free hands. There is never just one right answer. For me, that has brought practice and theory together, and I feel well-prepared to put my training into practice outside the school.

Where are you doing your internship?

I really wanted to do an internship abroad. I found an internship at Leo Burnett/Laeufer, which is an ad agency in the middle of Berlin. I dream of becoming an art director, so I went exclusively for the leading ad agencies in the world. I sent out about 60 applications and had job interviews at places like Ogilvy, JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi. In the end, the placement at the German agency offered the most promising challenges and a chance to work with international clients.

How did you get in touch with the agency?

I sent an unsolicited application.

looking Alexanderplatz. The interior design is really stylish, and we have large iMacs, fresh flowers and a playful dog named Roco. A typical work week includes morning meetings, loads of e-mails, various deadlines and, of course, feedback from clients. During the week we have so-called ‘shoulder peek’ meetings, where we check up on the individual projects.

Friday is always concluded with ‘happy hour’ with catered food and drinks.

What have you learned from the internship?

I have a better idea about what I want to do in the future.

What has surprised you?

I have to admit that I thought such as large and creative office would be more playful and free than it really is, with its slick black/white expression.

Do you have any advice for KEA students looking for internships?

Believe in yourself! Remember that you are there to learn, and that your colleagues were once rookies too – everybody has to start somewhere. The internship should benefit you just as much as the company.

What is your workplace like?

Fancy! The office is located in a large glass building over-

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P o r t fo l i o

JULIAN DRUG 24 years, WEB DEVELOPMENT Internship with the computer game developers IO Interactive, Febr uar y-May 2012

What made you choose to study Web Development at KEA? I wanted to study in a city, and London was too costly for me, so I wound up in Copenhagen – which actually proved to be more expensive than London. At KEA there is a strong emphasis on job opportunities after graduation, which really appealed to me.

What is special about KEA and the programme you are in?

The teachers and the other students! A little personal engagement from both sides makes a huge difference in everyday life and makes the programme relevant and exciting.

Where did you do your internship?

I was an intern at IO Interactive, which is behind the computer game Hitman, among other products.

Was that your dream placement?

In the third semester we did the course Game Development, where the assignment was to create a 2D game. I chose to create a 3D game instead in a software that was brand-new to me: Unity. In my fourth semester, when I was looking

for internships, I based my search on this project and only applied with two companies: IO Interactive and Unity.

Both offered me a placement, but I followed my heart and chose IO Interactive.

How did you get in touch with the company?

One of my teachers tipped me off about the place and advised to me go for it. It took an extensive CV, a thorough application and five e-mails before it was all worked out.

What was your internship like?

I was part of a nine-person team working on a new version of the Hitman game.

It was a busy time with new ideas daily, user tests, meetings and presentations.

What have you learned from your internship?

To have confidence in myself and others!

I have learned that everyone’s work is ultimately essential, even when it might seem trivial. I have learned a lot about group dynamics, something which I have used in my work afterwards. And I have gained insight into the industry and an appetite for more.

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KEA Reports

RIKKE ISRAELSEN 29 years, IDEATION Internship as an Operations Assi stant at M U USE , June-August 2012

What made you choose to study Ideation?

I am a trained design technologist from Teko with a specialty in clothing, but I wanted to add a more business-oriented element. I chose Ideation, because I would like to go into business for myself.

Where did you do your internship?

I started my internship in June 2012 at MUUSE. MUUSE is a company that helps young designers get into the fashion business. The company ‘scouts’ young designers from the large design schools, launch their collections at MUUSE.com and handles production, sales, logistics, PR and marketing. Already two months later, I had a job as production manager at MUUSE. Why did you choose MUUSE? I heard about MUUSE in a radio show and thought it sounded as an exciting place to work.

How did you get in touch with the company?

I phoned them to ask who I should address my application to. Next, I sent an

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e-mail to the company’s CEO, who invited me in for a job interview, and then I was offered the placement.

What have you learned from your internship?

In addition to a lot of experience, it led to a job. It was amazing to be able to finish my bachelor’s thesis and know that I had a job.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

It’s always hard to start in a new workplace, and it takes some time to find one’s place – but you just have to go for it.

What has surprised you?

How happy the companies are to welcome us. And how much responsibility one can have by showing initiative.

Do you have any advice for KEA students looking for an internship?

Think about what you want out of your internship before you apply. Make a prioritised list, and only contact the top ten companies on your list.

P o r t fo l i o

DENNIS HALD 26 years, PRODUCTION TECH NOLOGIST Internship as a technical designer at Mar ia Bernt sen’s design f irm, Febr uar y-June 2013

What made you choose to study Production Technology?

I prefer work that requires me to use both my hands and my mind. The Production Technology programme opens a wide range of possibilities that appeal to me.

Where are you doing your internship?

At Maria Berntsen’s design firm from February to June 2013.

In the Production Technology programme we choose in the third semester whether we want to focus on production or development, and I chose development. Therefore, when I was looking for an internship I wanted a place that developed design products. Maria Berntsen designs for companies such as Georg Jensen, Holmegaard and Royal Copenhagen, and in my internship I follow the design processes behind the products that are developed for the companies. It’s really exciting to see how much research goes into the design process, and how much Maria works with the individual things.

How did you get in touch with the company?

Through my network – I knew someone who knew someone who knew Maria Berntsen. I got her phone number, called her up and set up a meeting, and after three meetings we had a deal.

What have you learned from your internship?

It’s great to be able to use the theory I’ve learned at the school in practice and to be involved in so many different projects in the company. That has given me a completely different understanding of design development processes than I would have been able to get at the school.

What has been a challenge for you?

The hardest thing for me was that the workplace is so designoriented. In the Production Technology programme we mostly focus on function, but here the emphasis is on expression and appearance, and that has been a major shift. But for me, that has confirmed that I am more interested in the development of products that have function as a top priority.

What has surprised you in your internship?

I was surprised to see how much latitude there is in this type of workplace. Of course, there are deadlines, but it has been great to have a job with no fixed hours.

Do you have any advice for KEA students who are looking for an internship?

Be prepared and energetic every single day. Accept assignments with a smile.

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KEA Reports

NANNA MENZEL 26 years, CONSTRUCTION M A NAGEMENT Internship at Henning Larsen, Febr uar y-June 2013

What made you choose to study Construction Management?

I have always been interested in architecture, so I was thinking about applying to the School of Architecture, but when I saw how high their entrance requirements are, I began to look for alternatives, in case I didn’t get in. Then I came across the Construction Management programme, which is more technical and detail-oriented. I thought that was great, since I love getting into the details.

How did you get in touch with the firm?

First I wrote an application to Henning Larsen, which I sent along with my CV, but I didn’t hear back from them. But my father-in-law knew someone at Henning Larsen who advised me to send it in again. So I sent exactly the same application to exactly the same e-mail address, and this time I had a reply the next day. That illustrates how important it is to use your connections and not to give up.

What do you do as an intern?

I am working on a project with Nordea Ejendomme as the client. It’s an office building that is going up in Ørestaden.

I use the architects’ 2D drawings to construct a 3D BIM model, which is continually sent to the engineers and ventilation

crews. I am also involved in a project in Sydhavnen that was scheduled for completion in 2009. So far, only a third has been finished, and I am planning the completion of the building.

What do you hope to learn from your internship?

I definitely hope to establish good connections that I can draw on when it’s time to write my final thesis. I am surprised to see how much I have actually learned at the school. I really feel that we can use what we have learned. It’s great that one doesn’t have to sit there and feel completely blank.

What has been your biggest challenge?

You want to make a good impression and show who you are, and what you can do. That’s hard to do in such a short time span.

What has surprised you?

That the trained architects and construction managers can make just as many mistakes in real life as we do at the school.

Do you have any advice for KEA students who are looking for an internship?

Develop good connections who can help you if you’re aiming for a particular placement.

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P o r t fo l i o

CECILIE SCHREWELIUS 23 years, M U LTIMEDIA DESIGN – INTER NATIONAL LIN E Internship as a video /media producer at MTV in Berlin, January-April 2013.

What made you choose Multimedia Design?

It is a practically oriented and short programme, which is really cool if you’re someone like me, who does like to spend too much time with your head buried in a book. With a bit of talent and concentration I think that you can do equally well with these two years under your belt.

Was this placement your first choice?

No, but MTV is an international company, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of an internship there.

How did you get in touch with the company?

KEA set up internship meetings and contacts with potential companies in Berlin and other cities abroad.

What are your job tasks at MTV ?

Together with a small team of other young employees I make videos of interviews and acoustic live sets, which we edit and put online and on TV. It’s my job to make sure that the latest music videos from small and major labels are put up on the MTV website. I also do some graphic design work for banners,

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background images, app layout and things like that.

What have you learned from your internship?

Some exciting experiences, work experience, an attractive CV and a greater awareness of what it means to be a professional. Not least, I have learned how important the interaction between a good idea and good business is.

What has been your best experience?

Receiving praise for my work and being handed more tasks and a greater responsibility. That makes the whole experience meaningful. The most fun I’ve had was when Foals (English rock band, ed.) dropped by the office to tweet with our users for a day.

What has been a challenge for you?

Sometimes you have too much responsibility, sometimes not enough. One day you get a call from someone who needs information about a design you didn’t think you were responsible for. And the next day you’re making coffee and peeking over someone’s shoulder as they’re uploading a couple of images to a website. 

KEA Reports

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Te n d e n c y

SPEAKING Theory without practice is the emperor’s new clothes , but practice without theory often fails to move beyond homespun truths . In recent years, the educational agenda has focused on developing good solutions that integrate theory and practice into an authentic whole.

Text Signe Løntoft

I

t is easy to ridicule the growing emphasis on theory in the Danish education system. For why should nurses be able to hold forth on the theories of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu if they do not know how to treat a wound? And is it not more essential for a future plumber to be able to install a washer-drier than to offer his abstract reflections on his approach to the task?

These are often asked common-sense questions. We have all faced assignments in an educational context that had no direct bearing on our future working life. But education is about more than acquiring the skills for a particular job, argues Pernille Berg, director of research and innovation at the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, KEA : “Of course, education should prepare the students for a particular professional practice after graduation. But there’s more to it than the ability to handle certain specific tasks; students also need to be able to reflect on their choices and methods and thus become co-creators of practice in their work context,” says Pernille Berg and underscores that it is always valid to debate whether a given programme has the right mix

of theory and practice, but that it is not a matter of choosing one over the other but of striking the right balance.

“The key is to link theory with practice in order to achieve synergy,” she says. “Theory should not be an isolated aspect, unrelated to the practice the students encounter. Nor should it pose a stumbling block that excludes students who actually have what it takes.”

The latter point is essential. The recent reforms of social security benefits and student grants will require even more young people to enrol in formal training. Today, 50,000 people under the age of 30 receive social security benefits, and most of them have no formal education. The future of the Danish welfare society depends on bringing more people through the education system to enable them to support themselves. The proposed reform of the social security benefit system means that young people without a formal education will not be eligible for social security benefits; instead they will be required to enrol in an education programme. That in turn requires the education system to be prepared to accommodate a larger number of students with very different backgrounds.

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KEA Reports

“A young man who is planning

to take over his father’s plumbing firm may lose his motivation if

the approach is too academic.

We can’t afford to lose him; instead we have to plan the flow of the programme to accommodate the individual student.”

“The education sector has to Stina Vrang Elias agrees be better at handling tranwith the minister of educasitions between programtion and the current govermes and shifts from one nment that a much higher programme to another,” the share of young people should – Pernille Berg Knowledge Manager, Danish Minister for Higher attain formal training, but on the future of Denmark Education Morten Østergashe has concerns about the ard said recently at a confecapacity to accommodate the rence on quality in the education system. Pernille Berg agrees: many young students: “Fortunately, the education system has become more flexi“I agree that it is important both for the individual and for ble, and that trend is going to continue. Ideally, all program- the economy at large that everyone can support themselves. mes should offer a chance to pursue different directions or to And education is the gateway to the labour market. But an add components at the individual students’ own pace. A young increasing emphasis on theory in education may in fact be man who is planning to take over his father’s plumbing firm counterproductive. A preschool teacher I know told me about may lose his motivation if the approach is too academic. We this great teacher assistant they had hired. The assistant was can’t afford to lose him; instead we have to plan the flow of great with the kids, she had the necessary skills, and she loved the programme to accommodate the individual student. On it. I suggested that she take the training to become a certified the other hand, we also have students who lack the manual preschool teacher, but my friend thought that was out of the skills to become good practitioners. They may not be able to question, because the assistant lacked the necessary academic produce a proper prototype, but there may be room for them abilities. In my opinion, that’s a real problem. If the educasomewhere else in the field.” tion system cannot embrace young people who lack acadeIt is a delicate balance. The programmes do not want to mic skills but who otherwise have what it takes to complete a exclude anyone by placing too high an emphasis on theoretical practice-oriented programme, how are we going to enable 60 knowledge, but on the other hand, the degrees are devalued if percent of the young population to attain higher education in ambitious students go elsewhere because they are looking for the future?” something beyond day-to-day practical skills.

“One answer might be to convert some of our programmes The combination of practice and theory is part of the tradition into courses aimed at students with different backgrounds. that the vocational programmes rest on. Historically, this type Also, some things are easier to discuss on a theoretical level of education has its roots in the apprenticeship approach, and once a person has spent a few years practising in the field. So the programmes have traditionally been developed in coopeperhaps the theoretical components should be part of continu- ration with the companies that would be the future employers. ing education programmes. Of course, the question is whether But in recent years, the labour market has undergone dramathe companies will be willing to foot the bill. Once the basic tic changes, and the education system is struggling to keep up: training is in place, most continuing training is funded by “One of our major challenges is that the professions we companies, and there is a limit to what they are willing to train the students for are changing rapidly and require multipay for if the additional training does not translate into new facetted assignments,” says Pernille Berg. This challenge is specific skills,” Pernille Berg explains. particularly pronounced in the business academies. Our programmes have a much wider range than, say, the programmes An additional perspective is offered by Stina Vrang Elias, the for nurses, who are typically trained for jobs in the hospital managing director of the think tank DEA, which focuses on sector, or teachers, who are typically going to work in municipal schools. In fact, many of them wind up using their traieducation, research and innovation.

“It is crucial for the development of quality in our educa- ning for something entirely different, but that is another story.

“If I say ‘design technologist’, that doesn’t give you a clear tion system that we improve our ability to combine theory and practice. Unfortunately, we sometimes see the pursuit of the- idea of what the profession entails, or where the jobs will be. ory for theory’s sake. In my fifteen years of working with edu- On the other hand, many think that they know what jobs are cational policies and quality in education I have seen the pen- relevant for electricians and plumbers. But while power indulum move increasingly toward theory and book learning. stallations used to be underground, they now include solar Perhaps because society considers book learning and theory power, water power etc. So as professional practices change, more prestigious. We are also seeing a bias in the upper se- education programmes also need to be revised. In many cases, condary field, where far too many choose academic program- our focus has to be on giving the students a mindset that enmes over vocational training, even if they have no intention of ables them to practice in the workplace – even if we’re not sure what the practice will look like.” pursuing an academic career.”

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Te n d e n c y The entire education system is therefore undergoing a transition from a profession-based to a practice-based didactic, and the various stakeholders are arguing about the priorities.

“Quality always depends on having an integrated whole that involves both practice and an interest in theory. At KEA we have talked about revitalizing the old academy programmes, where the students alternated between internships and schooling, because the practice experiences that the academies can offer will always be less motivating than the real world.” One possible future scenario is a model where the students study full time the first year and then do a part-time work placement in a company, where they work two days a week and study three days a week, or vice versa. “That benefits the companies by providing additional workers and access to updated knowledge. The educational institutions in turn benefit from having close relations to business and industry, and the teachers stay up to date on the current challenges in the job market.”

on your learning. Typically, this is a learning process where action and practice go hand in hand with theory. And here, cooperation with the outside world is a must.”

Pernille Berg has also observed how the spirit of innovation can be thrown out with the bath water in a study programme: “At KEA, studies show that 68 percent of our first-semester students dream of going into business for themselves. It’s essential that we preserve that desire. At the very least, we should not get in the way of it. And here, internships and the integration of internships play a major role.”

Just like the minister of higher education, Stina Vrang Elias is confident about the business academies’ ability to generate work placements. In her assessment, however, Danish universities have a long way to go: “Although there are more options now for taking a semester as an intern, many students still complete a four-to-fiveyear programme without having any contact with the labour market they will be entering. And here, a student job is no guarantee, because it doesn’t necessarily have any connection to the degree programme. Unfortunately, it is not realistic for all university students to have internships. But there are ways to get in touch with the outside world that are less extensive than an internship, like doing a survey for the local school, a market survey for a small local business that wants to increase its exports, etc., etc. In fact, doing some sort of project in cooperation with the outside world ought to be a requirement for graduation.”

At the conference ‘Bedre samspil mellem teori og praksis’ (Improved interaction between theory and practice) in February, Minister for Higher Education Morten Østergaard had positive words about the business academies’ internships and the development of quality through work placements.

“Internships are not a break but an integrated part of learning. It is crucial to ensure high-quality work placements and a high degree of learning,” said the minister, who described internships as a requirement to ensure the innovation that is needed for future growth in Denmark.

It is not only the students who need to get out more, in Stina “Today, unfortunately, the entrepreneurial spirit among Vrang Elias’ view. The teachers too need to stay in touch with young people seems to vary inversely with the number of years the labour market they are training their students for, and they have spent studying. The education system seems to kill that is up to the directors: off the entrepreneurial spirit “If the director of an gradually. What we need is educational institution has the opposite. We need a new a mindset that is focused One possible future scenario culture in the education syon preparing students for stem with a greater focus on the labour market from day innovation. This is less about one, that’s a great start. In study full time courses or teaching innovatipractical terms, finding part-time work on and more about bringing ways to ensure that teachers innovation into the programand students are in touch mes. You don’t learn to be with the labour market has work two days a week innovative through concepto depend on local condititualisation or passive analyons. Naturally, this doesn’t study three days a week sis alone. You have to learn mean that the education benefits the through innovation. You system should blindly relearn to be innovative by deflect the current needs of the companies veloping ideas, through trial labour market – we need a additional workers and access to and error and by reflecting dialectic approach.” 

“

is

a model where the students the first year and then do a placement in a company, where they and , or vice versa. “That by providing updated knowledge . The

educational institutions in turn benefit from having close relations to business and industry, and the teachers stay up to date on the current challenges in the job market .”

– Pernille Berg Knowledge Manager, on the future of Denmark.

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KEA Reports

We l c o m e t o t h e r e a l wo r l d

At Kea, COOPERATION WITH BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY IS THE NEW LEARNING TOOL . In the study programme E-concept development, the education RESEMBLES THE EVERYDAY WORKING LIFE THAT AWAITS THE STUDENTS AFTER GRADUATION – to the BENEFIT OF STUDENTS AND BUSINESSES ALIKE . text Terne Thorsen Marlene Toldbod Jakobsen photography Amanda Hestehave

A

lthough the calendar says March, the morning is chilly. A thin veil of grey clouds covers the sky, and the bare trees are swaying in the crisp wind that nips at our cheeks. Spring seems a long way away. In the basement of KEA’s department on Bispevej in Copenhagen’s northwest district, however, the air is full of excitement. Here, 50 students from E-concept development have come together to present their branding strategies for the Danish beer manufacturer Harboe. Harboe is planning a launch in Asia, and the company’s Asia Manager, Hans-Jürgen Greiner, is therefore present, seated on one of the many black chairs. Greiner is German and lives in Singapore, but today he has come to Copenhagen to hear what the students have come up with.

The projects are presented on two large monitors at the end of the low-ceilinged but bright subterranean room, while six flat-screen monitors – three on either side of the room – en-

sure that everyone has a view of the proceedings.

In Denmark and the rest of Europe, Harboe is a discount brand, but in Asia they wish to launch themselves as a premium brand. Harboe has therefore renamed their luxury beer Bjørne Bryg ‘Bear Beer’ and asked KEA’s students to find the best way to market it in the Asian market. Cooperation with karaoke bars, merchandise shaped as bear’s claws, roaring refrigerators with bear’s feet, games, apps, posters and cardboard cut-outs. The students have worked on the project in groups, and after presenting their ideas they receive feedback from Hans-Jürgen Greiner, who tells them what was good – and what was less good. He asks questions and requests additional information. Is it really doable? Have you checked?

Have you checked thoroughly enough?

The presentations are in English. The accents vary from Danish, Swedish and Norwegian to British and German, and two

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Reportage time to look for work,” adds Kristoffer Jacobsen, who, like Mads, is a 2nd-semester student.

The students of E-concept Development supporting and applauding the presentations.

“It’s great dealing with concrete cases and real-life clients . It’s easier to relate to, and it’s cool to be critiqued by someone who actually knows what he’s talking about , and who can give ‘ proper’ feedback ,” says 24-year-old Mads Klock

interpreters translate the presentations and the subsequent discussions into sign language. Most students have a laptop handy. A few have iPads. On the floor, next to the chairs, there are paper coffee cups from the Shell petrol station at the end of the street. It is still early in the day.

The scene is far from unfamiliar for the students enrolled in E-concept development. The programme is structured to resemble the everyday workplace experience in one of the agencies where most of the students will apply for work after graduation. In addition to theory and method courses, the programme puts a high priority on close cooperation with business and industry, and much of the curriculum consists of projects like the Harboe campaign, where the students work in groups and have three weeks to come up with a product which they then pitch to a client.

“It’s great dealing with concrete cases and real-life clients. It’s easier to relate to, and it’s cool to be critiqued by someone who actually knows what he’s talking about, and who can give ‘proper’ feedback,” says 24-year-old Mads Klock about the Harboe case. “It also looks good on the CV to be able to list actual clients. If Harboe were to implement our project, I could include it on my CV, which would be helpful when it’s

This morning’s presentation is not unique. It is a fundamental part of KEA’s identity to integrate business and industry in the programmes – and it always has been.

“It is part of our DNA to serve as ‘the missing link’ between research and private companies. Our students bring new knowledge with them from school into the companies, and in turn they bring new knowledge and current issues back to the classroom. It’s a win-win situation for everyone: students, teachers, companies,” says KEA’s market manager, Jørgen Ravnsbæk Andersen.

According to Vibe Aarkrog, associate professor of vocational education, this opportunity to test theories in real life, linking theory and practice, is essential for the students.

“When the students have completed an internship or a case project, it is up to the teacher to make sure that the practical experience is tied in with relevant theory. If this is done successfully, the students will be better equipped for entering the job market once they graduate,” Vibe Aarkrog explains.

The companies that the students work with are selected based on their ability to match the educational objectives of the given semester. The presenters on the Harboe case turn in two different reports: One, containing the campaign brief, goes to Harboe and Hans-Jürgen Greiner, and another to their teacher, Martin Bille-Hansen.

“The report that the students prepare for the company is more down-to-earth and practical, while the one that I get is more academic and contains the underlying theory and reasoning that led them to the end-result,” says Martin BilleHansen and adds, “This sort of approach leads to highly motivated students who are always able to relate their work to the real world. It really helps energize the programme. The companies too are happy, as they benefit from having 80 students focus on coming up with good solutions that are tailored to their specific needs.”

The students pay close attention to the presentations and respond with enthusiastic applause. The presenters are rewarded with high-fives, fist bumps and thumbs up, and the students are clearly keen to learn from each other. There is a break after every third presentation. During the breaks, the cigarettes come out, and the presentations are analyzed, reviewed, praised and critiqued. The to-go cups are refilled with fresh coffee from the thermos, so that everyone is properly caffeinated for another round.

The students are not the only ones paying close attention.

Hans-Jürgen Greiner also listens with rapt attention from start to finish. “We have here a large group of young creative people, and it’s extremely interesting for us as a company to hear and see the solutions they envision for some of the issues we are facing. Normally, we have to pay an agency a lot of money for this sort of work, and I actually don’t think the outcome is very different from what I have seen here today,” says Greiner, who is clearly impressed with the presentations.

“Most of the students’ ideas would be feasible. Their research has been very thorough, and they have produced very useful results. I think we’ll be able to use many of their ideas,” says Hans-Jürgen Greiner. 

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KEA Reports

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

The founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson. Branson’s first entrepreneurial project was the magazine Student, which he launched at the age of 16.

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Te n d e n c y

NOW IS THE TIME! It’s never going to be any easier ENTREPRENEURSHIP is the new black. Educational institutions all over DENMARK have begun to offer courses in entrepreneurship and innovation. From a platform of KNOWLEDGE AND MOTIVATION the

students will hopefully develop the courage to take the leap and found companies to HELP BOOST Denmark’s competitiveness and contribute to FUTURE GROWTH. But can entrepreneurship be taught?

Text Anne Winther

M

ost rags-to-riches stories conjure up the image of a bright but underachieving boy who dropped out of school at the age of 15. Or the silverhaired executive with the steely gaze behind the mahogany desk at the impressive corporate HQ. Two worlds that are hard to relate to for most young people who have actually completed 9th grade and are not yet grandparents. And the idea that successful entrepreneurs have to be either dropouts or seasoned and wise is just silly. Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook while he was a student, and there are many similar examples. And for good reason: You are never going to have less to lose and more to gain than right now.

“Do it now, before you have kids and a mortgage. Because what’s the worst that could happen? That you’ll learn a lot!”

That is the message from the entrepreneur and private investor Nicolaj Højer Nielsen, who launched CodeSealer and MotilityCount, among other products, and who is currently working on a book about how to raise money for entrepreneurial projects.

“Personally, I would rather hire a failed entrepreneur than someone who is good behind a desk. A craft can be learned.

Basically, it’s all about attitude. And if you have tried things first-hand, that shows enterprise. If you are thrown to the lions at 23, that builds character, and you’ll learn more from that experience than you could from 20 years in a standard career,” says Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

Most are reluctant because they feel that they lack experience or money. And both are definitely good to have. But drive and motivation can be just as useful as experience, and it is not

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KEA Reports

Simon Spies, traveling king.

Furniture designer Arne Jacobsen is known for bringing Modernism into Danish design history.

necessary to go into debt for life to start a company.

At the Ministry for Research, Innovation and Higher Education in Denmark, Minister Morten Østergaard would like to see more young people heed the advice of entrepreneurs such as Nicolaj Højer Nielsen and take a shot at realising their ideas.

The government wants students to learn about entrepreneurship so that they can create more new companies with growth potential. “Our future competitiveness will be strengthened by stimulating young people’s ability to think innovatively, see opportunities and transform ideas into value,” states the Ministry’s website in reference to the coordinated effort for education and training in entrepreneurship, the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise, undertaken by the Ministry in cooperation with the Danish Ministry of Culture, the Danish Ministry of Education and the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs.

Fortunately, many young people do dream of going into business for themselves. A survey found that as many as 68% of KEA’s

students are thinking about founding their own company. KEA does a great deal to prepare the students to take the leap, and at KEA they are convinced that entrepreneurship can be taught.

Mohammed-Danny Eid teaches organisations and communication at KEA, and one of his key points is that it is possible to start a business for DKK 0.

“The idea that you have to borrow a fortune in the bank is rubbish. I founded a company together with a friend, and we had zero kroner between us.”

Mohammed-Danny Eid teaches the students how that is possible by giving them specific assignments and, for example, explaining how they can use the social media and apply for grants from private foundations.

“If you can found a business on a shoestring budget, you can also found one on a large budget – but the opposite is not necessarily true,” says Mohammed-Danny Eid. He highlights the importance of practical content in courses and study subjects to ensure that the students learn all the things that they cannot get from a book. He also brings in lawyers and experts from the tax authorities to help the stu-

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PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

Bjarke Ingels, founder of the BIG Architect's Studio.

Te n d e n c y dents determine whether a general partnership or a private ltd. company is the best way to go and learn how to manage VAT payments.

“I try to teach the students that they have to call journalists to tell them about their products and press releases, and that they should always get everything from the tax authorities in writing, because they may get conflicting answers depending whom they talk to, and I encourage them to apply for funds even if they don’t meet all the requirements 100 percent – the decisions are made by real people, and they are the ones you have to convince.”

What separates KEA students from students in other programmes is their ability to combine practical skills with business insight, says Kasper Lundtoft Bentsen, Media & IT Business Partner.

“KEA Graduates have an understanding of the business world that isn’t just from books. From the outset, they link up with companies and real-life issues. This first-hand experience makes entrepreneurship less of a leap for them – in combination with the naive confidence and readiness to take on the world that is typical of 20-23-year-olds.”

E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P I N I T I AT I V E S AT K E A

Entrepreneurship as a virtual elective course In cooperation with the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise, KEA has developed a virtual elective course in entrepreneurship that aims to translate the students’ ideas into business concepts in an intensive process that combines traditional and virtual teaching.

AC C E L E R AT O R P RO C E S S

Development and establishment of Accelerator Process in cooperation with Knowledge Centre 3.0 aimed at inspiring students who have an idea to put action behind their dream of founding a company. Another goal is to gather knowledge about what the students want and need in addition to the current study programmes to be able to go into business for themselves.

ENTREPREN EUR G ROUP

“ The teachers are good at providing inspiration and telling the students

that it’s not as difficult or as risky as many think it is. And they’re interested in how things work out, they offer support and make the students feel welcome and motivated to go to school and take part in the debate.”

Developing and providing a framework for entrepreneurship processes for students who have their own company. The group offers a network with other students who have their own company, external speakers and facilitation of a process to build and develop a company.

K N OW LE DG E , E N T R E P R E N E U RS H I P A N D AC T I O N

The purpose is to promote action-oriented didactics and an entrepreneurial culture at KEA. Aims to give the teachers insight into the various stages of entrepreneurship, teach them how to integrate entrepreneurship in their courses and provide them with tools and methods for offering guidance to students with entrepreneurial aspirations. Workshops were held for all KEA’s teachers in 2012 and 2013. The project is concluded with an entrepreneurship conference on 21 November 2013.

– Rasmus K. Lerche, student at IT Technology ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN ART

‘Closer to business and industry’ is a motto at KEA. This means that the students engage in contact and sparring with real-life companies throughout their studies. But closer to business and industry also means becoming a part of it.

24-year-old Johannes Holger Greve studies Multimedia Design and created SkiftEl.dk, which has already saved Danish consumers DKK 230,000. The business concept is that 90 percent of Danish consumers pay too much for their electricity. The power market has been deregulated, but consumers are still reluctant to change suppliers because the price structure is complex.

SkiftEl.dk makes it easy to find cheaper power. Johannes has worked on the idea for two years, and his courses at KEA have given him a real boost: “We learn a lot about communication, marketing and web usability, which I have been able to use to develop my business.”

Camillo Askjær from KEA had a good idea during his interns-

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In cooperation with the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise, KEA develops a course that aims to integrate entrepreneurial disciplines into the artistic education programmes. The first course will be held in the spring semester 2013 at the Institute of Precious Metals.

A C A D E M Y 2 013

CAKI (Center for Applied Artistic Innovation), DTU (Technical University of Denmark), KADK (Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation) and KEA have developed a cross-disciplinary curricular course where students across educational institutions work in cooperation with companies on entrepreneurship and the development of prototype solutions for current challenges in companies.

KEA Reports

The Danish shipping mogul A.P. Møller with his son Mærsk.

Apple founder Steve Jobs holding his gold mine in his arms.

hip as a surveyor. He has developed an app that lets surveyors go into the field and find the physical reference points that they need for their work. There is an official system of reference points, which all surveyors rely on. Until now, they have had to go to the Danish Geodata Agency’s website, print a description of the point and take that print into the field. And if they fail to locate the point, they have to go back and print a new one. A bit cumbersome! But with Camillo’s app, they can now use their phone to locate the point.

“In my internship I saw how everyone was using this old book from 1977, which hadn’t been updated, and where it took an hour to find a point, because they didn’t want to bother printing it off the web, and I thought, ‘There has to be a better way’,” says Camillo Askjær, who graduates from KEA this summer as a map and surveying technician. “I plan to develop an independent application that can be released, and which has a business potential,” says Camillo Askjær, who first needs to sort out who holds the rights

THE ENTREPRENEURS’ BEST ADVIC E

Give it a go now, before you have children and a mortgage. The worst that can happen – is that you will learn a lot!

Find out if your concept is viable. Validate the market potential. ‘Kill your darlings’ if you have to. Your passion is crucial as fuel, but it is not a means of validation.

Speak to as many people as you can about your project – no one is going to copy it, if that’s what you are worried about. Get as much input as possible – including input from people who are different from you.

Team up with people who have different skill sets from your own. Few companies consist of just one person.

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to the data that the app accesses.

He has had his own business before, so it is not a big leap for him to think along commercial lines, something that KEA has supported. “I talked with some of the teachers to sort out what it would take. So in that sense, I have received guidance to move forward. When you’re in an educational institution with so many qualities and capacities, it’s obvious to take advantage of it,” says Camillo Askjær. As everyone should, in his opinion: “KEA and not least the students could really benefit from an even more cross-disciplinary approach, because often there will be students who lack a project to work on, while others have an idea but lack the technical qualifications to make it happen.”

Tim Vang is an experienced entrepreneur whose achievements include myc4.com, which has a total annual turnover of DKK 140 million. He has been brought in to promote entrepreneurship at KEA, and he is impressed that so many of KEA’s students dream of going into business for themselves: “Some of the 68 percent who dream

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Te n d e n c y

4 H V I D E T- S H I RT S (4 W H IT E TSHIRTS)

Innovation project for students aimed at approaching innovation as something one DOES instead of merely discussing and addressing it on a theoretical level. The project takes place in autumn 2012 and spring 2013.

of being entrepreneurs are probably driven by rock star fascination, but I find it stimulating and inspiring, because it tells me that this is the right place for me to be.”

And overall, Tim Vang is impressed with the students at KEA: “They ask a lot of questions, and they approach their ideas with a level of knowledge, persistence and drive that characterises entrepreneurs.”

26-year-old Rasmus K. Lerche is a 2ndsemester IT Technology student. He has already founded several companies, including Skolepartner.dk, which sprang from the motto, ‘Find something you’re not happy with, and do something about it.’

But many might wonder why someone like Rasmus, who already has his own business, would want to pursue a degree.

“Because I want to be able to document my qualifications. That is also important in business,” says Rasmus K. Lerche.

He thinks that KEA is able to demystify what it means to run a business: “The teachers are good at providing inspiration and telling the students that it’s not as difficult or as risky as many think it is. And they’re interested in how things work out, they offer support and make the students feel welcome and motivated to go to school and take part in the debate,” says Rasmus K. Lerche.

The teachers at KEA are trained to use a four-stage process, which involves talent spotting, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, so they know how best to support the individual student. Many of KEA’s teachers have experience from ‘the real world’ and put a high priority on giving the students hands-on experience, specific tools and targeted support for their business projects.

Among other aids, Tim Vang uses Pretotyping, a Google tool that helps him gauge the degree of market interest in an idea; he also uses a six-week accelerator

E N TAC T

KEA is currently establishing an entrepreneurship centre to give students and teachers access to knowledge about entrepreneurship and innovation and promote a culture that supports entrepreneurship.

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Development of a new professional line for Construction Management students aimed at creating a learning environment that promotes an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the disciplines that are included in the programme in order to meet the growing demand in the construction industry in the field of sustainable construction.

NEW ELECTIVE COURSE IN ENTREP R E N E U R S H I P & I N N OVAT I O N

A new elective course aims to enable the students to launch projects quickly, improve existing products or processes and generate innovation in an existing company. The course falls into four stages: 1. Preface (considerations about initiation, choice of product, industry and profitability) 2. Entrepreneurial spaces (business plan, risk analysis etc.)

3. Innovative spaces (creativity, thinking outside the box and stimulating development in order to generate innovative elements) 4. Launch and kick-off (from capital foundation to marketing and sale) “It’s a huge benefit to be able to offer our students a chance to learn more about how to start a project up on their own. In the past, our guidance may have been more on the fly, and with this elective course we are now trying to be more consistent,” says Jamal Aztout, associate professor at KEA. The course is offered in the third semester in the Multimedia Design programme and as an afterschool course for anyone else who is interested.

Some of these initiatives are co-funded by the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise.

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process from idea to business concept that breaks the process down into nine components.

“It’s a very dynamic and specific concept. To me, the goal is to motivate the students, dispel myths and set the students on the right course by offering sparring and experience,” says Tim Vang, who is very market-oriented. There has to be a market for the product!

One of the myths he wants to dispel is that if the developer is convinced something is the greatest idea ever, the market will agree. That is not necessarily the case.

“Your passion is a crucial, but your passion can’t generate a market, and you can’t use it as a means of validation. Kill your darlings – it’s not embarrassing or bad to shut something down.

Move on to the next idea and the next one and the next one, until you get it right,” says Tim Vang.

After his first accelerator process, two students were ready to launch a business.

Once the business concept has been thoroughly tested and is ready, the process moves on to the very different incubator phase, where lawyers, tax advisors and other experts offer advice about the implementation.

So, yes, entrepreneurship can be taught!

“You can offer two components: information and inspiration,” says Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

“You can teach strategies – such as the importance of working as closely together with the customers as possible – or explain why it is a bad idea to finish the project before showing it to others. You can definitely learn that in class. You can inspire, and you can demystify the big black monster that founding a business is for many people,” says Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

“And remember: Your first company doesn’t have to be rocket science – it could be selling socks online. You don’t start out as CFO in your first job either.” 

KEA Reports

T H E TO O L S OF THE TRADE photography Jan Søndergaard

A craft is characterised by one or more specific tools that are essential for the job. We asked KEA’s land surveyors, design technologists, jewellery designers and product developers to tell us about the tools of their trade .

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To o l s

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KEA Reports

MATHIAS BORN-LARSEN, 20 YEARS SURVEYING TECHNICIAN PROGR AMME

What made you choose this programme?

It was the combination of outdoor and indoor work that first caught my attention. Once I began my studies I discovered what an exciting field it really is.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

A total station is a theodolite and an electronic distance meter combined into one integrated unit. It measures distances and stores them on the computer. Later we can then use the data to create accurate drawings of the area.

What was it like to use the tool for the first time?

It was fun, challenging and exciting! It wasn’t complicated, but there are quite a few things to keep straight. The total station might look a bit confusing with all the buttons and settings, but after a few hours it’s not really that difficult.

What sort of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

I would like to do surveying assignments abroad, so I would like to work for a company where I could be stationed abroad.

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To o l s

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KEA Reports

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To o l s

JOSEFINE BRUUS, 21 YEARS

PBA IN JEWELLERY, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS What made you choose the professional bachelor’s programme in jewellery, technology and business?

I have always been very interested in jewellery, and I have worked with the craft since I was in the 7th grade. It’s an industry that is always developing. Right now, there are some major technological developments, as we have begun to work with laser-cutting and 3D printing.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

One specific tool we often use is the laser-cutter. An exciting machine with a very wide range of possibilities.

What was it like to use the tool for the first time?

My first time at the laser-cutter was six months before I began at KEA. It was overwhelming to discover all the amazing possibilities this relatively simple machine provides. I used to use a jeweller’s saw to cut Plexiglas, which is a really slow process. With the laser it’s done in seconds!

What sort of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

There are so many things I would like to try. One of my goals is to work with a project-oriented approach. That gives me the opportunity to challenge my creative sides.

Do you have any advice to future students in your field?

It helps to have some prior experience with the goldsmith’s craft.

Other than that, I just think they should go for it.

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KEA Reports

MORTEN DAHL HANSEN, 21 YEARS PBA IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNICAL INTEGRATION

What is special about your programme?

It’s probably the closest you’ll get to training as an ‘inventor’. There’s a clear emphasis on teaching methods, theory and a critical approach to sources. Briefly put, we learn the entire process from the idea until the finished product leaves the factory.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

The 3D printer makes it possible to test a product in practice, whether it’s the ergonomics of the model or a functional model. A 3D print is also a good visual tool for conveying one’s ideas.

What was it like to use the tool for the first time?

It’s a learning process that requires practice and love of the machine. From we first began using the equipment until we were able to print our first acceptable 3D print took at least 100 hours. But the moment we held the first physical product in our hands, it was well worth the effort.

What sort of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

I hope to get a job in a company that relies on user-driven innovation, and where there is room to experiment with production methods and technologies. I would also like to go into business for myself.

– 054 –

To o l s

– 0 55 –

KEA Reports

–056–

To o l s

LINE TRZEPACZ, 27 YEARS DESIGN TECHNOLOGIST

What made you choose Design Technology on the Pattern Design line?

I am a trained textile and clothing assistant and chose KEA because I wanted more experience with construction, especially in terms of pattern grading and using the most common programs in the fashion industry. In Pattern Design we develop patterns for clothing and learn to adapt them to body types, grade them for different sizes and create production-friendly solutions.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

We use computer programs that let us construct patterns on the screen and send them directly to suppliers all over the world. There’s always a plotter available if we need to print the patterns in full scale. On the other hand, we can also work with a digitizer, which converts hand-draped patterns into a digital form, so that we can finish them on the computer.

What sort of work do you hope to do after you graduate?

I dream of working as a garment constructor in a fashion company where I can develop patterns based on a designer’s ideas. I am clearly technically minded and enjoy knowing how things are constructed, and how a design should be carried out to work properly in practice.

– 0 57 –

KEA Reports

BREAKING DOWN GENDER BARRIERS text Anne Winther

Law and medicine are now dominated by women students, while other traditionally maledominated areas are still failing to attract women. That has significant consequences – for men and for society at large – and experts say that the educational institutions need to make a dedicated effort to break down gender boundaries.

–058–

KEA Interview Karen Blixen wrote under the male pseudonym Isak Dinesen because it made it easier for her to have her books published.

W

omen are flocking to long-cycle higher education programmes, and in just two decades the balance has changed, so that women now outnumber men in areas such as law and medicine, which have traditionally been male-dominated. However, women remain a minority in some vocational programmes. At KEA, women are a rare sight in the Construction Management programme, for example, and the objective here is to increase the percentage of women students in the Danish line from 11 to 25. In the international line of the programme, women make up around 30 percent of the student population.

Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen, a teacher at KEA’s Construction Management line and a project manager in Fremtidens Ledere i Bygge- og Anlægsbranchen (Future leaders in the construction industry) offers an explanation of the limited presence of women in many of the vocational programmes: “An important recruitment base for the Construction Management line, for example, is the carpentry profession, where there are hardly any women.”

Also, girls who actually want to be construction managers or sanitation plumbers or take a technology-based degree often encounter prejudice because these are seen as male domains. That can be a barrier.

“They have to convince her girlfriends that it’s a good idea when they look at them agape and ask, ‘WHY?’ But when the girls explain that this is actually what they want to do, their friends usually support them,” says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen.

As a result, the female students in these programmes are generally quite strong-minded. And that can be necessary, as the tone can be rather crass and male-dominated.

In his opinion, a programme that does not have a good balance between men and women produces a stunted environment.

Marie Curie was the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903.

“The key is to change the culture to embrace a different approach to problem-solving,” says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen.

And that applies not only to the boys in KEA’s Construction Management line; it applies to all programmes that have a strong gender bias. A balanced mix of men and women provides an important quality of diversity: “Women and men often have different approaches; therefore a balanced distribution can help prevent the development of a one-dimensional and exclusive culture. With a strong dominance of either men or women, there is a risk of the culture closing in on itself,” says Camilla Hutters, head of research and deputy director of the Danish Centre for Youth Research, Aarhus University.

“However, I don’t think there necessarily has to be a 50/50 distribution, because study choices should also be about pursuing one’s interests, and interests often have a gender bias.”

– 0 59 –

KEA Reports

Coco Chanel wore the trousers and wore them well.

Amelia Earhart was the first woman pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic.

But can’t interests be influenced?

“Definitely; it’s clearly possible to influence young people and broaden their field of interest. Today, many programmes are provided side by side in the same campus, but they’re still quite divided – also along gender lines – and we can definitely do more to increase interaction among the students,” says Camilla Hutters.

“We also need to address the gendered labour market that still exists. The programmes reflect the labour market, because we look at what’s possible. If a man wants to be a social and healthcare assistant or a woman wants to be a plumber, they have to justify their choice and navigate in a gendered culture in a workplace where they might be the only one of their gender. So to make a real difference we need to address the gendered labour market.”

In the Construction Management line, the goal is to increase the share of women stuents from 11 to 25 percent, but is that realistic? Yes, if the programme is modernised, says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen: “In our field, it’s not realistic to change the gender distribution among carpenters, but if we targeted the girls in upper secondary school, we could make a difference. So far, however, we haven’t reached out to them specifically. Experience from Sweden shows that as soon as a programme is renamed to include the word ‘design’, it attracts more women,” says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen.

And that is one of Benja Stig Fagerland’s points: the importance of rhetoric. As an award-winning international expert

in the connection between women, market conditions and economics, a lecturer and a writer on women and management, she knows that it takes targeted communication to reach any group.

“Women are an attractive talent base, and we know that they do well in the education system – they graduate, and with good marks. So the programmes need to market themselves to women, unlike today where the form and rhetoric is very masculine. They need to understand that they have to target men and women differently in order to reach them,” says Benja Stig Fagerland.

It is also important to break down the remaining gender barriers and stereotypes.

“And that’s only possible if we focus on the role of the counsellors and strive to remove barriers to unconventional study choices – making sure that all options are presented openly to both genders. As it is now, an unconventional choice is met with requests for an explanation. That’s why we need an effort that challenges the traditional gender views and gives both boys and girls a truly free choice,” says Benja Stig Fagerland.

In her view, programmes with few women students are like struggling companies, failing to appeal to the attractive section of the talent pool that women make up because they are often good students who get good results.

“That requires taking ownership and communicating very precisely, and obviously that’s only possible if there is a specific action plan. But it can be done – law school managed, for example,” says Benja Stig Fagerland.

But why bother – can’t we just let the men hammer in nails while the women provide care and nurturing to preschoolers?

“Well, that would be easier. But after all, we all want society to develop and improve. If we fail to act now, we won’t be able to compete with the countries that manage to attract women. So the question is whether we want to jump onboard this moving train, or whether we want to be left standing on the platform, wondering what the heck just happened,” says Benja Stig Fagerland. 

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KEA Interview

RU L E BREAKERS

PHOTOGR APHY — Anne Mie Dreves TEXT — Terne Thorsen

CALENDAR GIRLS on the wall and COMPUTER GAMES during the breaks may seem a bit OFF-PUTTING to girls who dream of becoming CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS. That is why a handful of girls in this programme have now formed the girls-only network RULE BREAKERS. What was it about the construction management programme that appealed to you?

JOSEPHINE: The construction manager is the link between the engineer and the architect. It’s neither too technical nor too creative but the perfect middle ground.

ANNA: For me too, it was the ability to link the practical with the creative that made me want to apply.

METTE: I was attracted to the profession because of the versatility of both the programme and the job. When you enter the job market as a construction manager you’ll be able to take your job in the direction that interests you most. If your main interest lies with the architectural aspects, you can pursue that direction, and if you’re more interested in the execution aspect, you can focus on that.

Had you considered the strong male dominance in the programme?

JOSEPHINE: Yes, I was aware that it was a male-dominated programme, and that I might end up in a class made up of all boys.

But if you’ve found what interests you, you shouldn’t be deterred by the fact that there aren’t that many girls.

METTE: I too had prepared for the pos-

sibility of being the only girl in the class, and I can see how that might keep some girls from applying.

Josephine: But that’s where we come in!

Have you encountered any prejudice from the boys in the programme?

ANNA: No, not at all. As long as you know your stuff, the boys don’t give a toss. Most of them actually like having at least one girl in the group.

“As long as you’re

interested in what you do, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl” METTE: The school has also been very good at explaining the value of balancing the groups by mixing boys and girls as well as people with different backgrounds.

SUNNIVA: As long as you’re interested in what you do, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl.

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Rule Breakers aims to strengthen the bond among the girls enrolled in the programme and to help KEA reach its goal of enrolling more women in the construction management programme.

Why are you called Rule Breakers?

JOSEPHINE: We want to break the convention that it's mainly guys who take an education in the construction industry.

What is your goal for the network?

JOSEPHINE: Our main goal is to create a

network for all the girls at the school, across classes and year groups, but in the longer term, our goal is to expand it into a professional network that people can draw on after graduation when they enter the job market.

METTE: We would also like to use the network to make the women in the programme more visible to prospective students. Josephine and I took part in the open house event in November; here I talked to a girl who was really nervous about the prospect of being the only girl in the class. I think that we can make a big difference, for example at the start of the new semester and at the open house events where we can show potential applicants that there are other girls enrolled in the programme.

METTE: Previously, a group of girls had started a similar group, but it fell apart once the initiators graduated. Our ambition is to bring in new girls on an ongoing basis, so that the network can continue long after we have graduated. 

KEA Reports

LEARNING BY DOING text Kirstine Krefeld photography Thomas Skou

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen TEACHES FUTURE OPTOMETRISTS in KEA’s optometry programme. “IT MAY SOUND NERDY, AND I GUESS IT IS. But it’s also a wonderfully concrete field of study, which is about FINDING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS – and I am keen to SHARE MY ENTHUSIASM for that aspect of the profession,” she says.

W

hile many people have no idea exactly what an optometrist does, 45-yearold Anette Ristorp Ohlsen always knew that was what she wanted to be.

“Ever since I was 12 or 13 years old, when I read about it in a career guidance book and did a week-long work experience placement with an optician, that’s what I’ve wanted to do. One of the employees was away sick that week, and everybody had to help out – so I had the chance to try everything: from the customer’s initial description of the problem to eye exams and selecting and selling a frame. And then I was hooked,” she says.

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen teaches refraction. She is one of the seven teachers in KEA’s optometry programme, which is located on Nordre Fasanvej, Frederiksberg. The programme produces about 40 optometry graduates a year – the professionals that we all encounter at the eye glass store, who carry out eye exams and help us pick the right glasses or contact lenses. Before becoming a teacher she spent ten years ‘in the real world’.

“It is absolutely essential to have practical experience from the field that I send my students into. I loved the profession myself, because it’s so nice and concrete – and no two days are the same. I want to pass that enthusiasm on to my students. A customer comes in, complaining, for example, of blurred vision or headaches – then you determine the source of the problem and provide a solution. There is also a sales aspect.

And even if many might think that it’s ‘just’ about finding a pair of glasses, you actually do get pretty close to people,” she explains.

“Part of the refraction course is ba-

sed on learning by doing – testing theory in practice, for example when we have clinical training, where the students test each other’s vision to determine the right lenses. That offers immediate feedback and reflection – for example if the new lenses are not quite

– facts – W H AT D O E S A N O P T O M E T R I S T D O ?

In everyday speech, an optometrist is the same as an optician: a skilled professional who makes, adjusts and sells glasses and contact lenses. Optometrists also work in hospitals, for example. The word ‘optometrist’ means ‘someone who measures eyes’. It comes from the Greek word for eye, ‘ops’, and the Greek word for measuring, ‘metrein’. A professional bachelor’s programme in optometry takes three and a half years, including a year and a half in a paid internship.

D I D YO U K N OW …

That an eye exam can reveal certain medical conditions, including diabetes?

That 67.8% of the Danish population wear glasses or contact lenses?

(Sources: Anette Ristorp Ohlsen and Danmarks Optikerforening)

right. I find this form of teaching very rewarding,” says Anette Ristorp Ohlsen.

In addition to the refraction course that she teaches, the students take a range of other courses, including maths, chemistry, biology, optics, pharmacology, pathology and business law.

“I guess we have a reputation for having many neat, fashion-conscious,

– 0 62 –

hard-working girls in optometry. And that’s not entirely wrong. I think some 75-80 percent of the students are girls.

And many of them are quite clear about what they want – most of them have made a very conscious field-of-study choice. And they are wonderfully inquisitive and keen to discuss what we do. I like that, because it’s their responsibility too – and not only mine – to ensure that the classes are fun. Indeed, it’s extremely rare for my students to fail their refraction exam,” she says.

Still, she wishes the courses included more lessons.

“As it is now, we have about 20 weekly lessons, where we used to have 32, and that makes it harder to check up on them along the way and make sure that they are keeping up. Even though it’s rare for someone to fail the course, I still find it tough when it happens. Just as it can be tough to say goodbye to the students when they graduate. I am getting used to it, but I still have that ‘mum gene’. Every time I meet a new class, I’ll say to my husband, ‘oh, this is just the greatest class ever’ – and then he says, ‘but you say that every year.’”

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen is happy that optometry is now a professional bachelor’s programme at KEA, as that helps prepare the students for both the private and the public sector.

“Optometry is a small profession but also a strong profession. This is the right format for it, I think. And even if many people now opt for laser surgery rather than glasses or contact lenses, we still need optometrists – to carry out eye exams in the laser surgery clinics and to work in eyeglass stores and hospitals. So yes, I am an optimistic optometrist,” she says. 

Por trait

W h o ’s W h o NAME:

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen AGE:

45 år.

JOB:

Has taught refraction in the optometry programme since 1999.

BONUS INFO:

Long-sighted (+2 on both eyes).

Has owned about 50 pairs of glasses and sunglasses since she was 13 years old – plus contact lenses.

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Følg os pü: www.facebook.com/kerastasedanmark

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KEA Reports

NEW I N S P I R AT I O N IS GOLD Today, LIFE-LONG LEARNING is more than a slogan; it is an integrated aspect of OUR CONCEPT OF EDUCATION AND CAREER . Because SOCIETY IS CHANGING, professional environments are changing, organisations and COMPANIES ARE CHANGING – AND PEOPLE ARE CHANGING . text Signe Løntoft and Camilla Wittenkamp photography Nikita Gavrilovs

T

he hard-earned knowledge, skills and competences you have acquired through your studies become obsolete the moment you graduate and enter the job market. A few years later, you are at the annual development review, racking your brains for arguments to convince your boss to sign you up for (preferably paid) continuing training. What creates value for the company? What creates value for you? Where do you see a potential new career track...

Your burning desire for professional and personal development benefits your job satisfaction, your workplace and the Danish economy. Knowledge and competences are our livelihood – as a society, as companies and as individu-

als. Denmark needs to boost education and training to maintain our living standards and generate growth. Most Danes have realised that we are competing with the entire global labour force.

We have access to for life-long education and training. And increasingly, we are making use of that opportunity.

The uncertainty in the labour market makes us keep our knowledge and our skills up-to-date. And in principle, one can go in a skilled worker and come out as a PhD. The main trend, however, is that people with long education are more likely to engage in continuing education and training than unskilled and skilled workers and people with short education.

In annual staff development conversations, employer and employee together

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seek to ensure that the employee’s competences are up-to-date, and that his or her motivation remains high. And if we are dissatisfied with our job situation we do not hesitate to move on. Every year, one in four Danish employees changes jobs. In fact, a large survey by the European Commission found the Danes to be the most flexible in Europe in terms of changing jobs.

And that trend has yet to peak, says Knud Illeris, emeritus professor from the former Educational University of Denmark: “I expect the need for and the interest in continuing education and training to continue to rise, because society is changing at an accelerating pace. This is a long-standing tradition in Denmark; ever since the breakthrough of

Theme

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KEA Reports

C O N T I N U I N G E D U C AT I O N A N D TRAINING – WHY?

The typical reasons for adults to engage in continuing education or training are: A desire for personal and professional development A desire to document one’s skills and competences with a formal diploma New working procedures, new knowledge and new technology that have made one’s training obsolete and made it necessary to update one’s professional qualifications

the folk high schools in the mid-1800s, Denmark has seen a higher level of interest and activity in adult education than most other countries, but in the coming years the main challenge will be to include everyone.”

UNSKILLED WORKERS AND PEOPLE WITH LOW EDUCATION TEND TO AVOID FORMAL TRAINING

“There is a large group of adults, mostly with limited education, who are reluctant to engage in continuing education and training – in many cases because they don’t like school. They have suffered many failures and have low self-esteem in relation to organised learning. Many in this group would actually like to earn additional qualifications, but it’s hard for them to act on that desire. They need encouragement and support that does not come from an employment centre, a social worker or other official agencies but from other, trusted adults in their personal life or at work. And as a society, we should strive to eliminate any practical obstacles, expenses or other factors that they can use as an excuse to themselves and others.”

KEA’s centre for continuing education and training, KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, with its epicentre in Ballerup, is trying to steer clear of this sense of ‘going back to school’. The centre makes a focused effort to create a dynamic adult learning environment, which is just as active during the day as in the evening. No dusty auditoriums for passively absorbing lectures; here, the students are actively involved in their own learning. Theory is consistently reflected in the students’ own

A demand from one’s employer for new competences or qualifications A desire for new job tasks or greater responsibilities and higher pay A desire to change course and switch to a new line of work, perhaps due to life changes (health problems, family etc.)

Unemployment and a desire to improve one’s chances in the job market

experiences and practice.

People with short-cycle education and skilled workers are at-risk groups, but professionals also need to update their skill set. They may have learned to analyse but are unable to operationalise.

Also, a university degree is no guarantee for leadership skills.

INCREASED DEMAND FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

The paradigm shift in our approach to education and work is also evident at KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, which see a growing demand for customdesigned continuing education. Every year, 4,800 students take a course or a single subject at KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, and Project Manager Lars Thore Jensen expects that number to rise in the coming years.

“The way we have structured our society, we need continuing education and

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training to ensure that our labour force has the necessary competences. In the course of a working life of 30-40 years, it is only natural to need new professional input, and furthermore, a growing number of people change careers at some point in their life.”

The desire for ‘personal and professional development’ is often expressed at KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, which offers a wide range of short- and longcycle programmes on academy and diploma levels, which people typically take on a part-time basis concurrent with work. “We often hear that our students take on new job functions or are promoted during or after their studies here,” says Lars Thore Jensen, project manager at KEA. Lars Thore Jensen also sees a trend where companies undergoing change use continuing training programmes for selected staff groups as part of a transformation process or as a means of organisational development. At KEA’s Center for Efteruddannelse, there is a strong focus on matching companies’ current needs with training and education that can give both companies and employees a learning boost.

“We have a number of open programmes aimed mainly at providing additional qualifications in one of the professions we cover. But we also have a growing number of companies and organisations that ask KEA to customdesign programmes for the whole staff.

Typically, there are positive side effects in addition to the specific content, because the participants find renewed

Theme

KEA's Centre for Continuing Education and Training in Ballerup has created an adult educational environment.

–facts– KEA offers continuing higher education as open programmes, corresponding to one-year full-time studies or 60 ECTS points on the following levels: Diploma Graduate: corresponds to a professional bachelor’s degree Academy Profession Graduate (formerly VVU, further adult education): Corresponds to business academy programmes (short-cycle higher education) and builds on general or vocational upper secondary education.

KEA offers a wide range of courses and programmes to adults who wish to update their professional knowledge or acquire qualifications in a new area or a new profession.

Diploma programmes in management, ecommerce, design etc.

Academy programmes in management, communication, IT etc.

Individual subjects on academy or diploma level Custom-designed courses and programmes for companies Courses for job-seekers The programmes are typically planned as parttime studies and require at least two years of work experience.

Visit kea.dk to read more about what we offer.

inspiration. Taking a course together also has positive social effects, as people develop together and discover new sides of themselves and their colleagues.

That can have a positive effect on work procedures and the workplace culture.

Thus, in recent years, we have seen competence development become a driver of organisational development.” See the case from the Danish Department of Prisons and Probation on page 74.

Once your boss has given the green light for you to take additional training, your next challenge is to sort out the many training and education programmes: “We are constantly working to improve our visibility through formal and informal networks with companies and organisations, because many lack a clear picture of the content of the various courses and programmes,” says Lars Thore Jen-

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sen, who believes the most pressing task in the coming years is to offer guidance in the jungle of available courses and programmes: “Our main challenge is that people don’t know enough about our courses and programmes. Therefore we are in constant dialogue with small and large companies to learn what their needs are and to tell them what we have to offer. The Danish education system has become very complex, and we are also up against a huge grey market of courses and so-called ‘educational programmes’, so we are facing a huge communication task in explaining how people can acquire new skills and qualifications. Many people have no idea that they can complete a qualifying higher education programme in 2-3 years on a part-time basis.” 

KEA Reports

learnin

FO text Terne Thorsen og Michael Schmidt Photography Jan Søndergaard

Better pay, improved self-esteem, higher quality of life

and the necessary knowledge and experience to meet the growing demands placed on managers. These are some of the key motivating factors that make adults return to the education system. Here you can meet the independent business owner, the HR director, and the district manager

and read what they have taken away from their continuing education experience at KEA. – 070 –

Cases

ng

ORlife – 071 –

KEA Reports

– 072 –

Cases

PETER Hvidberg

FOU N DER A N D DIR ECTOR OF A MERICA N SPORTS OU TLET

The CONTINUING EDUCATION programme in e-commerce was perfect in RELATION TO MY GOAL OF BOOSTING SALES and OPTIMISING MY COMPANY,” says Peter Hvidberg, who is at the HELM OF HIS OWN COMPANY.

“T

he continuing education programme in ecommerce was perfect in relation to my goal of boosting sales and optimising my company,” says Peter Hvidberg, who is at the helm of his own company.

He once played on the Danish national team in American football. Today he sells equipment for the sport from his online store, Outlet.dk. Step one was a pronounced frustration with the excessive price level from other suppliers. To Peter Hvidberg, the leap from thought to action is never far, so together with three friends he founded American Sports Outlet in 1999. The following year he bought out the three others, and over time, his hobby project has grown into a full-time occupation.

At the age of 41, Peter has now enrolled in continuing education. Two diploma degrees, no less: one in sales

and optimisation and one in business development. The decision to engage in continuing education was not difficult.

It took just five minutes’ reading in a newsletter before this self-taught businessman was convinced. “It was fairly obvious to me how I could create value for my business, and once the personal motivation is in place, it’s well worth the hours I spend. I see it as a way to upgrade both my business and myself as a manager,” says Peter, who began his studies at KEA in January 2013.

One of the advantages for Peter Hvidberg was that he was quickly able to implement the new methods in his business. “Right now, we are learning about optimising sales, which is an area I really want to work on in my business. So I can actually put my new learning to use instantly. Many of the things we work with at KEA are areas where I already have experience from my company, but the training helps me grasp the big-

– 073 –

ger picture. That helps me optimise!

For example, I have learned that by changing my storage policy, I can save DKK 300,000 a year.”

Of course, there are also challenges involved in taking continuing education.

“You have to embrace the challenge, and much of that is really about prioritising your time. In addition to the lessons I also have to prepare. That requires an effort. But I always remember to see the value it brings, both for myself and for my company.” In fact, the lessons are quite different from Peter’s previous experience with education. “I am in class together with people from a wide range of industries, and we have very different backgrounds. Here, it’s important to be open about one’s skill set and ask, if something doesn’t seem quite clear. We are doing this because we want to, so generally we have a really cool and open dialogue, where everyone contributes.”

KEA Reports

PERNILLE Iversen

HR DIR ECTOR, KR IMINALFORSORGEN (COPEN H AGEN PRISONS)

Pernille Iversen was working as HR manager in a pharmaceutical company when she first heard about KEA. She was ORGANISING COURSES FOR THE STAFF, and she chose to partner with KEA. Today, Pernille Iversen is HR director in the Danish Prison and Probation Service, and her COOPERATION WITH KEA IS INTO ITS FIFTEENTHS YEAR .

“T

he great thing about KEA is their flexibility in planning the education to match the company’s needs,” says Pernille Iversen, HR director in the Danish Prison and Probation Service. KEA’s continuing education and training includes courses, individual subjects and academy and diploma programmes, most of them developed in cooperation with companies, organisations or municipalities. For the Danish Prison and Probation Service, KEA provides both academy and diploma programmes as custom-designed management programmes tailored to the needs of their staff. The programmes address the Service’s specific needs, and in close cooperation with Pernille Iversen, KEA makes sure to include topics that relate specifically to everyday life in the Danish prison system.

To provide education that the staff feels

up to engaging in has also required preparing the staff for the major change involved in going back to school. “The way we have planned it, the employees do an orientation course before embarking on their diploma programme. Our managers are trained prison guards, and they are not used to studying. The course prepares them for the programme before they start,” Pernille Iversen explains.

Although many find it challenging to return to school with everything it entails in terms of studying, writing assignments and exams, their motivation is high, which helps them complete the programme. Pernille Iversen thinks that the staff’s motivation springs from the growing demands that are made on them as managers. That is a factor in society in general, and it is also evident in the Danish Prison and Probation Service. The continu-

– 074 –

ing education at KEA prepares them to meet the ever growing demands from the workplace and from society at large.

“The education clearly boosts their confidence. It is a qualifying management programme, which means that they can now match the competence level of most other managers. And that is not only useful in their current context – it’s also something they can use if they ever want to move on to other areas of the labour market.

This gives them a whole new set of qualifications,” she says and adds, “I can only encourage other companies to do what we are doing. KEA is really good at planning qualifying education programmes that are custom-designed for the individual companies, and offering your employees additional training improves both their job satisfaction and their qualifications.”

Cases

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KEA Reports

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Cases

JESPER Paarup Blicher

DISTRICT M A NAGER, J EM & FIX

When Jesper Paarup Blicher embarked on his CONTINUING EDUCATION at KEA he was a store manager. Today, eighteen months later, he has been promoted to district manager with RESPONSIBILITY FOR MORE THAN 200 EMPLOYEES in the DIY retail chain jem&fix. A BIG STEP UP THE CAREER LADDER, which he attributes to his Academy Professional Degree in Commerce at KEA.

W

hen Jesper Paarup Blicher’s workplace, jem&fix, offered ten of its store managers a chance to take additional education at KEA, he knew right away that he wanted to be one of the ten. It sounded exciting, and Jesper wanted to take his career to a new level.

“When I read about the programme, I thought it sounded very academic, and it was a little hard to relate to,” says Jesper, who nevertheless decided to give it a chance. He found that his worries had been unfounded. “I was really surprised at KEA’s ability to integrate our working experience on an academic level in the classes. When the classes are as practice-oriented as they are at KEA, it’s really easy to take what we learn and implement it at work.”

Jesper Paarup Blicher is taking the academy degree in Retail – Academy

Professional Degree in Commerce, and although he is only a little over half-way in the programme, he has already benefited more than he had expected. “After I became district manager I have really been able to use what I have learned in the programme. I am 30 years old and responsible for 200 to 250 employees, so I have had good use for the knowledge about management that I have acquired at KEA,” says Jesper, who began his working life when he trained as a sales assistant at COOP in 2003. “KEA is extremely adept at providing variation in the courses, and the content is always clearly related to our everyday experience.”

Although Jesper Paarup Blicher is happy that he accepted the offer of continuing education he can easily see how it might hard for some people to go back to school. “It still hasn’t been that long since I was a student, and in

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addition it was incredibly motivating for us that we had so much support form jem&fix – both before and after we embarked on the programme,” says Jesper.

The desire to learn has to be primary motivation. “I think one should consider carefully whether one has the motivation. It does eat into one’s free time, so the motivation has to be there.

But I have benefited so much that it hasn’t felt like a sacrifice,” says Jesper Paarup Blicher, who is excited about the prospects of looking back at the development he has undergone – professionally as well as personally – a year from now, when he graduates. “I have already acquired a whole range of tools that I can use in my day-to-day work, so if it continues like this, I can’t hardly imagine how much good this will do me once I’m done.” 

GØR VIDEN TIL HANDLING OG OPNÅ BEDRE BUNDLINJE I BUTIKKEN Detailakademiet er uddannelser til dig, der arbejder med detail.

Du får en professionel, godkendt og kompetencegivende uddannelse, du kan bruge til at skabe resultater i butikken med det samme.

Retailer – for salgsassistenter Retail Leadership – for mellemledere Akademiuddannelsen i Retail Leadership – for ledere Detailakademiets uddannelser er udviklet i tæt samarbejde med en række store detailkæder.

Du vil opleve engagerede og involverende undervisere, som taler detailhandlens sprog.

Detailakademiet tilbyder både korte og længere uddannelsesforløb.

Vi skræddersyr uddannelser efter virksomhedens behov.

Kunderne siger: At valget faldt på Detailakademiet skyldes deres store viden inden for detailbranchen samt deres tætte kontakt til erhvervslivet og hvad der rører sig. Dette har gjort at undervisningen er hurtigt omsættelig til dagligt brug for vores deltagere.

Kari Kuhberg, uddannelsesansvarlig, Synoptik A/S Som leder kan jeg bruge den erfaring, jeg har opbygget gennem mange år, når jeg omsætter den nye teori til praksis, det har været den største gevinst. Detailakademiets uddannelse har givet mig så meget. Den synergi, der er opstået her, er ubetalelig.

Mikael Kirschner, Butikschef, Synoptik A/S

RETAIL LEADERSHIP

AKADEMIUDDANNELSEN I RETAIL LEADERSHIP

TALENT FORLØB

RETAILER

www.detailakademiet.dk

KEA Reports P R A C T I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N

SHAPE YOUR FUTURE Be well prepared for the future with a degree from KEA. All KEA’s programmes are developed in close cooperation with regional businesses and institutions of education both in Denmark and abroad. We are in constant dialogue with companies and trade organisations in Denmark and abroad to keep our programmes up-to-date in both form and content. This ensures that the education we offer lives up to the current demands and needs in a dynamic global labour market.

EDUCATION Priority on cooperation with companies. The programmes are based on lectures, class room education, workshops, assignments and projects to provide a sound basis for understanding real-life practice. Assignments are done both in teams and individually.

STUDENT COUNSELLING Make the right study choice – consult with a student counsellor.

One of the key factors for a good study experience is that you pick a programme that matches your professional profile and your personal competences.

The student counsellors have in-depth knowledge about the programmes they represent and are able to answer most questions about the various aspects of the programmes. Find your student counsellor at kea.dk, or send an e-mail to studievejledning@kea.dk.

F I N D YO U R E D U C AT I O N A L L E V E L KEA offers programmes on three different levels: · Academy Professional Degree programmes · 1½-year Bachelor Degree programmes (also called Top-up Bachelor Degree) · 3½-year Bachelor Degree programmes Here is an illustration of the position of the various programmes in the education system and their mutual relationships.

You can read more about the individual levels below.

MASTER’S DEGREE

TOP-UP BAC HELOR DEGREE (1 ½ Y E A R S )

BAC HELOR DEGREE (3½ YE ARS) ACADEMY PROFESS IONAL DEGREE (2 Y E A RS)

YO U T H E D U C AT I O N

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P r a c t i c a l i n fo r m a t i o n – Educations KEA –

AC A D E M Y P RO F E S S I O N A L D E G R E E P RO G R A M M E S An academy professional degree programme is a higher education programme that normally takes two years, consists of four semesters and provides 120 ECTS points. However, both the Danish and English versions of the Computer Science programme take 2½ years and confer 150 ECTS points.

B U S I N E S S E S A C A D E M Y P RO G R A M M E S I N D E S I G N DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check www.kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: The programme takes an international approach to subjects such as form, visualisation, branding, marketing, purchasing and construction.

What does a Design Technology and Business graduate do: A Design Technology and Business graduate has an international profile and typically works in the fashion and lifestyle industry, for example as a designer or design assistant, buyer, constructor, PR staffer, an employee in a fashion magazine or an independent business owner.

How do I apply: he programme is included in the coordinated enrolment system KOT, Den Koordinerede Tilmelding. You can only apply under Quota 2. Anyone who meets the admission requirements will have to sit an admission test. The time and place for the admission test will be announced by invitation. You can see a sample admission test at kea.dk.

Programme start: Only in summer. _

ACADE MY PROFESS IONAL DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES I N IT C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 2½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: an international profile in subjects within programming, systems development, technology and the company.

What does a Computer Science graduate do: Typical jobs for a computer scientist include web developer, systems administrator and systems designer.

Programme start: summer and winter. _ IT TECHNOLOGY

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: common component featuring, for example, communication systems, the company, electronic and embedded systems as well as two study option components: network technology and electronics technology. All subjects are based on the international profile.

What does an IT Technology graduate do: jobs such as IT planner, network manager, IT consultant, electronics constructor or production technologist.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

M U LT I M E D I A D E S I G N & C O M M U N I C AT I O N ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: The programme takes an international approach to subjects such as form, visualisation, branding, marketing, purchasing and construction.

What does a Design Technology and Business graduate do: A Design Technology and Business graduate has an international profile and typically works in the fashion and lifestyle industry, for example as a designer or design assistant, buyer, constructor, PR staffer, an employee in a fashion magazine or an independent business owner.

How do I apply: The programme is included in the coordinated enrolment system KOT, Den Koordinerede Tilmelding. You can only apply under Quota 2. Anyone who meets the admission requirements will have to sit an admission test. The time and place for the admission test will be announced by invitation. You can see a sample admission test at kea.dk.

Programme start: only in summer. _

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: an international profile in the four core areas for the multimedia designer: the company, communication and presentation, interaction development and design and visualisation. You will receive input to design games, web portals and mobile services as well as digital video, 3D and databases.

What does a Multimedia Design & Communication graduate do: multimedia designer, web designer, webmaster, game designer, project manager/coordinator, marketing assistant, web and mobile developer or founding an independent business in an international context.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

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KEA Reports TOP- U P BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES You can take a top-up degree after you have completed your academy professional degree and thus earn a bachelor degree. A top-up programme takes 1½ years, includes three semesters and confers 90 ECTS points.

work as a software developer, software coordinator, software analyst, software programmer or an IT architect.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES TOP-UP BACHELOR DEGREE PROGR AMME IN DESIGN

A full bachelor degree programme takes 3½ years. The programme includes seven semesters and provides 210 ECTS points.

D E S I G N & B U S I N E S S ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: mandatory common modules in design, business, sociology and method. Specialised modules in the specialised lines of Sustainable Fashion Design, Sustainable Purchasing and Sustainable Communication as well as study option modules in, for example, video storytelling, digital design 1 and 2, shoes and accessories, presentation and negotiation and PLM database and visual Communication.

What does a Design & Business graduate do: Depending on the chosen line, the job opportunities include designer, design assistant, creative developer, PR or event coordinator, communication worker, buyer or sourcing.

Programme start: summer. _

T O P - U P B A C H E L O R D E G R E E P RO G R A M M E S I N I T E - C O N C E P T D E V E L O P M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Checkkea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: e-commerce, marketing, design, communication, media technology and project management.

What does an E-Concept Development graduate do: As an e-concept developer you would typically work within e-commerce, web design agencies, advertising agencies or design agency.

Programme start: summer and winter. _ W E B D E V E L O P M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: the design and construction of web applications on every scale.

What does a Web Development graduate do: jobs such as front- and backend developer, programmer, webmaster, web shop developer or web designer.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES I N DES IG N J E W E L L E RY, T E C H N O L O G Y A N D B U S I N E S S ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 3½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: The key focus of the programme is on jewellery, including how it is made by traditional means and by means of modern technology but also how jewellery is conceptualised and marketed – nationally as well as internationally. The focus is on the jewellery design, materials, jewellery concepts, trends, cultural understanding, innovation, marketing, value chain and supply chain.

What does a Jewellery, Technology and Business graduate do: jobs in the jewellery industry such as sales and marketing staff, jewellery designer, trend spotter, buyer, sourcer, PR coordinator or entrepreneur.

Programme start: summer. _

BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN CONSTRUCTION ARC HITECTUR AL TEC HNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION M A N AG E M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 3½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: an international profile within subjects such as communication, materials, architectural planning, construction calculation, installations, sustainability, business and law.

What does an Architectural Technology and Construction Management graduate do: jobs in an international context, primarily in the construction industry, for example for consulting architects and engineers or contractors as well as companies related to the construction industry, including the public sector, housing and administration companies, banks and mortgage credit societies and technological institutes.

Programme start: Summer and winter. _

BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES I N IT ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

S O F T WA R E D E V E L O P M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

ECONOMICS AND IT

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: the various aspects of the software development process, including databases, contracts, tests, systems integration, project management and systems development etc.

What does a Software Development graduate do: You may for example

Duration: 3½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: business economics, business strategy, project management, strategic planning of information systems.

What does an Economics and IT graduate do: jobs such as IT management, IT consultant, systems developer or systems analyst.

Programme start: summer.

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FOR MORE I N F O R M AT I O N KEA.DK

WWW.KEA.DK

WWW.KEA.DK

HALSKÆDE 299 / ARMBÅND 199 / ARMBÅND 299 / ARMBÅND 299 / RING 249 / RING 199 pilgrim.dk / find nærmeste forhandler på pilgrim.dk/stores

KEA Reports

SUMMER 2013 Contents 11

06 INTRO 14

– Market Manager Jørgen Ravnsbæk Andersen and Knowledge Manager Pernille Berg, KEA, welcome you to KEA Reports.

08 INSIDE – Glimpses from life at KEA.

14 THE MOTIVATED GENERATION – The students at KEA are the most motivated generation in a long time. They are focused on their job opportunities after graduation.

20

20 EDUCATION IS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE – Rector of KEA Ingo Østerskov and economist and former Chairman of the Danish Economic Council Torben M. Andersen discuss challenges, values and quality in education.

25 AN OPEN DOOR TO A JOB 25

– Internships lead to confidence in one’s own abilities as well as good connections. KEA students share their internship experiences.

Cover: Photography JAN SØNDERGAARD from Tools of the trades page 48

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Contents 34

42

34 PRACTICALLY SPEAKING

– The right balance between theory and practice is often the topic of debate. Also at KEA where internships are a mandatory part of all educational programmes.

40 WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD – At KEA, business and industry are an integrated part of the the programmes. Read the report from EConcept Development.

42 NOW IS THE TIME!

– Entrepreneurship is the new black, but can entrepreneurship be taught?

48

48 THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

– Students talk about tools that are specific to their field.

58 BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS – We need more women in the traditionally male-dominated professions. KEA’s Construction Management programme is taking action to change the balance.

62 I HAVE THE WORLD’S GREATEST STUDENTS EVERY YEAR – Anette Ristorp Ohlsen shares her thoughts on teaching in the Optometry programme.

66

66 NEW INSPIRATION IS GOLD – Learning should be a life-long endeavour. For our own sake and for the sake of our workplaces and society.

70

70 LIFE-LONG LEARNING – The independent business owner, the district manager and the HR director share their experiences with continuing education at KEA.

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KEA Reports

INTRO Welcome to KEA REPORTS, which replace KEA QUARTERLY.

Reports portray day-to-day life at KEA and offer a glimpse of our many exciting initiatives and activities. At KEA, we focus on providing education that is relevant both to the students and to business and industry. The articles in KEA Reports therefore reflect current topics that are also high on the political agenda.

KEA

The main theme of this edition of KEA Reports is the value of education for Denmark. It is the ambition of the Danish government to ensure that today’s children and youth become the best educated generation in the history of Denmark, because education generates jobs, innovation and growth to fund tomorrow’s welfare society. How do we best do that? We put this question to Professor and former Chairman of the Danish Economic Council Torben M. Andersen of Aarhus University and Rector of KEA Ingo Østerskov on page 40.

In educational contexts, ‘value creation’ and ‘practice’ have long been buzzwords. There is a growing awareness that theory alone cannot meet the challenges society is facing, but how do we strike the right balance between theory and practice to ensure that our educational efforts create maximum value for society? At KEA, part of the answer is to have theory and practice go hand in hand. All KEA students do a long internship as part of their studies. This internship benefits the students, who get a fi rst-hand glimpse of the challenges facing business and industry as well as valuable experience that is a help in their subsequent studies. You can read about the students’ wide-ranging internship experiences on page 25. And fortunately, the students are not the only ones who benefit from the internships: KEA grows every time a relationship with the surrounding world is formed and maintained, and the companies tell us that hosting interns from KEA is both inspiring and rewarding.

We believe that we can achieve much more together than we can alone. Therefore, business, industry, universities and other knowledge-heavy institutions in Denmark and abroad are an integrated part of research, development and teaching at KEA. This results in talented and competent students who help us develop and raise our many projects to new heights, and who time and again come up with solutions to real-life challenges. (For example, see on page 40 how students in KEA’s E-Concept Development line helped Harboes Brewery develop an Asian launch strategy for one of their products.)

KEA’s vision is to create educational programmes that help students face reality and develop a clearer understanding of their future potential. KEA programmes shape students’ identity from day one. Mandatory internships and the involvement of actual companies in the courses give the students a clear understanding of their future working life and – perhaps even more importantly – of their own capabilities and opportunities. Knowing one’s own skills and abilities and the challenges that await in future workplaces produces confidence and courage. Not a bad set of qualities to have after graduation when reality knocks on the door. At KEA, we consider this value creation – for the students, the labour market and society as a whole.

Pernille Berg

KNOWLEDGE MANAGER

Jørgen Ravnsbæk Andersen MARKET MANAGER

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PHOTOGR APHY Jan Søndergaard

Intro

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KEA Reports

INSIDE News , upcoming events and o utstanding student work . In brief: glimpses from KEA’s universe .

THE HETSCH MEDAL − RECOGNITION This is the first year that KEA hosts the Hetsch Medal event, which was previously managed by Copenhagen Technical College. The award, which includes a silver and a bronze medal has been handed out to Danish craft makers for 133 years, and everyone who meets the competition criteria may submit works for consideration.

The works will be judged by a committee that includes artist Bjørn Nørgaard, architect Kristin Urup and former Museum Director Bodil Busk Laursen among others. This year’s committee has also called in As Øland from Dansk Fashion & Textile as a special expert. In early May, this year’s award recipients will be presented with the medal at a traditional ceremony at Copenhagen City Hall with the participation of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe. Later, their works will be exhibited at Dansk Fashion & Textile and Kopenhagen Fur’s new innovation and design centre in A.N. Hansens Palæ.

— See more at kea.dk and dmogt.dk.

KARATE KID − SPORTS TALENT Combining a career as an elite athlete with the demands of higher education is a tall order, but at KEA the challenge is slightly more manageable. 25-year-old Hanning Høegh has done karate for 13 years and was about to graduate from the Computer Science programme at KEA, when the World Championships in karate coincided with his final exam. “I was told that KEA was willing to be flexible, and that it wouldn’t be a problem for me to take the final exam once I returned from the World Championships. If KEA had not shown this flexibility, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate on time,” says Hanning, who brought home a silver medal. The ability to combine his studies with competitive sports has encouraged Hanning to continue at KEA, where he is currently taking a bachelor degree in Web Development. And there is no way he will end his karate career until he brings home the gold!

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Inside

ORGANIC ORIGAMI − DESIGN The Japanese art of paper folding, origami, is the main inspiration for Natasja Qvitzau Lund’s fashion label Nuit Comme Oui, which she launched the same year as she began at KEA. Origami involves folding figures from a single sheet of paper, and based on this technique, Natasja has defined a set of guidelines for her design process. The guidelines mean that everything that carries the Nuit Comme Oui label is symmetrically folded from a square piece of fabric and available only in one size. Although the guidelines relate to the design process, they also serve an ethical purpose by helping to avoid waste, thus combining sustainability, art and design in Natasja Qvitzau Lund’s meticulously folded dresses, jackets and pant suits.

— See more at nuitcommeoui.com

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KEA Reports

GREEN GUIDE

− Sustainability is the way of the future, but it can be a difficult field to navigate. The book Guidelines II – A handbook on sustainability in fashion is intended for individuals and companies that wish to make existing production more sustainable or initiate sustainable production.

With case stories involving Jackpot, Noir, Aiayu and the denim maker Kuyichi, among others, the book explains what others have done. One of the book’s authors is Tina Hjort, who teaches sustainable design at KEA. H.R.H Crown Princess Mary has written the preface to the book.

— See more at fashionguidelines.dk

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Inside

WIN-WIN − ENERGY SAVINGSS In

the large department store Field’s in Ørestaden the lights are on, and the ventilation systems are working hard to carry the excess heat from the lamps out of the building. That is not healthy for the bottom line – or for the environment. Therefore, energy technologists from KEA will be working with the consultancy firm eoptimo to find a more energy-efficient solution for Field’s. The joint project lets the students test their theoretical knowledge in practice, and it gives Field’s an additional 55 perspectives on their energy usage. That is good for the students, for Field’s and, not least, for the environment.

— See more at kea.dk

DESIGN AT YOUR FINGERTIPS −

The mobile game Wordfeud gave the old board game Scrabble a world-wide revival, and with Punkt (Point), Tobias Freddie and Mathias Gammelby, both Production Technology students at KEA , have now found a way to make Scrabble accessible to blind users.

Punkt is based on braille and can be used both to teach blind children spelling and to introduce braille to people who have lost their sight as adults. The game was recently nominated for the world’s biggest design prize, INDEX: Award. If the two KEA students win their category, Play & Learning, they will have 100,000 euros to realise their idea.

NOMINATION

— See more at nominateforindexaward.dk.

KEA CONNECT

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

− KEA can call a full house for the two annual KEA Connect events, where prospective students and other interested visitors are offered a glimpse of life at KEA. All the programmes are represented and present examples of student projects. You can chat with a student counsellor or meet other students and hear why they think they have made the right choice. The next KEA Connect / Open House takes place in early November.

— See more at Kea.dk

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KEA Reports

INTERNATIONAL INTERNET SUCCESS − DESIGN The internet has many other uses besides Facebook. For example, this was where Silke Bonde began to market her graphic illustrations of foxes, hedgehogs and raccoons a year and a half ago.

Initially the illustrations were bought by Danish interior web shops, but the 22-year-old E-Design student soon began to look beyond Denmark’s borders, contacting web shops and stores abroad that carried a product line that matched her work. Since then, her business has taken off, and today, Silke’s illustrations are available in more than a dozen countries and a frequently feature in Danish home design magazines.

Silke Bonde graduates as an e-designer this summer and intends to spend her newfound free time to develop new products.

— See more at silkebonde.dk

LIGHTING THE WAY − Two KEA students took part in the Amsterdam Light Festival that took place in December last year. Both Rasmus Freek Engstrøm and Jerry Petersen, who study Architectural Technology and Construction Management at KEA, chose to spend their fifth semester at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, where they both developed contributions to the light festival. Together with his project group, Rasmus created Green Revolution, which highlighted the environmental advantages of LEDs, while Jerry’s project Return of the Bikes won second prize in the Amsterdam Light Festival and became one of the most talked-about projects at the event. The contribution consisted of bicycles welded together, rising out of the canal to reclaim the streets.

The goal was to draw attention to the 25,000 bicycles that are thrown into the canals of Amsterdam every year.

FESTIVAL

— See more at amsterdamlightfestival.com

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Inside

Charlotte and Katrine met when they studied Design Technology at KEA.

FOCUSED −

Charlotte Falck Andersen and Katrine Hjorth-Hess were among the first Design Technology graduates from KEA, and after several years in the lifestyle industry they have now founded the PR agency Inside PR. The idea came when Charlotte was on maternity leave last winter and did not know what she would do once her leave was over. Katrine suggested that they found a PR agency together to work exclusively with interior design, and Charlotte said yes. “After working with PR for many years we saw that there was a gap in the market. Most PR agencies work mainly with fashion, and no one works exclusively with interior design,” says Charlotte, who agrees with Katrine that KEA has played a major role in shaping their current working life. “We studied Design Technology because we were interested in design but didn’t really know how to approach it as a profession. At KEA we worked out what we wanted in our working life, and the internship especially, which we both did at the PR agency Spalt PR, had a huge impact on where we are today.”

PHOTOGR APHY — Amanda Hestehave

INTERIOR

— See more at insidepr.dk

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KEA Reports

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Fe a t u r e

MOTIVATE ME, PLEASE! Today’s youth is a GENERATION UNDER PRESSURE . They want to be able TO SEE A JOB AT THE END OF THEIR STUDIES.

text Leny Malacinski illustration Jesse Lefkowitz

J

eppe Drensholt has it.

It cannot be weighed, measured or photographed, but he brings it when he shows up for class in the Brand Design programme at 8:45 in the morning: motivation.

“When we have big assignments, we often work late into the night and do our best. I have my goal set on an internship in a graphic design agency, and once I graduate I would like to go into business for myself. I don’t want a tedious job from 8:00 to 16:00. I want every day to bring something new. That’s the dream, at least,” says Jeppe Drensholt.

He is one of the 4,112 full-time students who are currently enrolled at KEA , the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology.

Motivation is one of the most important qualities for young people as they complete their lower secondary education and go into the world to find a path to their future.

But without motivation, they get stuck. Almost one in five boys never completes a vocational or higher secondary education. In the vocational programmes, one in three students drops out.

Youth researcher Camilla Hutters finds these figures worrying. Together with a colleague she is currently investigating how to motivate young people to complete an education.

“This generation is not spoiled. It’s a generation under pressure. In Norway they call it The Serious Generation. You could also call them the Goal-Oriented Generation. They live up to calls for them to enrol in education sooner and to graduate sooner. But many find that they can’t navigate in our education system. It’s designed for a very streamlined approach, to be completed within the standard timeframe. That clashes with the reality of young people’s lives, where the labour market is changing, and the conditions for finding a job are changing. The young people are saddled with unrealistic plans. That is one of the factors that affect their motivation negatively,” says Camilla Hutters, who is an associate professor at the Danish Centre for Youth Research, Aarhus University.

In Herning, Louise Byg Kongsholm is director of Pej Gruppen, which has been communicating knowledge about current trends, especially to the lifestyle sector, since 1975. She agrees with Camilla Hutters that today’s young stu-

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dents are much more goal-oriented than students have been for years.

“At a crucial stage of their identity formation they are confronted with an all-encompassing crisis. Their predecessors had job offers on hand even before they had graduated. This generation is walking right into unemployment. That creates a new form of motivation that to some extent resembles the motivation we saw in the 1980s, when unemployment was soaring. So we have a generation who is determined to get ahead, do well, earn high marks, land a job that is relevant to their studies so they can pull ahead of the crowd in their quest to get a job, etc.,” says Louise Byg Kongshøj.

KEA IS A LABORATORY

From a research point of view, KEA, the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, is an interesting laboratory. In 2009, several vocational programmes were brought together under the initials KEA , ranging from sanitary plumbers to multimedia designers and surveyors.

The variation in drop-out rates clearly reflects the diversity of the student population. In the Computer Science programme, 61 percent do not graduate, while the Design Technology program-

KEA Reports

they should come. Others say that they just broke up with their girlfriend/boyfriend. It seems that their biggest problem is getting up in the morning. Then I have to explain the consequences to them, since eventually the students are expelled if they don’t show up,” says Ole M. Brandt.

In his assessment, young people’s view of authority has changed drastically since he was a student in the 1960s-70s.

“If the teacher used a stern voice on us, it almost felt like a beating. Today’s youth is much more immune At a crucial stage of their to that. We have to talk with them and help them work out identity formation what they want. But they do an allhave to show up for class,” says student counsellor Ole encompassing crisis.

M. Brandt.

He has also met students who said that they would rather receive student aid than This generation is welfare payments. Louise Byg Konsholm of Pej Grupwalking right into pen says that students skip unemployment a class because there are alThus, it is not only the stuways competing options: new form of motivation dents’ initial motivation for “They are constantly opbecoming a multimedia detimizing in relation to their signer or an electrician that own situation. That also determines whether they means that classic autho– Louise Byg Kongshøj, Director of Pej Gruppen. see it through. The teaching rity figures and rules don’t and the demands of the promean much to them. If class grammes are at least equally impor- in part because they are unsure about is boring or seems irrelevant, they don’t tant, and the students quickly respond what they want for their future, and come.” to whether the courses seem relevant or in part because they are unsure about too theoretical. If they do not feel that whether they can use what they learn in The German theorist and professor of their studies will be useful in a future a job as, say, IT support technicians. education Thomas Ziehe works with the job their motivation may evaporate.

When KEA students have these con- loss of institutional authority, among In other words: The students want cerns they often come to see the student other topics, and he argues that the to be able to see a job at the end of counsellors. Ole M. Brandt is the stu- school as an institution has lost power dent counsellor for IT Technology, and and status. In his assessment, the rejectheir studies.

If that is not the case they begin to he has met many students who have tion of tradition and confining structufeel that they do not fit into the pro- difficulty keeping up. Because they are res that was the pride of 1970s educagramme, they begin to fall behind, and depressed, have had a death in the fa- tion is lost on today’s youth. A fundaeventually they stop showing up in the mily or simply fail to see the point of mental liberal and democratic attitude in the education system has become the morning. Two students in the IT Tech- showing up for class. nology programme, for example, say “Some say that they can’t keep up norm, which means that students take that they are considering dropping out, with the class, so they don’t see why it for granted and do not perceive it as a me only loses 5 percent of the students.

Youth researcher Camilla Hutters is especially interested in drop-outs and those at risk of dropping out.

“The two figures reflect that young people have very different perceptions of their programmes and associate them with different opportunities for achieving status and identity. Young people make choices aimed at securing the best opportunities.

They ask, ‘What job can I get? What programme can I get into?’” says Camilla Hutters. Another explanation for the variation in dropout rates lies in the demands of the programmes. The Computer Science programme is easier to get into, but it is a very demanding programme, and many students are taken aback by the level of maths skills it requires.

They struggle because they lack sufficient maths skills from lower or upper secondary school.

“

confronted with

they are

Their predecessors had job offers on hand even before they had graduated.

. That creates that to some extent resembles the motivation we saw in the 1980s”

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Fe a t u r e

– facts – gift. That affects their view of the education, Ziehe argues: If the students do not feel that the courses are relevant to them, their everyday life and their ‘lifeworld’, they lose their motivation.

Today’s students have a high degree of influence, but according to Ziehe, that can actually be a burden. They have grown up in families where everything is negotiable and up for debate, and sometimes it may be more appealing to have someone tell one what is the right thing to do. Or to have someone – for example the educational institution – dictate that education is important and needs to be a priority, or there will be consequences. Even if the institutions have lost their authority, that does not mean that young people no longer need authority, says Thomas Ziehe.

THE HIGHLY MOTIVATED ALSO SKIP CLASS

In fact, it is not only the least motivated who skip class. In the Brand Design programme too, there are sometimes vacant chairs, says Nanna Kanneworff, who teaches the Professional Bachelor programme Design and Business.

“The students are very dedicated, but I have to admit that we are in tough competition with all the other things going on in their lives. And sometimes it’s hard to compete. They often put their paid jobs first if we give them exercises or assignments that are not graded or mandatory.

Many have jobs that are relevant to their studies, but of course their qualifications suffer if they don’t get enough practice,” says Nanna Kanneworff.

The lowest turnout she has had was a lesson where some 15 out of 42 students showed up. Today’s students typically make up their own minds and may not show up if a particular lesson seems less relevant to them.

“That also affects me as a teacher.

When the students put a lower priority on school, our motivation as teachers suffers too. When they ask ahead of time whether the scheduled activities on Thursday are mandatory, or whether they will be graded, I know they’re not going to show up. In my opinion, all exercises and assignments should be mandatory; when we ask them to do something, it should be a priority.

E X P L O S I V E I N C R E A S E I N Q U O TA 2

searching. But they never get around to that,” says Louise Byg Kongsholm.

A P P L I C AT I O N S F O R B U S I N E S S AC A DEMIES.

The business academies have seen the biggest increase in the number of Quota 2 applications; on 15 March 2013, the number of applications they received was up 41 percent from 2012.

These figures suggest that young people see the business academy programmes as relevant. They make smart choices: They listen to the companies’ call for qualified labour, are motivated and base their choices on job opportunities.

The Danish Minister of Education Morten Østergaard (R) welcomes this trend; in a comment to DR Nyheder he said, “I am overjoyed to see that the short-term higher education programmes account for so much of the growth in Quota 2 applications.

Paradoxically, at a time of high unemployment we also hear about companies that have problems finding people with the right qualifications. Here, the business academies offer an obvious answer to bottleneck issues, because they can deliver graduates within a relatively short time span.”

The teacher shouldn’t have to discuss whether or not the assignment is important,” says Nanna Kanneworff.

“As a generation, they are more focused on their own individual success than on the success of the team or the community. It’s first-come, first-serve and ‘survival of the fittest’. They want to optimise their time,” says Louise Byg Kongsholm, director of Pej Gruppen.

“Because they have so many options to choose from – offline and online – they have to prioritise constantly, make choices and plan their time carefully.

They don’t want to waste a single minute. They don’t want to be bored – it’s virtually a generation who doesn’t know how to be bored. Waiting time is always spent with a smartphone, every waking hour is packed. Being bored can lead to new ideas, innovation and soul

– 017 –

appeals especially to young people who would not thrive in long university programmes, buried in theory books.

That is also true of the 27-year-old plumber Rasmus Berg, who is a student in the Sanitary Plumbing programme.

In school, he was a boy who could not keep his feet still when he had to listen to the teacher.

“I wasn’t very good at sitting still, and then one day my dad said that he had found me an apprenticeship as a plumber,” says Rasmus Berg.

After working and training for seven years he is now enrolled at KEA, qualifying as a sanitary plumber, so that he can open his own company.

“I love it here. I learn more about the stuff I’ve been working on for the past seven years. And today I have no problem sitting still,” says Rasmus Berg.

He thinks his fellow students are motivated, although he acknowledges that the turnout may suffer when the topic of the day is Excel spreadsheets.

Youth researcher Camilla Hutters, who is examining what it will take to encourage more young people to complete an education, points out, however, that it is not only the students who need to deliver.

The drop-out rates also reflect the ability of the teachers to appeal to the students and make the content relevant.

“For many students in the business academies, it is important that the programmes are not too long, and that they are able to see the relevance. For example, I talked with a man who studied innovation, and he was disappointed to find that they don’t actually learn how to innovate. Instead, a teacher reviewed theories on innovation based on a book.

The students at KEA want to learn something that is directly applicable in the job market,” says Camilla Hutters.

KEA

Young people are also under pressure because they have to make a choice that, at the time, feels as if it is ‘for life’.

“What they find most stressful is this feeling that they have to make a choice that will determine the rest of their life.

And of course, no one can do that. Hen-

KEA Reports

a day you study,” says Simon ce, drop-outs and false starts Bacon Tranekær Kullegaard. are part and parcel of living in a society such as ours. It is a natural part of finding the THE NEW GENERATION IS right education in today’s unWELL PREPARED predictable job market,” says However, the most important Camilla Hutters. task facing the young generation is not optional. It is clearly Drop-out rates are higmandatory: how to manage in her among younger students. a society where the gaps in the More than two out of three safety net might appear to be KEA students are under 24, growing? How to operate in and older students have loa job market that is changing wer drop-out rates, because rapidly before one’s eyes? they already have training or Briefly put: Is there any because they are more setthope for today’s youth? led, with a family and a job.

Nanna Kanneworff, who 28-year-old Anders Hald teaches brand design, thinks studies automation technothere is. logy, and in his class only “The great thing about two students have dropped this generation is their couout. With a degree in autois their courage rage. We had a student who mation technology he will wanted an internship with be qualified to program the Hugo Boss. They had never industrial computers that internship with Hugo Boss. had interns before, and it’s excontrol assembly lines and tremely difficult to get in. But other production technology never had interns before she wrote a motivated appliin factories. cation and delivered it in per“I am fairly happy with son, and in the end she landed the programme. It could do an internship and even got a with a slightly more practimotivated application job there afterwards. My own cal slant, and there have been generation was more humble. some initial problems because We had more respect for the it’s a new programme, but the she landed an internship establishment, and that made teachers are good,” he says. it harder for us to kick in the He thinks that his geneeven got a job door to the companies.” ration is a little spoiled.

25-year-old Simon Bacon “I guess we’re a little spoiTranekær Kullegaard has a led with being able to pick – Nanna Kanneworff, teacher at the Professional different perception of his and choose among education Bachelor programme Design and Business. own generation. He thinks programmes. Perhaps people that his peers might trip should pay more attention to “I probably don’t spend as much themselves up because their expectations what society needs and study engineering, for example, instead of studying time studying as I ought to. I just bought are too high. history and graduating into unemploy- a flat, so I work as a marketing assistant “I think that my generation is focuin a clothing firm. With classes four sed on self-fashioning. Everyone has to ment,” says Anders Hald.

He has already looked into his own days a week, I have a long work week,” be unique and special, so we lose sight he says. job opportunities, which are promising. of the fact that it’s okay to be an acStill, he prefers to continue working countant or a check-out clerk. We also Simon Bacon Tranekær Kullegaard studies Ideation, which deals with con- to taking loans to fund his studies. have so many options that it can seem “Many of my mates will graduate overwhelming. In principle, all options cept development and idea generation.

He acknowledges that he does not put a with heavy debt, and I don’t want to do are on the table, and every time you high enough priority on his studies, but that. I have always had a job. And I don’t opt for one thing you dismiss another it is not because he lacks motivation. He feel that I learn less because I work so option. I think that’s something that has to work 15-20 hours a week to pay much on the side. I guess, you’ll always affects many people in my generation,” feel guilty, no matter how many hours he says. his rent. 

“The great thing about this generation . We had a student who wanted an They had , and it’s extremely difficult to get in. But she wrote a and delivered it in person, and in the end and there afterwards.”

– 018 –

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KEA Reports

EDUCATION IS ALL ABOUT the good life Everybody is talking about education. The Danish government has a goal of making the current youth generation the best-educated in Danish history. We need to use education to drive job creation, innovation and growth to be able to fund tomorrow’s welfare society. But we cannot compromise on quality. On this, Ingo Østerskov, rector of KEA, and Professor Torben M. Andersen of Aarhus University, former chairman of the Danish Economic Council, agree .

text Signe Løntoft photography Amanda Hestehave

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Interview

Rector of KEA, Ingo Østerskov (left) and Professor of Economics Torben M. Andersen

I

n the debate on the future education agenda, the focus may be on the details or on the big picture. On budget management and spreadsheets or on values and visions. On Bildung and culture or on qualifications and the job market. On recruitment and retainment or on quality and content. And finally, it may be on how education programmes can match the demands of business and industry more closely – while also offering something that is not specifically in demand but which nevertheless contributes to value creation. Briefly put – a conversation about education can be framed in many different ways, as education is both about the individual’s dreams and about building our future society.

In other words, one has to stay sharp to be a fly on the wall during a conversation about the future of the education system. Not least when this conversation takes place been two of Denmark’s leading capacities within the field. Torben M. Andersen [TA], a professor at Aarhus University and former chairman of the Danish Economic Council, and Ingo Østerskov [IØ], the rector of KEA, have met to discuss some of tomorrow’s challenges.

What are the most important challenges for the education sector in the coming years?

[TA]: “There is no doubt that in the coming years we will see a focus on including the residual group. Today we have a large group of young people who are not educated, and unless we change that, there are going to be serious consequences.

The individual will have a problem, because the job market is unforgiving in the sense that there are fewer and fewer jobs that don’t require specific qualifications. Someone without proper professional training will find it very difficult to gain a stable foothold on the labour market in the future. And for society, it is crucial to ensure that the vast majority are educated, because we won’t be able to afford our welfare society unless the employment ratio goes up.”

How should the education sector respond to that challenge?

[TA]: “We know that early intervention is important. If we take, for example, a chap in his early 20s who did not do well in school and then later drifted a bit, it’ll be extremely dif-

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KEA Reports ficult to get him enrolled in a programme that he will be able to complete. That is why it’s important to get the young people off to a good start.”

[IØ]: “As educational institutions we have to create programmes that are engaging and inspiring. And we need to tell young people that it is less crucial which programme they enrol in. The main thing is to find an inspiring learning environment. There will be plenty of opportunity to change direction or add components in the course of one’s studies. For example, when I was a kid I wanted to be an engine driver, because I loved trains and railways. In my upper secondary years I began to take an interest in economics, and then I had a new dream: to be director general of the state railways. That is why I enrolled in the bachelor of commerce programme.

Once I had begun my studies, however, I began to really nerd out with economics and embarked on a research career at the business college, and then things took a different direction...

That’s just one example of how we set out with certain ideas but often wind up somewhere else entirely.”

[TA]: “I would also question just how rational field-of-study choices really are. For most of us, choosing a field of study is a rather vague process – it’s down to chance, people we’ve met, people we’ve heard about, what they do for a living, etc. So the particular study choice is less essential than just making sure that everyone is enrolled in some sort of training or education.”

[IØ]: “Another factor today is the widespread use of ongoing and supplementary training, and that is only going to increase. Today, it is almost inconceivable to complete vocational training and then expect to be active within the same field of work for 30-40 years. Things develop so rapidly today that some form of added qualifications or training will be necessary at some point. Thus, there is a constant process of fine-tuning. Someone might take additional training in order to move to another field of work or pursue a new interest or a particular job opportunity, and companies might give their employees additional training because their needs change.

This leads to a life-long process of adaptation between the labour market and the labour force.”

To what degree and how should educational programmes adapt to the needs of business and industry?

[IØ]: “That depends which sectors of the education system we are talking about. Of course, Torben and I represent different institutions. In my opinion, a university should pursue a long-term strategy and should also include the research aspect in its programme planning. A business academy, on the other hand, should take a much more short-term view in relation to the job market situations that we need to aim our programmes at. But generally speaking, I think there is a tendency right now for the education system to develop closer ties to business and industry and to focus more on how the learning we provide through our programmes contributes to value creation in society.”

[TA]: “There is a greater emphasis on the notion that the future of the welfare society depends on our ability to educate the majority of the population in a way that enables them to contribute on the job market. Therefore, the point is not that the educational programmes should adapt to the needs of business and industry but rather that we serve the interest of society as well as the individual by providing programmes that generate value.”

“Education is about so much more than jobs. It’s about what sort of life one wants.”

Ingo Østerskov, Rector of KEA.

Ingo Østerskov and Torben M. Andersen discuss the education challenges facing Denmark.

[IØ]: “As rector, I would add that of course our programmes should be targeted at the industries and professions that we train people for, so that our graduates can enter directly into the everyday activities of the workplace and create value. At the same time, we should also promote the innovative and entrepreneurial gene in the students that enables them to come up with new ideas for many of the smaller companies – or start a business of their own. I see a great potential there, as many of our students have the desire and the drive to do that.

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Interview Our job, then, is to offer inspiration, guide them in the right direction and let them carry out assignments in cooperation with our business contacts in order to facilitate synergy.”

How do we ensure that the programmes match the needs of the labour market – and avoid giving people qualifications they cannot use?

[TA]: “First of all, there’s always a risk of compromising on quality when setting as an objective that a certain percentage should complete vocational or academic studies. And dropping standards would be an absolute disaster. Also, there is little point in having a large share of people complete higher education if our focus becomes too narrow. We need to include the vocational programmes, and they need to be high-quality, otherwise we’ll have problems. Internationally, for example, Korea’s strong focus on education has led to a boom in education. But the way they’ve gone about it means that everyone now feels that one’s life is a failure if one doesn’t get into university. That has led to truly absurd consequences where these poor kids are pushed so hard and taken to extra tuition around the clock. Another result is a high rate of unemployment among university graduates while there is a shortage of skilled labourers.”

[IØ]:“In Denmark, too, there has been a tendency to view upper secondary education as more prestigious than vocational training, but the trend is turning. Right now, there is an awareness that we need to change. As a society, we also have to examine whether quite so many people really need to take master’s degrees, or whether more people might get by with a bachelor’s degree with the option of adding a master’s degree later. From society’s point of view, it makes a big difference whether people extend their studies by two years to take a master’s degree, or whether they do a master’s programme later on, after they have been on the job market for 10-12 years, and their employer pays for part of the programme as well as their salary.”

and a drive that leads to other things – and that’s preferable to lying on the sofa.”

Is life going to get tougher for young people in the coming years?

[IØ]: “That depends what you mean by ‘tougher’. I do think we’re going to see a more acute awareness that one has to obtain the necessary qualifications to gain a strong position on the labour market. Naturally, that implies some form of pressure. You have a responsibility for getting an education and acquiring knowledge that makes you a valued player in the labour market.” 

Does the crisis make us focus more on education as the path to growth?

[TA]: “It probably does, but it’s not just about growth. It’s also about values. There is solid documentation that education improves one’s foothold on the labour market but also one’s general health and standard of living and other aspects that we normally associate with the good life. In a welfare society, we have certain goals for the population, which are not just about growth but also about equal opportunities – and that is hard unless we provide a reasonable level of education to as many people as possible. In that sense, education can be seen as active redistribution of wealth or as a social measure, because we know that the ones who don’t succeed in the education system have poorer living conditions than the ones who do.”

[IØ]: “That’s a good example that education cannot be viewed in isolation. In debating education we have to include the full range of aspects involved instead of focusing solely on jobs. Education is about so much more than jobs. It’s about what sort of life one wants. Completing an education programme means acquiring professional qualifications, sure, but it also means gaining entrance to an environment where one meets other people, forming a network, perhaps joining a sports club through one’s school or college, perhaps being active in the study environment in various ways. It offers a life

– 023 –

–facts – I N G O ØS T E RS KOV

Rector of KEA MSc (Economics and Business Administration) from Copenhagen Business College Previously head of education at Køge Business College, head of development at Vestsjællands Handelshøjskolecenter and managing director of BEC, Business Education College TORBEN M. ANDERSEN

Professor of economics at Aarhus University Former chairman of the Danish Economic Council and the Danish Welfare Commission

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AN OPEN DOOR TO A JOB

Good connections, invaluable experience and greater confidence in one’s own skills and abilities. Internships offer a chance to go into the world and take on real-life challenges. Hear what eight students have to say about their internships in Denmark and abroad. text Michael Schmidt and Terne Thorsen photography Thomas Skou

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KEA Reports

EMILIE SOFIE NIELSEN 23 years, DESIGN TECH NOLOGIST Internship in Fashion Marketing and PR at Seventh House PR in New York, June-October 2012.

What made you choose to study Design Technology at KEA? I study Design Technology in the Design/ Business programme with a specialty in marketing, because I wanted to learn about design, sourcing and marketing.

Where did you do your internship?

Seventh House PR is a communication firm that works with marketing, branding and event planning, handles press relations and produces fashion shows for designers. When I started there, we were ten interns in total. Interns count for nothing, so you really have to prove your worth. I eventually worked my way up to be personal assistant to the director, Mandie Erickson, a very demanding woman. Both the level and the pace were really high, and they expected so much from me. As an intern I handled the press wardrobe and worked with stylists who needed clothes for magazines or for styling celebrities. When I became a PA, my responsibilities grew, and I worked longer hours, and I was now in charge of the director’s calendar, organising events and handling budgets.

– 026 –

How did you get in touch with the firm?

I found the firm at freefashioninternship.com – a site that I recommend to anyone who would like to do a fashion internship in the United States. I wrote an unsolicited application and then arranged to call them via Skype.

How do you draw on your experiences from the internship today?

Much of what I learned as an intern is part of the curriculum at school, and it’s great that my internship is meaningful in relation to my studies. I also learned a lot about myself – and that is experience that I use on daily basis.

Do you have any advice for other KEA students looking for internships?

If someone would like an internship in the United States, they should apply early, because there are so many things to sort out. It’s also important to be open and willing to learn, and not to be afraid of trying something new – after all, that’s why you’re there.

P o r t fo l i o

ROLF WINKLER 22 years, IT TECH NOLOGY, THE N ETWOR K LIN E Internship at K E A, Januar yMarch 2013.

What made you choose to study IT Technology at KEA? It’s an IT programme with an emphasis on networks, the connection between computers. We learn about all the layers involved in transmitting data from one unit to another – routers, switches, servers etc. In addition, we have classes on programming and management, for example, which provide a good understanding of the technical aspects.

ses on the theoretical aspects of the project, but later we hope to develop a prototype.

Why did you do your internship at KEA? An internship at KEA has slightly wider parameters than an internship in a company. KEA makes it possible to create something from scratch. The project I worked on was one I had intended do concurrent with my classes, but that proved impossible because the semester was more demanding than I had expected. So instead it became an internship project.

What was the most exciting experience?

To get out there and act as an IT professional. To be the guy that people ask whether something is doable. That sense of professional pride is a very unique thing to experience for the first time.

What is your internship project about?

We are developing a solution for a new KEA building. A system that collects data from sensors all over this five-storey building. Around 200 sensors, which monitor everything from air moisture to CO2, water, electricity etc. The idea is to use this big data set to determine how ‘green’ the building is. The information is also used by the energy technologists, who can monitor the replacement of clean air etc. The internship focu-

What have you learned from your internship?

I have had the experience of working with a loosely defined assignment. It’s up to me to take the initiative and come up with ideas to find optimum solutions.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

To achieve the goal and to maintain quality and focus. Sometimes one has to take a step back and look at the project as a whole to avoid getting bogged down by details.

How does your internship relate to your studies?

It’s a perfect extension of what I’ve learned in my studies.

The theory culminates in the practical aspects and takes on a more hands-on character.

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KEA Reports

ISABELLA M. JØRGENSEN 22 years, M U LTIMEDIA DESIGN – DA NISH LIN E Art-Intern at the adverti sing agency Leo Burnett / Laeufer in Berlin, Januar y-June 2013

What made you choose to study Multimedia Design at KEA? After originally enrolling at CBS I soon came to miss the practical aspect and the freedom to think and create on my own.

I found this latitude in KEA’s Multimedia Design programme.

The school defines the framework but otherwise gives us free hands. There is never just one right answer. For me, that has brought practice and theory together, and I feel well-prepared to put my training into practice outside the school.

Where are you doing your internship?

I really wanted to do an internship abroad. I found an internship at Leo Burnett/Laeufer, which is an ad agency in the middle of Berlin. I dream of becoming an art director, so I went exclusively for the leading ad agencies in the world. I sent out about 60 applications and had job interviews at places like Ogilvy, JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi. In the end, the placement at the German agency offered the most promising challenges and a chance to work with international clients.

How did you get in touch with the agency?

I sent an unsolicited application.

looking Alexanderplatz. The interior design is really stylish, and we have large iMacs, fresh flowers and a playful dog named Roco. A typical work week includes morning meetings, loads of e-mails, various deadlines and, of course, feedback from clients. During the week we have so-called ‘shoulder peek’ meetings, where we check up on the individual projects.

Friday is always concluded with ‘happy hour’ with catered food and drinks.

What have you learned from the internship?

I have a better idea about what I want to do in the future.

What has surprised you?

I have to admit that I thought such as large and creative office would be more playful and free than it really is, with its slick black/white expression.

Do you have any advice for KEA students looking for internships?

Believe in yourself! Remember that you are there to learn, and that your colleagues were once rookies too – everybody has to start somewhere. The internship should benefit you just as much as the company.

What is your workplace like?

Fancy! The office is located in a large glass building over-

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P o r t fo l i o

JULIAN DRUG 24 years, WEB DEVELOPMENT Internship with the computer game developers IO Interactive, Febr uar y-May 2012

What made you choose to study Web Development at KEA? I wanted to study in a city, and London was too costly for me, so I wound up in Copenhagen – which actually proved to be more expensive than London. At KEA there is a strong emphasis on job opportunities after graduation, which really appealed to me.

What is special about KEA and the programme you are in?

The teachers and the other students! A little personal engagement from both sides makes a huge difference in everyday life and makes the programme relevant and exciting.

Where did you do your internship?

I was an intern at IO Interactive, which is behind the computer game Hitman, among other products.

Was that your dream placement?

In the third semester we did the course Game Development, where the assignment was to create a 2D game. I chose to create a 3D game instead in a software that was brand-new to me: Unity. In my fourth semester, when I was looking

for internships, I based my search on this project and only applied with two companies: IO Interactive and Unity.

Both offered me a placement, but I followed my heart and chose IO Interactive.

How did you get in touch with the company?

One of my teachers tipped me off about the place and advised to me go for it. It took an extensive CV, a thorough application and five e-mails before it was all worked out.

What was your internship like?

I was part of a nine-person team working on a new version of the Hitman game.

It was a busy time with new ideas daily, user tests, meetings and presentations.

What have you learned from your internship?

To have confidence in myself and others!

I have learned that everyone’s work is ultimately essential, even when it might seem trivial. I have learned a lot about group dynamics, something which I have used in my work afterwards. And I have gained insight into the industry and an appetite for more.

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KEA Reports

RIKKE ISRAELSEN 29 years, IDEATION Internship as an Operations Assi stant at M U USE , June-August 2012

What made you choose to study Ideation?

I am a trained design technologist from Teko with a specialty in clothing, but I wanted to add a more business-oriented element. I chose Ideation, because I would like to go into business for myself.

Where did you do your internship?

I started my internship in June 2012 at MUUSE. MUUSE is a company that helps young designers get into the fashion business. The company ‘scouts’ young designers from the large design schools, launch their collections at MUUSE.com and handles production, sales, logistics, PR and marketing. Already two months later, I had a job as production manager at MUUSE. Why did you choose MUUSE? I heard about MUUSE in a radio show and thought it sounded as an exciting place to work.

How did you get in touch with the company?

I phoned them to ask who I should address my application to. Next, I sent an

– 030 –

e-mail to the company’s CEO, who invited me in for a job interview, and then I was offered the placement.

What have you learned from your internship?

In addition to a lot of experience, it led to a job. It was amazing to be able to finish my bachelor’s thesis and know that I had a job.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

It’s always hard to start in a new workplace, and it takes some time to find one’s place – but you just have to go for it.

What has surprised you?

How happy the companies are to welcome us. And how much responsibility one can have by showing initiative.

Do you have any advice for KEA students looking for an internship?

Think about what you want out of your internship before you apply. Make a prioritised list, and only contact the top ten companies on your list.

P o r t fo l i o

DENNIS HALD 26 years, PRODUCTION TECH NOLOGIST Internship as a technical designer at Mar ia Bernt sen’s design f irm, Febr uar y-June 2013

What made you choose to study Production Technology?

I prefer work that requires me to use both my hands and my mind. The Production Technology programme opens a wide range of possibilities that appeal to me.

Where are you doing your internship?

At Maria Berntsen’s design firm from February to June 2013.

In the Production Technology programme we choose in the third semester whether we want to focus on production or development, and I chose development. Therefore, when I was looking for an internship I wanted a place that developed design products. Maria Berntsen designs for companies such as Georg Jensen, Holmegaard and Royal Copenhagen, and in my internship I follow the design processes behind the products that are developed for the companies. It’s really exciting to see how much research goes into the design process, and how much Maria works with the individual things.

How did you get in touch with the company?

Through my network – I knew someone who knew someone who knew Maria Berntsen. I got her phone number, called her up and set up a meeting, and after three meetings we had a deal.

What have you learned from your internship?

It’s great to be able to use the theory I’ve learned at the school in practice and to be involved in so many different projects in the company. That has given me a completely different understanding of design development processes than I would have been able to get at the school.

What has been a challenge for you?

The hardest thing for me was that the workplace is so designoriented. In the Production Technology programme we mostly focus on function, but here the emphasis is on expression and appearance, and that has been a major shift. But for me, that has confirmed that I am more interested in the development of products that have function as a top priority.

What has surprised you in your internship?

I was surprised to see how much latitude there is in this type of workplace. Of course, there are deadlines, but it has been great to have a job with no fixed hours.

Do you have any advice for KEA students who are looking for an internship?

Be prepared and energetic every single day. Accept assignments with a smile.

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KEA Reports

NANNA MENZEL 26 years, CONSTRUCTION M A NAGEMENT Internship at Henning Larsen, Febr uar y-June 2013

What made you choose to study Construction Management?

I have always been interested in architecture, so I was thinking about applying to the School of Architecture, but when I saw how high their entrance requirements are, I began to look for alternatives, in case I didn’t get in. Then I came across the Construction Management programme, which is more technical and detail-oriented. I thought that was great, since I love getting into the details.

How did you get in touch with the firm?

First I wrote an application to Henning Larsen, which I sent along with my CV, but I didn’t hear back from them. But my father-in-law knew someone at Henning Larsen who advised me to send it in again. So I sent exactly the same application to exactly the same e-mail address, and this time I had a reply the next day. That illustrates how important it is to use your connections and not to give up.

What do you do as an intern?

I am working on a project with Nordea Ejendomme as the client. It’s an office building that is going up in Ørestaden.

I use the architects’ 2D drawings to construct a 3D BIM model, which is continually sent to the engineers and ventilation

crews. I am also involved in a project in Sydhavnen that was scheduled for completion in 2009. So far, only a third has been finished, and I am planning the completion of the building.

What do you hope to learn from your internship?

I definitely hope to establish good connections that I can draw on when it’s time to write my final thesis. I am surprised to see how much I have actually learned at the school. I really feel that we can use what we have learned. It’s great that one doesn’t have to sit there and feel completely blank.

What has been your biggest challenge?

You want to make a good impression and show who you are, and what you can do. That’s hard to do in such a short time span.

What has surprised you?

That the trained architects and construction managers can make just as many mistakes in real life as we do at the school.

Do you have any advice for KEA students who are looking for an internship?

Develop good connections who can help you if you’re aiming for a particular placement.

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P o r t fo l i o

CECILIE SCHREWELIUS 23 years, M U LTIMEDIA DESIGN – INTER NATIONAL LIN E Internship as a video /media producer at MTV in Berlin, January-April 2013.

What made you choose Multimedia Design?

It is a practically oriented and short programme, which is really cool if you’re someone like me, who does like to spend too much time with your head buried in a book. With a bit of talent and concentration I think that you can do equally well with these two years under your belt.

Was this placement your first choice?

No, but MTV is an international company, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of an internship there.

How did you get in touch with the company?

KEA set up internship meetings and contacts with potential companies in Berlin and other cities abroad.

What are your job tasks at MTV ?

Together with a small team of other young employees I make videos of interviews and acoustic live sets, which we edit and put online and on TV. It’s my job to make sure that the latest music videos from small and major labels are put up on the MTV website. I also do some graphic design work for banners,

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background images, app layout and things like that.

What have you learned from your internship?

Some exciting experiences, work experience, an attractive CV and a greater awareness of what it means to be a professional. Not least, I have learned how important the interaction between a good idea and good business is.

What has been your best experience?

Receiving praise for my work and being handed more tasks and a greater responsibility. That makes the whole experience meaningful. The most fun I’ve had was when Foals (English rock band, ed.) dropped by the office to tweet with our users for a day.

What has been a challenge for you?

Sometimes you have too much responsibility, sometimes not enough. One day you get a call from someone who needs information about a design you didn’t think you were responsible for. And the next day you’re making coffee and peeking over someone’s shoulder as they’re uploading a couple of images to a website. 

KEA Reports

– 034 –

Te n d e n c y

SPEAKING Theory without practice is the emperor’s new clothes , but practice without theory often fails to move beyond homespun truths . In recent years, the educational agenda has focused on developing good solutions that integrate theory and practice into an authentic whole.

Text Signe Løntoft

I

t is easy to ridicule the growing emphasis on theory in the Danish education system. For why should nurses be able to hold forth on the theories of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu if they do not know how to treat a wound? And is it not more essential for a future plumber to be able to install a washer-drier than to offer his abstract reflections on his approach to the task?

These are often asked common-sense questions. We have all faced assignments in an educational context that had no direct bearing on our future working life. But education is about more than acquiring the skills for a particular job, argues Pernille Berg, director of research and innovation at the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, KEA : “Of course, education should prepare the students for a particular professional practice after graduation. But there’s more to it than the ability to handle certain specific tasks; students also need to be able to reflect on their choices and methods and thus become co-creators of practice in their work context,” says Pernille Berg and underscores that it is always valid to debate whether a given programme has the right mix

of theory and practice, but that it is not a matter of choosing one over the other but of striking the right balance.

“The key is to link theory with practice in order to achieve synergy,” she says. “Theory should not be an isolated aspect, unrelated to the practice the students encounter. Nor should it pose a stumbling block that excludes students who actually have what it takes.”

The latter point is essential. The recent reforms of social security benefits and student grants will require even more young people to enrol in formal training. Today, 50,000 people under the age of 30 receive social security benefits, and most of them have no formal education. The future of the Danish welfare society depends on bringing more people through the education system to enable them to support themselves. The proposed reform of the social security benefit system means that young people without a formal education will not be eligible for social security benefits; instead they will be required to enrol in an education programme. That in turn requires the education system to be prepared to accommodate a larger number of students with very different backgrounds.

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KEA Reports

“A young man who is planning

to take over his father’s plumbing firm may lose his motivation if

the approach is too academic.

We can’t afford to lose him; instead we have to plan the flow of the programme to accommodate the individual student.”

“The education sector has to Stina Vrang Elias agrees be better at handling tranwith the minister of educasitions between programtion and the current govermes and shifts from one nment that a much higher programme to another,” the share of young people should – Pernille Berg Knowledge Manager, Danish Minister for Higher attain formal training, but on the future of Denmark Education Morten Østergashe has concerns about the ard said recently at a confecapacity to accommodate the rence on quality in the education system. Pernille Berg agrees: many young students: “Fortunately, the education system has become more flexi“I agree that it is important both for the individual and for ble, and that trend is going to continue. Ideally, all program- the economy at large that everyone can support themselves. mes should offer a chance to pursue different directions or to And education is the gateway to the labour market. But an add components at the individual students’ own pace. A young increasing emphasis on theory in education may in fact be man who is planning to take over his father’s plumbing firm counterproductive. A preschool teacher I know told me about may lose his motivation if the approach is too academic. We this great teacher assistant they had hired. The assistant was can’t afford to lose him; instead we have to plan the flow of great with the kids, she had the necessary skills, and she loved the programme to accommodate the individual student. On it. I suggested that she take the training to become a certified the other hand, we also have students who lack the manual preschool teacher, but my friend thought that was out of the skills to become good practitioners. They may not be able to question, because the assistant lacked the necessary academic produce a proper prototype, but there may be room for them abilities. In my opinion, that’s a real problem. If the educasomewhere else in the field.” tion system cannot embrace young people who lack acadeIt is a delicate balance. The programmes do not want to mic skills but who otherwise have what it takes to complete a exclude anyone by placing too high an emphasis on theoretical practice-oriented programme, how are we going to enable 60 knowledge, but on the other hand, the degrees are devalued if percent of the young population to attain higher education in ambitious students go elsewhere because they are looking for the future?” something beyond day-to-day practical skills.

“One answer might be to convert some of our programmes The combination of practice and theory is part of the tradition into courses aimed at students with different backgrounds. that the vocational programmes rest on. Historically, this type Also, some things are easier to discuss on a theoretical level of education has its roots in the apprenticeship approach, and once a person has spent a few years practising in the field. So the programmes have traditionally been developed in coopeperhaps the theoretical components should be part of continu- ration with the companies that would be the future employers. ing education programmes. Of course, the question is whether But in recent years, the labour market has undergone dramathe companies will be willing to foot the bill. Once the basic tic changes, and the education system is struggling to keep up: training is in place, most continuing training is funded by “One of our major challenges is that the professions we companies, and there is a limit to what they are willing to train the students for are changing rapidly and require multipay for if the additional training does not translate into new facetted assignments,” says Pernille Berg. This challenge is specific skills,” Pernille Berg explains. particularly pronounced in the business academies. Our programmes have a much wider range than, say, the programmes An additional perspective is offered by Stina Vrang Elias, the for nurses, who are typically trained for jobs in the hospital managing director of the think tank DEA, which focuses on sector, or teachers, who are typically going to work in municipal schools. In fact, many of them wind up using their traieducation, research and innovation.

“It is crucial for the development of quality in our educa- ning for something entirely different, but that is another story.

“If I say ‘design technologist’, that doesn’t give you a clear tion system that we improve our ability to combine theory and practice. Unfortunately, we sometimes see the pursuit of the- idea of what the profession entails, or where the jobs will be. ory for theory’s sake. In my fifteen years of working with edu- On the other hand, many think that they know what jobs are cational policies and quality in education I have seen the pen- relevant for electricians and plumbers. But while power indulum move increasingly toward theory and book learning. stallations used to be underground, they now include solar Perhaps because society considers book learning and theory power, water power etc. So as professional practices change, more prestigious. We are also seeing a bias in the upper se- education programmes also need to be revised. In many cases, condary field, where far too many choose academic program- our focus has to be on giving the students a mindset that enmes over vocational training, even if they have no intention of ables them to practice in the workplace – even if we’re not sure what the practice will look like.” pursuing an academic career.”

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Te n d e n c y The entire education system is therefore undergoing a transition from a profession-based to a practice-based didactic, and the various stakeholders are arguing about the priorities.

“Quality always depends on having an integrated whole that involves both practice and an interest in theory. At KEA we have talked about revitalizing the old academy programmes, where the students alternated between internships and schooling, because the practice experiences that the academies can offer will always be less motivating than the real world.” One possible future scenario is a model where the students study full time the first year and then do a part-time work placement in a company, where they work two days a week and study three days a week, or vice versa. “That benefits the companies by providing additional workers and access to updated knowledge. The educational institutions in turn benefit from having close relations to business and industry, and the teachers stay up to date on the current challenges in the job market.”

on your learning. Typically, this is a learning process where action and practice go hand in hand with theory. And here, cooperation with the outside world is a must.”

Pernille Berg has also observed how the spirit of innovation can be thrown out with the bath water in a study programme: “At KEA, studies show that 68 percent of our first-semester students dream of going into business for themselves. It’s essential that we preserve that desire. At the very least, we should not get in the way of it. And here, internships and the integration of internships play a major role.”

Just like the minister of higher education, Stina Vrang Elias is confident about the business academies’ ability to generate work placements. In her assessment, however, Danish universities have a long way to go: “Although there are more options now for taking a semester as an intern, many students still complete a four-to-fiveyear programme without having any contact with the labour market they will be entering. And here, a student job is no guarantee, because it doesn’t necessarily have any connection to the degree programme. Unfortunately, it is not realistic for all university students to have internships. But there are ways to get in touch with the outside world that are less extensive than an internship, like doing a survey for the local school, a market survey for a small local business that wants to increase its exports, etc., etc. In fact, doing some sort of project in cooperation with the outside world ought to be a requirement for graduation.”

At the conference ‘Bedre samspil mellem teori og praksis’ (Improved interaction between theory and practice) in February, Minister for Higher Education Morten Østergaard had positive words about the business academies’ internships and the development of quality through work placements.

“Internships are not a break but an integrated part of learning. It is crucial to ensure high-quality work placements and a high degree of learning,” said the minister, who described internships as a requirement to ensure the innovation that is needed for future growth in Denmark.

It is not only the students who need to get out more, in Stina “Today, unfortunately, the entrepreneurial spirit among Vrang Elias’ view. The teachers too need to stay in touch with young people seems to vary inversely with the number of years the labour market they are training their students for, and they have spent studying. The education system seems to kill that is up to the directors: off the entrepreneurial spirit “If the director of an gradually. What we need is educational institution has the opposite. We need a new a mindset that is focused One possible future scenario culture in the education syon preparing students for stem with a greater focus on the labour market from day innovation. This is less about one, that’s a great start. In study full time courses or teaching innovatipractical terms, finding part-time work on and more about bringing ways to ensure that teachers innovation into the programand students are in touch mes. You don’t learn to be with the labour market has work two days a week innovative through concepto depend on local condititualisation or passive analyons. Naturally, this doesn’t study three days a week sis alone. You have to learn mean that the education benefits the through innovation. You system should blindly relearn to be innovative by deflect the current needs of the companies veloping ideas, through trial labour market – we need a additional workers and access to and error and by reflecting dialectic approach.” 

“

is

a model where the students the first year and then do a placement in a company, where they and , or vice versa. “That by providing updated knowledge . The

educational institutions in turn benefit from having close relations to business and industry, and the teachers stay up to date on the current challenges in the job market .”

– Pernille Berg Knowledge Manager, on the future of Denmark.

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KEA Reports

We l c o m e t o t h e r e a l wo r l d

At Kea, COOPERATION WITH BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY IS THE NEW LEARNING TOOL . In the study programme E-concept development, the education RESEMBLES THE EVERYDAY WORKING LIFE THAT AWAITS THE STUDENTS AFTER GRADUATION – to the BENEFIT OF STUDENTS AND BUSINESSES ALIKE . text Terne Thorsen Marlene Toldbod Jakobsen photography Amanda Hestehave

A

lthough the calendar says March, the morning is chilly. A thin veil of grey clouds covers the sky, and the bare trees are swaying in the crisp wind that nips at our cheeks. Spring seems a long way away. In the basement of KEA’s department on Bispevej in Copenhagen’s northwest district, however, the air is full of excitement. Here, 50 students from E-concept development have come together to present their branding strategies for the Danish beer manufacturer Harboe. Harboe is planning a launch in Asia, and the company’s Asia Manager, Hans-Jürgen Greiner, is therefore present, seated on one of the many black chairs. Greiner is German and lives in Singapore, but today he has come to Copenhagen to hear what the students have come up with.

The projects are presented on two large monitors at the end of the low-ceilinged but bright subterranean room, while six flat-screen monitors – three on either side of the room – en-

sure that everyone has a view of the proceedings.

In Denmark and the rest of Europe, Harboe is a discount brand, but in Asia they wish to launch themselves as a premium brand. Harboe has therefore renamed their luxury beer Bjørne Bryg ‘Bear Beer’ and asked KEA’s students to find the best way to market it in the Asian market. Cooperation with karaoke bars, merchandise shaped as bear’s claws, roaring refrigerators with bear’s feet, games, apps, posters and cardboard cut-outs. The students have worked on the project in groups, and after presenting their ideas they receive feedback from Hans-Jürgen Greiner, who tells them what was good – and what was less good. He asks questions and requests additional information. Is it really doable? Have you checked?

Have you checked thoroughly enough?

The presentations are in English. The accents vary from Danish, Swedish and Norwegian to British and German, and two

–04 0–

Reportage time to look for work,” adds Kristoffer Jacobsen, who, like Mads, is a 2nd-semester student.

The students of E-concept Development supporting and applauding the presentations.

“It’s great dealing with concrete cases and real-life clients . It’s easier to relate to, and it’s cool to be critiqued by someone who actually knows what he’s talking about , and who can give ‘ proper’ feedback ,” says 24-year-old Mads Klock

interpreters translate the presentations and the subsequent discussions into sign language. Most students have a laptop handy. A few have iPads. On the floor, next to the chairs, there are paper coffee cups from the Shell petrol station at the end of the street. It is still early in the day.

The scene is far from unfamiliar for the students enrolled in E-concept development. The programme is structured to resemble the everyday workplace experience in one of the agencies where most of the students will apply for work after graduation. In addition to theory and method courses, the programme puts a high priority on close cooperation with business and industry, and much of the curriculum consists of projects like the Harboe campaign, where the students work in groups and have three weeks to come up with a product which they then pitch to a client.

“It’s great dealing with concrete cases and real-life clients. It’s easier to relate to, and it’s cool to be critiqued by someone who actually knows what he’s talking about, and who can give ‘proper’ feedback,” says 24-year-old Mads Klock about the Harboe case. “It also looks good on the CV to be able to list actual clients. If Harboe were to implement our project, I could include it on my CV, which would be helpful when it’s

This morning’s presentation is not unique. It is a fundamental part of KEA’s identity to integrate business and industry in the programmes – and it always has been.

“It is part of our DNA to serve as ‘the missing link’ between research and private companies. Our students bring new knowledge with them from school into the companies, and in turn they bring new knowledge and current issues back to the classroom. It’s a win-win situation for everyone: students, teachers, companies,” says KEA’s market manager, Jørgen Ravnsbæk Andersen.

According to Vibe Aarkrog, associate professor of vocational education, this opportunity to test theories in real life, linking theory and practice, is essential for the students.

“When the students have completed an internship or a case project, it is up to the teacher to make sure that the practical experience is tied in with relevant theory. If this is done successfully, the students will be better equipped for entering the job market once they graduate,” Vibe Aarkrog explains.

The companies that the students work with are selected based on their ability to match the educational objectives of the given semester. The presenters on the Harboe case turn in two different reports: One, containing the campaign brief, goes to Harboe and Hans-Jürgen Greiner, and another to their teacher, Martin Bille-Hansen.

“The report that the students prepare for the company is more down-to-earth and practical, while the one that I get is more academic and contains the underlying theory and reasoning that led them to the end-result,” says Martin BilleHansen and adds, “This sort of approach leads to highly motivated students who are always able to relate their work to the real world. It really helps energize the programme. The companies too are happy, as they benefit from having 80 students focus on coming up with good solutions that are tailored to their specific needs.”

The students pay close attention to the presentations and respond with enthusiastic applause. The presenters are rewarded with high-fives, fist bumps and thumbs up, and the students are clearly keen to learn from each other. There is a break after every third presentation. During the breaks, the cigarettes come out, and the presentations are analyzed, reviewed, praised and critiqued. The to-go cups are refilled with fresh coffee from the thermos, so that everyone is properly caffeinated for another round.

The students are not the only ones paying close attention.

Hans-Jürgen Greiner also listens with rapt attention from start to finish. “We have here a large group of young creative people, and it’s extremely interesting for us as a company to hear and see the solutions they envision for some of the issues we are facing. Normally, we have to pay an agency a lot of money for this sort of work, and I actually don’t think the outcome is very different from what I have seen here today,” says Greiner, who is clearly impressed with the presentations.

“Most of the students’ ideas would be feasible. Their research has been very thorough, and they have produced very useful results. I think we’ll be able to use many of their ideas,” says Hans-Jürgen Greiner. 

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KEA Reports

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

The founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson. Branson’s first entrepreneurial project was the magazine Student, which he launched at the age of 16.

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Te n d e n c y

NOW IS THE TIME! It’s never going to be any easier ENTREPRENEURSHIP is the new black. Educational institutions all over DENMARK have begun to offer courses in entrepreneurship and innovation. From a platform of KNOWLEDGE AND MOTIVATION the

students will hopefully develop the courage to take the leap and found companies to HELP BOOST Denmark’s competitiveness and contribute to FUTURE GROWTH. But can entrepreneurship be taught?

Text Anne Winther

M

ost rags-to-riches stories conjure up the image of a bright but underachieving boy who dropped out of school at the age of 15. Or the silverhaired executive with the steely gaze behind the mahogany desk at the impressive corporate HQ. Two worlds that are hard to relate to for most young people who have actually completed 9th grade and are not yet grandparents. And the idea that successful entrepreneurs have to be either dropouts or seasoned and wise is just silly. Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook while he was a student, and there are many similar examples. And for good reason: You are never going to have less to lose and more to gain than right now.

“Do it now, before you have kids and a mortgage. Because what’s the worst that could happen? That you’ll learn a lot!”

That is the message from the entrepreneur and private investor Nicolaj Højer Nielsen, who launched CodeSealer and MotilityCount, among other products, and who is currently working on a book about how to raise money for entrepreneurial projects.

“Personally, I would rather hire a failed entrepreneur than someone who is good behind a desk. A craft can be learned.

Basically, it’s all about attitude. And if you have tried things first-hand, that shows enterprise. If you are thrown to the lions at 23, that builds character, and you’ll learn more from that experience than you could from 20 years in a standard career,” says Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

Most are reluctant because they feel that they lack experience or money. And both are definitely good to have. But drive and motivation can be just as useful as experience, and it is not

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KEA Reports

Simon Spies, traveling king.

Furniture designer Arne Jacobsen is known for bringing Modernism into Danish design history.

necessary to go into debt for life to start a company.

At the Ministry for Research, Innovation and Higher Education in Denmark, Minister Morten Østergaard would like to see more young people heed the advice of entrepreneurs such as Nicolaj Højer Nielsen and take a shot at realising their ideas.

The government wants students to learn about entrepreneurship so that they can create more new companies with growth potential. “Our future competitiveness will be strengthened by stimulating young people’s ability to think innovatively, see opportunities and transform ideas into value,” states the Ministry’s website in reference to the coordinated effort for education and training in entrepreneurship, the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise, undertaken by the Ministry in cooperation with the Danish Ministry of Culture, the Danish Ministry of Education and the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs.

Fortunately, many young people do dream of going into business for themselves. A survey found that as many as 68% of KEA’s

students are thinking about founding their own company. KEA does a great deal to prepare the students to take the leap, and at KEA they are convinced that entrepreneurship can be taught.

Mohammed-Danny Eid teaches organisations and communication at KEA, and one of his key points is that it is possible to start a business for DKK 0.

“The idea that you have to borrow a fortune in the bank is rubbish. I founded a company together with a friend, and we had zero kroner between us.”

Mohammed-Danny Eid teaches the students how that is possible by giving them specific assignments and, for example, explaining how they can use the social media and apply for grants from private foundations.

“If you can found a business on a shoestring budget, you can also found one on a large budget – but the opposite is not necessarily true,” says Mohammed-Danny Eid. He highlights the importance of practical content in courses and study subjects to ensure that the students learn all the things that they cannot get from a book. He also brings in lawyers and experts from the tax authorities to help the stu-

–04 4–

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

Bjarke Ingels, founder of the BIG Architect's Studio.

Te n d e n c y dents determine whether a general partnership or a private ltd. company is the best way to go and learn how to manage VAT payments.

“I try to teach the students that they have to call journalists to tell them about their products and press releases, and that they should always get everything from the tax authorities in writing, because they may get conflicting answers depending whom they talk to, and I encourage them to apply for funds even if they don’t meet all the requirements 100 percent – the decisions are made by real people, and they are the ones you have to convince.”

What separates KEA students from students in other programmes is their ability to combine practical skills with business insight, says Kasper Lundtoft Bentsen, Media & IT Business Partner.

“KEA Graduates have an understanding of the business world that isn’t just from books. From the outset, they link up with companies and real-life issues. This first-hand experience makes entrepreneurship less of a leap for them – in combination with the naive confidence and readiness to take on the world that is typical of 20-23-year-olds.”

E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P I N I T I AT I V E S AT K E A

Entrepreneurship as a virtual elective course In cooperation with the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise, KEA has developed a virtual elective course in entrepreneurship that aims to translate the students’ ideas into business concepts in an intensive process that combines traditional and virtual teaching.

AC C E L E R AT O R P RO C E S S

Development and establishment of Accelerator Process in cooperation with Knowledge Centre 3.0 aimed at inspiring students who have an idea to put action behind their dream of founding a company. Another goal is to gather knowledge about what the students want and need in addition to the current study programmes to be able to go into business for themselves.

ENTREPREN EUR G ROUP

“ The teachers are good at providing inspiration and telling the students

that it’s not as difficult or as risky as many think it is. And they’re interested in how things work out, they offer support and make the students feel welcome and motivated to go to school and take part in the debate.”

Developing and providing a framework for entrepreneurship processes for students who have their own company. The group offers a network with other students who have their own company, external speakers and facilitation of a process to build and develop a company.

K N OW LE DG E , E N T R E P R E N E U RS H I P A N D AC T I O N

The purpose is to promote action-oriented didactics and an entrepreneurial culture at KEA. Aims to give the teachers insight into the various stages of entrepreneurship, teach them how to integrate entrepreneurship in their courses and provide them with tools and methods for offering guidance to students with entrepreneurial aspirations. Workshops were held for all KEA’s teachers in 2012 and 2013. The project is concluded with an entrepreneurship conference on 21 November 2013.

– Rasmus K. Lerche, student at IT Technology ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN ART

‘Closer to business and industry’ is a motto at KEA. This means that the students engage in contact and sparring with real-life companies throughout their studies. But closer to business and industry also means becoming a part of it.

24-year-old Johannes Holger Greve studies Multimedia Design and created SkiftEl.dk, which has already saved Danish consumers DKK 230,000. The business concept is that 90 percent of Danish consumers pay too much for their electricity. The power market has been deregulated, but consumers are still reluctant to change suppliers because the price structure is complex.

SkiftEl.dk makes it easy to find cheaper power. Johannes has worked on the idea for two years, and his courses at KEA have given him a real boost: “We learn a lot about communication, marketing and web usability, which I have been able to use to develop my business.”

Camillo Askjær from KEA had a good idea during his interns-

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In cooperation with the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise, KEA develops a course that aims to integrate entrepreneurial disciplines into the artistic education programmes. The first course will be held in the spring semester 2013 at the Institute of Precious Metals.

A C A D E M Y 2 013

CAKI (Center for Applied Artistic Innovation), DTU (Technical University of Denmark), KADK (Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation) and KEA have developed a cross-disciplinary curricular course where students across educational institutions work in cooperation with companies on entrepreneurship and the development of prototype solutions for current challenges in companies.

KEA Reports

The Danish shipping mogul A.P. Møller with his son Mærsk.

Apple founder Steve Jobs holding his gold mine in his arms.

hip as a surveyor. He has developed an app that lets surveyors go into the field and find the physical reference points that they need for their work. There is an official system of reference points, which all surveyors rely on. Until now, they have had to go to the Danish Geodata Agency’s website, print a description of the point and take that print into the field. And if they fail to locate the point, they have to go back and print a new one. A bit cumbersome! But with Camillo’s app, they can now use their phone to locate the point.

“In my internship I saw how everyone was using this old book from 1977, which hadn’t been updated, and where it took an hour to find a point, because they didn’t want to bother printing it off the web, and I thought, ‘There has to be a better way’,” says Camillo Askjær, who graduates from KEA this summer as a map and surveying technician. “I plan to develop an independent application that can be released, and which has a business potential,” says Camillo Askjær, who first needs to sort out who holds the rights

THE ENTREPRENEURS’ BEST ADVIC E

Give it a go now, before you have children and a mortgage. The worst that can happen – is that you will learn a lot!

Find out if your concept is viable. Validate the market potential. ‘Kill your darlings’ if you have to. Your passion is crucial as fuel, but it is not a means of validation.

Speak to as many people as you can about your project – no one is going to copy it, if that’s what you are worried about. Get as much input as possible – including input from people who are different from you.

Team up with people who have different skill sets from your own. Few companies consist of just one person.

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to the data that the app accesses.

He has had his own business before, so it is not a big leap for him to think along commercial lines, something that KEA has supported. “I talked with some of the teachers to sort out what it would take. So in that sense, I have received guidance to move forward. When you’re in an educational institution with so many qualities and capacities, it’s obvious to take advantage of it,” says Camillo Askjær. As everyone should, in his opinion: “KEA and not least the students could really benefit from an even more cross-disciplinary approach, because often there will be students who lack a project to work on, while others have an idea but lack the technical qualifications to make it happen.”

Tim Vang is an experienced entrepreneur whose achievements include myc4.com, which has a total annual turnover of DKK 140 million. He has been brought in to promote entrepreneurship at KEA, and he is impressed that so many of KEA’s students dream of going into business for themselves: “Some of the 68 percent who dream

PHOTOGR APHY — Polfoto

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Te n d e n c y

4 H V I D E T- S H I RT S (4 W H IT E TSHIRTS)

Innovation project for students aimed at approaching innovation as something one DOES instead of merely discussing and addressing it on a theoretical level. The project takes place in autumn 2012 and spring 2013.

of being entrepreneurs are probably driven by rock star fascination, but I find it stimulating and inspiring, because it tells me that this is the right place for me to be.”

And overall, Tim Vang is impressed with the students at KEA: “They ask a lot of questions, and they approach their ideas with a level of knowledge, persistence and drive that characterises entrepreneurs.”

26-year-old Rasmus K. Lerche is a 2ndsemester IT Technology student. He has already founded several companies, including Skolepartner.dk, which sprang from the motto, ‘Find something you’re not happy with, and do something about it.’

But many might wonder why someone like Rasmus, who already has his own business, would want to pursue a degree.

“Because I want to be able to document my qualifications. That is also important in business,” says Rasmus K. Lerche.

He thinks that KEA is able to demystify what it means to run a business: “The teachers are good at providing inspiration and telling the students that it’s not as difficult or as risky as many think it is. And they’re interested in how things work out, they offer support and make the students feel welcome and motivated to go to school and take part in the debate,” says Rasmus K. Lerche.

The teachers at KEA are trained to use a four-stage process, which involves talent spotting, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, so they know how best to support the individual student. Many of KEA’s teachers have experience from ‘the real world’ and put a high priority on giving the students hands-on experience, specific tools and targeted support for their business projects.

Among other aids, Tim Vang uses Pretotyping, a Google tool that helps him gauge the degree of market interest in an idea; he also uses a six-week accelerator

E N TAC T

KEA is currently establishing an entrepreneurship centre to give students and teachers access to knowledge about entrepreneurship and innovation and promote a culture that supports entrepreneurship.

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Development of a new professional line for Construction Management students aimed at creating a learning environment that promotes an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the disciplines that are included in the programme in order to meet the growing demand in the construction industry in the field of sustainable construction.

NEW ELECTIVE COURSE IN ENTREP R E N E U R S H I P & I N N OVAT I O N

A new elective course aims to enable the students to launch projects quickly, improve existing products or processes and generate innovation in an existing company. The course falls into four stages: 1. Preface (considerations about initiation, choice of product, industry and profitability) 2. Entrepreneurial spaces (business plan, risk analysis etc.)

3. Innovative spaces (creativity, thinking outside the box and stimulating development in order to generate innovative elements) 4. Launch and kick-off (from capital foundation to marketing and sale) “It’s a huge benefit to be able to offer our students a chance to learn more about how to start a project up on their own. In the past, our guidance may have been more on the fly, and with this elective course we are now trying to be more consistent,” says Jamal Aztout, associate professor at KEA. The course is offered in the third semester in the Multimedia Design programme and as an afterschool course for anyone else who is interested.

Some of these initiatives are co-funded by the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Activities and Culture – Young Enterprise.

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process from idea to business concept that breaks the process down into nine components.

“It’s a very dynamic and specific concept. To me, the goal is to motivate the students, dispel myths and set the students on the right course by offering sparring and experience,” says Tim Vang, who is very market-oriented. There has to be a market for the product!

One of the myths he wants to dispel is that if the developer is convinced something is the greatest idea ever, the market will agree. That is not necessarily the case.

“Your passion is a crucial, but your passion can’t generate a market, and you can’t use it as a means of validation. Kill your darlings – it’s not embarrassing or bad to shut something down.

Move on to the next idea and the next one and the next one, until you get it right,” says Tim Vang.

After his first accelerator process, two students were ready to launch a business.

Once the business concept has been thoroughly tested and is ready, the process moves on to the very different incubator phase, where lawyers, tax advisors and other experts offer advice about the implementation.

So, yes, entrepreneurship can be taught!

“You can offer two components: information and inspiration,” says Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

“You can teach strategies – such as the importance of working as closely together with the customers as possible – or explain why it is a bad idea to finish the project before showing it to others. You can definitely learn that in class. You can inspire, and you can demystify the big black monster that founding a business is for many people,” says Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

“And remember: Your first company doesn’t have to be rocket science – it could be selling socks online. You don’t start out as CFO in your first job either.” 

KEA Reports

T H E TO O L S OF THE TRADE photography Jan Søndergaard

A craft is characterised by one or more specific tools that are essential for the job. We asked KEA’s land surveyors, design technologists, jewellery designers and product developers to tell us about the tools of their trade .

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To o l s

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KEA Reports

MATHIAS BORN-LARSEN, 20 YEARS SURVEYING TECHNICIAN PROGR AMME

What made you choose this programme?

It was the combination of outdoor and indoor work that first caught my attention. Once I began my studies I discovered what an exciting field it really is.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

A total station is a theodolite and an electronic distance meter combined into one integrated unit. It measures distances and stores them on the computer. Later we can then use the data to create accurate drawings of the area.

What was it like to use the tool for the first time?

It was fun, challenging and exciting! It wasn’t complicated, but there are quite a few things to keep straight. The total station might look a bit confusing with all the buttons and settings, but after a few hours it’s not really that difficult.

What sort of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

I would like to do surveying assignments abroad, so I would like to work for a company where I could be stationed abroad.

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To o l s

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KEA Reports

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To o l s

JOSEFINE BRUUS, 21 YEARS

PBA IN JEWELLERY, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS What made you choose the professional bachelor’s programme in jewellery, technology and business?

I have always been very interested in jewellery, and I have worked with the craft since I was in the 7th grade. It’s an industry that is always developing. Right now, there are some major technological developments, as we have begun to work with laser-cutting and 3D printing.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

One specific tool we often use is the laser-cutter. An exciting machine with a very wide range of possibilities.

What was it like to use the tool for the first time?

My first time at the laser-cutter was six months before I began at KEA. It was overwhelming to discover all the amazing possibilities this relatively simple machine provides. I used to use a jeweller’s saw to cut Plexiglas, which is a really slow process. With the laser it’s done in seconds!

What sort of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

There are so many things I would like to try. One of my goals is to work with a project-oriented approach. That gives me the opportunity to challenge my creative sides.

Do you have any advice to future students in your field?

It helps to have some prior experience with the goldsmith’s craft.

Other than that, I just think they should go for it.

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KEA Reports

MORTEN DAHL HANSEN, 21 YEARS PBA IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNICAL INTEGRATION

What is special about your programme?

It’s probably the closest you’ll get to training as an ‘inventor’. There’s a clear emphasis on teaching methods, theory and a critical approach to sources. Briefly put, we learn the entire process from the idea until the finished product leaves the factory.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

The 3D printer makes it possible to test a product in practice, whether it’s the ergonomics of the model or a functional model. A 3D print is also a good visual tool for conveying one’s ideas.

What was it like to use the tool for the first time?

It’s a learning process that requires practice and love of the machine. From we first began using the equipment until we were able to print our first acceptable 3D print took at least 100 hours. But the moment we held the first physical product in our hands, it was well worth the effort.

What sort of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

I hope to get a job in a company that relies on user-driven innovation, and where there is room to experiment with production methods and technologies. I would also like to go into business for myself.

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To o l s

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KEA Reports

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To o l s

LINE TRZEPACZ, 27 YEARS DESIGN TECHNOLOGIST

What made you choose Design Technology on the Pattern Design line?

I am a trained textile and clothing assistant and chose KEA because I wanted more experience with construction, especially in terms of pattern grading and using the most common programs in the fashion industry. In Pattern Design we develop patterns for clothing and learn to adapt them to body types, grade them for different sizes and create production-friendly solutions.

Please describe the tool that is special to your trade.

We use computer programs that let us construct patterns on the screen and send them directly to suppliers all over the world. There’s always a plotter available if we need to print the patterns in full scale. On the other hand, we can also work with a digitizer, which converts hand-draped patterns into a digital form, so that we can finish them on the computer.

What sort of work do you hope to do after you graduate?

I dream of working as a garment constructor in a fashion company where I can develop patterns based on a designer’s ideas. I am clearly technically minded and enjoy knowing how things are constructed, and how a design should be carried out to work properly in practice.

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KEA Reports

BREAKING DOWN GENDER BARRIERS text Anne Winther

Law and medicine are now dominated by women students, while other traditionally maledominated areas are still failing to attract women. That has significant consequences – for men and for society at large – and experts say that the educational institutions need to make a dedicated effort to break down gender boundaries.

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KEA Interview Karen Blixen wrote under the male pseudonym Isak Dinesen because it made it easier for her to have her books published.

W

omen are flocking to long-cycle higher education programmes, and in just two decades the balance has changed, so that women now outnumber men in areas such as law and medicine, which have traditionally been male-dominated. However, women remain a minority in some vocational programmes. At KEA, women are a rare sight in the Construction Management programme, for example, and the objective here is to increase the percentage of women students in the Danish line from 11 to 25. In the international line of the programme, women make up around 30 percent of the student population.

Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen, a teacher at KEA’s Construction Management line and a project manager in Fremtidens Ledere i Bygge- og Anlægsbranchen (Future leaders in the construction industry) offers an explanation of the limited presence of women in many of the vocational programmes: “An important recruitment base for the Construction Management line, for example, is the carpentry profession, where there are hardly any women.”

Also, girls who actually want to be construction managers or sanitation plumbers or take a technology-based degree often encounter prejudice because these are seen as male domains. That can be a barrier.

“They have to convince her girlfriends that it’s a good idea when they look at them agape and ask, ‘WHY?’ But when the girls explain that this is actually what they want to do, their friends usually support them,” says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen.

As a result, the female students in these programmes are generally quite strong-minded. And that can be necessary, as the tone can be rather crass and male-dominated.

In his opinion, a programme that does not have a good balance between men and women produces a stunted environment.

Marie Curie was the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903.

“The key is to change the culture to embrace a different approach to problem-solving,” says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen.

And that applies not only to the boys in KEA’s Construction Management line; it applies to all programmes that have a strong gender bias. A balanced mix of men and women provides an important quality of diversity: “Women and men often have different approaches; therefore a balanced distribution can help prevent the development of a one-dimensional and exclusive culture. With a strong dominance of either men or women, there is a risk of the culture closing in on itself,” says Camilla Hutters, head of research and deputy director of the Danish Centre for Youth Research, Aarhus University.

“However, I don’t think there necessarily has to be a 50/50 distribution, because study choices should also be about pursuing one’s interests, and interests often have a gender bias.”

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KEA Reports

Coco Chanel wore the trousers and wore them well.

Amelia Earhart was the first woman pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic.

But can’t interests be influenced?

“Definitely; it’s clearly possible to influence young people and broaden their field of interest. Today, many programmes are provided side by side in the same campus, but they’re still quite divided – also along gender lines – and we can definitely do more to increase interaction among the students,” says Camilla Hutters.

“We also need to address the gendered labour market that still exists. The programmes reflect the labour market, because we look at what’s possible. If a man wants to be a social and healthcare assistant or a woman wants to be a plumber, they have to justify their choice and navigate in a gendered culture in a workplace where they might be the only one of their gender. So to make a real difference we need to address the gendered labour market.”

In the Construction Management line, the goal is to increase the share of women stuents from 11 to 25 percent, but is that realistic? Yes, if the programme is modernised, says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen: “In our field, it’s not realistic to change the gender distribution among carpenters, but if we targeted the girls in upper secondary school, we could make a difference. So far, however, we haven’t reached out to them specifically. Experience from Sweden shows that as soon as a programme is renamed to include the word ‘design’, it attracts more women,” says Jesper Hvidkjær Pedersen.

And that is one of Benja Stig Fagerland’s points: the importance of rhetoric. As an award-winning international expert

in the connection between women, market conditions and economics, a lecturer and a writer on women and management, she knows that it takes targeted communication to reach any group.

“Women are an attractive talent base, and we know that they do well in the education system – they graduate, and with good marks. So the programmes need to market themselves to women, unlike today where the form and rhetoric is very masculine. They need to understand that they have to target men and women differently in order to reach them,” says Benja Stig Fagerland.

It is also important to break down the remaining gender barriers and stereotypes.

“And that’s only possible if we focus on the role of the counsellors and strive to remove barriers to unconventional study choices – making sure that all options are presented openly to both genders. As it is now, an unconventional choice is met with requests for an explanation. That’s why we need an effort that challenges the traditional gender views and gives both boys and girls a truly free choice,” says Benja Stig Fagerland.

In her view, programmes with few women students are like struggling companies, failing to appeal to the attractive section of the talent pool that women make up because they are often good students who get good results.

“That requires taking ownership and communicating very precisely, and obviously that’s only possible if there is a specific action plan. But it can be done – law school managed, for example,” says Benja Stig Fagerland.

But why bother – can’t we just let the men hammer in nails while the women provide care and nurturing to preschoolers?

“Well, that would be easier. But after all, we all want society to develop and improve. If we fail to act now, we won’t be able to compete with the countries that manage to attract women. So the question is whether we want to jump onboard this moving train, or whether we want to be left standing on the platform, wondering what the heck just happened,” says Benja Stig Fagerland. 

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KEA Interview

RU L E BREAKERS

PHOTOGR APHY — Anne Mie Dreves TEXT — Terne Thorsen

CALENDAR GIRLS on the wall and COMPUTER GAMES during the breaks may seem a bit OFF-PUTTING to girls who dream of becoming CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS. That is why a handful of girls in this programme have now formed the girls-only network RULE BREAKERS. What was it about the construction management programme that appealed to you?

JOSEPHINE: The construction manager is the link between the engineer and the architect. It’s neither too technical nor too creative but the perfect middle ground.

ANNA: For me too, it was the ability to link the practical with the creative that made me want to apply.

METTE: I was attracted to the profession because of the versatility of both the programme and the job. When you enter the job market as a construction manager you’ll be able to take your job in the direction that interests you most. If your main interest lies with the architectural aspects, you can pursue that direction, and if you’re more interested in the execution aspect, you can focus on that.

Had you considered the strong male dominance in the programme?

JOSEPHINE: Yes, I was aware that it was a male-dominated programme, and that I might end up in a class made up of all boys.

But if you’ve found what interests you, you shouldn’t be deterred by the fact that there aren’t that many girls.

METTE: I too had prepared for the pos-

sibility of being the only girl in the class, and I can see how that might keep some girls from applying.

Josephine: But that’s where we come in!

Have you encountered any prejudice from the boys in the programme?

ANNA: No, not at all. As long as you know your stuff, the boys don’t give a toss. Most of them actually like having at least one girl in the group.

“As long as you’re

interested in what you do, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl” METTE: The school has also been very good at explaining the value of balancing the groups by mixing boys and girls as well as people with different backgrounds.

SUNNIVA: As long as you’re interested in what you do, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl.

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Rule Breakers aims to strengthen the bond among the girls enrolled in the programme and to help KEA reach its goal of enrolling more women in the construction management programme.

Why are you called Rule Breakers?

JOSEPHINE: We want to break the convention that it's mainly guys who take an education in the construction industry.

What is your goal for the network?

JOSEPHINE: Our main goal is to create a

network for all the girls at the school, across classes and year groups, but in the longer term, our goal is to expand it into a professional network that people can draw on after graduation when they enter the job market.

METTE: We would also like to use the network to make the women in the programme more visible to prospective students. Josephine and I took part in the open house event in November; here I talked to a girl who was really nervous about the prospect of being the only girl in the class. I think that we can make a big difference, for example at the start of the new semester and at the open house events where we can show potential applicants that there are other girls enrolled in the programme.

METTE: Previously, a group of girls had started a similar group, but it fell apart once the initiators graduated. Our ambition is to bring in new girls on an ongoing basis, so that the network can continue long after we have graduated. 

KEA Reports

LEARNING BY DOING text Kirstine Krefeld photography Thomas Skou

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen TEACHES FUTURE OPTOMETRISTS in KEA’s optometry programme. “IT MAY SOUND NERDY, AND I GUESS IT IS. But it’s also a wonderfully concrete field of study, which is about FINDING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS – and I am keen to SHARE MY ENTHUSIASM for that aspect of the profession,” she says.

W

hile many people have no idea exactly what an optometrist does, 45-yearold Anette Ristorp Ohlsen always knew that was what she wanted to be.

“Ever since I was 12 or 13 years old, when I read about it in a career guidance book and did a week-long work experience placement with an optician, that’s what I’ve wanted to do. One of the employees was away sick that week, and everybody had to help out – so I had the chance to try everything: from the customer’s initial description of the problem to eye exams and selecting and selling a frame. And then I was hooked,” she says.

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen teaches refraction. She is one of the seven teachers in KEA’s optometry programme, which is located on Nordre Fasanvej, Frederiksberg. The programme produces about 40 optometry graduates a year – the professionals that we all encounter at the eye glass store, who carry out eye exams and help us pick the right glasses or contact lenses. Before becoming a teacher she spent ten years ‘in the real world’.

“It is absolutely essential to have practical experience from the field that I send my students into. I loved the profession myself, because it’s so nice and concrete – and no two days are the same. I want to pass that enthusiasm on to my students. A customer comes in, complaining, for example, of blurred vision or headaches – then you determine the source of the problem and provide a solution. There is also a sales aspect.

And even if many might think that it’s ‘just’ about finding a pair of glasses, you actually do get pretty close to people,” she explains.

“Part of the refraction course is ba-

sed on learning by doing – testing theory in practice, for example when we have clinical training, where the students test each other’s vision to determine the right lenses. That offers immediate feedback and reflection – for example if the new lenses are not quite

– facts – W H AT D O E S A N O P T O M E T R I S T D O ?

In everyday speech, an optometrist is the same as an optician: a skilled professional who makes, adjusts and sells glasses and contact lenses. Optometrists also work in hospitals, for example. The word ‘optometrist’ means ‘someone who measures eyes’. It comes from the Greek word for eye, ‘ops’, and the Greek word for measuring, ‘metrein’. A professional bachelor’s programme in optometry takes three and a half years, including a year and a half in a paid internship.

D I D YO U K N OW …

That an eye exam can reveal certain medical conditions, including diabetes?

That 67.8% of the Danish population wear glasses or contact lenses?

(Sources: Anette Ristorp Ohlsen and Danmarks Optikerforening)

right. I find this form of teaching very rewarding,” says Anette Ristorp Ohlsen.

In addition to the refraction course that she teaches, the students take a range of other courses, including maths, chemistry, biology, optics, pharmacology, pathology and business law.

“I guess we have a reputation for having many neat, fashion-conscious,

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hard-working girls in optometry. And that’s not entirely wrong. I think some 75-80 percent of the students are girls.

And many of them are quite clear about what they want – most of them have made a very conscious field-of-study choice. And they are wonderfully inquisitive and keen to discuss what we do. I like that, because it’s their responsibility too – and not only mine – to ensure that the classes are fun. Indeed, it’s extremely rare for my students to fail their refraction exam,” she says.

Still, she wishes the courses included more lessons.

“As it is now, we have about 20 weekly lessons, where we used to have 32, and that makes it harder to check up on them along the way and make sure that they are keeping up. Even though it’s rare for someone to fail the course, I still find it tough when it happens. Just as it can be tough to say goodbye to the students when they graduate. I am getting used to it, but I still have that ‘mum gene’. Every time I meet a new class, I’ll say to my husband, ‘oh, this is just the greatest class ever’ – and then he says, ‘but you say that every year.’”

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen is happy that optometry is now a professional bachelor’s programme at KEA, as that helps prepare the students for both the private and the public sector.

“Optometry is a small profession but also a strong profession. This is the right format for it, I think. And even if many people now opt for laser surgery rather than glasses or contact lenses, we still need optometrists – to carry out eye exams in the laser surgery clinics and to work in eyeglass stores and hospitals. So yes, I am an optimistic optometrist,” she says. 

Por trait

W h o ’s W h o NAME:

Anette Ristorp Ohlsen AGE:

45 år.

JOB:

Has taught refraction in the optometry programme since 1999.

BONUS INFO:

Long-sighted (+2 on both eyes).

Has owned about 50 pairs of glasses and sunglasses since she was 13 years old – plus contact lenses.

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RECHERCHE AVANCÉE L’ORÉAL EXPERTISE PROFESSIONNELLE

KEA Reports

NEW I N S P I R AT I O N IS GOLD Today, LIFE-LONG LEARNING is more than a slogan; it is an integrated aspect of OUR CONCEPT OF EDUCATION AND CAREER . Because SOCIETY IS CHANGING, professional environments are changing, organisations and COMPANIES ARE CHANGING – AND PEOPLE ARE CHANGING . text Signe Løntoft and Camilla Wittenkamp photography Nikita Gavrilovs

T

he hard-earned knowledge, skills and competences you have acquired through your studies become obsolete the moment you graduate and enter the job market. A few years later, you are at the annual development review, racking your brains for arguments to convince your boss to sign you up for (preferably paid) continuing training. What creates value for the company? What creates value for you? Where do you see a potential new career track...

Your burning desire for professional and personal development benefits your job satisfaction, your workplace and the Danish economy. Knowledge and competences are our livelihood – as a society, as companies and as individu-

als. Denmark needs to boost education and training to maintain our living standards and generate growth. Most Danes have realised that we are competing with the entire global labour force.

We have access to for life-long education and training. And increasingly, we are making use of that opportunity.

The uncertainty in the labour market makes us keep our knowledge and our skills up-to-date. And in principle, one can go in a skilled worker and come out as a PhD. The main trend, however, is that people with long education are more likely to engage in continuing education and training than unskilled and skilled workers and people with short education.

In annual staff development conversations, employer and employee together

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seek to ensure that the employee’s competences are up-to-date, and that his or her motivation remains high. And if we are dissatisfied with our job situation we do not hesitate to move on. Every year, one in four Danish employees changes jobs. In fact, a large survey by the European Commission found the Danes to be the most flexible in Europe in terms of changing jobs.

And that trend has yet to peak, says Knud Illeris, emeritus professor from the former Educational University of Denmark: “I expect the need for and the interest in continuing education and training to continue to rise, because society is changing at an accelerating pace. This is a long-standing tradition in Denmark; ever since the breakthrough of

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KEA Reports

C O N T I N U I N G E D U C AT I O N A N D TRAINING – WHY?

The typical reasons for adults to engage in continuing education or training are: A desire for personal and professional development A desire to document one’s skills and competences with a formal diploma New working procedures, new knowledge and new technology that have made one’s training obsolete and made it necessary to update one’s professional qualifications

the folk high schools in the mid-1800s, Denmark has seen a higher level of interest and activity in adult education than most other countries, but in the coming years the main challenge will be to include everyone.”

UNSKILLED WORKERS AND PEOPLE WITH LOW EDUCATION TEND TO AVOID FORMAL TRAINING

“There is a large group of adults, mostly with limited education, who are reluctant to engage in continuing education and training – in many cases because they don’t like school. They have suffered many failures and have low self-esteem in relation to organised learning. Many in this group would actually like to earn additional qualifications, but it’s hard for them to act on that desire. They need encouragement and support that does not come from an employment centre, a social worker or other official agencies but from other, trusted adults in their personal life or at work. And as a society, we should strive to eliminate any practical obstacles, expenses or other factors that they can use as an excuse to themselves and others.”

KEA’s centre for continuing education and training, KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, with its epicentre in Ballerup, is trying to steer clear of this sense of ‘going back to school’. The centre makes a focused effort to create a dynamic adult learning environment, which is just as active during the day as in the evening. No dusty auditoriums for passively absorbing lectures; here, the students are actively involved in their own learning. Theory is consistently reflected in the students’ own

A demand from one’s employer for new competences or qualifications A desire for new job tasks or greater responsibilities and higher pay A desire to change course and switch to a new line of work, perhaps due to life changes (health problems, family etc.)

Unemployment and a desire to improve one’s chances in the job market

experiences and practice.

People with short-cycle education and skilled workers are at-risk groups, but professionals also need to update their skill set. They may have learned to analyse but are unable to operationalise.

Also, a university degree is no guarantee for leadership skills.

INCREASED DEMAND FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

The paradigm shift in our approach to education and work is also evident at KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, which see a growing demand for customdesigned continuing education. Every year, 4,800 students take a course or a single subject at KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, and Project Manager Lars Thore Jensen expects that number to rise in the coming years.

“The way we have structured our society, we need continuing education and

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training to ensure that our labour force has the necessary competences. In the course of a working life of 30-40 years, it is only natural to need new professional input, and furthermore, a growing number of people change careers at some point in their life.”

The desire for ‘personal and professional development’ is often expressed at KEA Center for Efteruddannelse, which offers a wide range of short- and longcycle programmes on academy and diploma levels, which people typically take on a part-time basis concurrent with work. “We often hear that our students take on new job functions or are promoted during or after their studies here,” says Lars Thore Jensen, project manager at KEA. Lars Thore Jensen also sees a trend where companies undergoing change use continuing training programmes for selected staff groups as part of a transformation process or as a means of organisational development. At KEA’s Center for Efteruddannelse, there is a strong focus on matching companies’ current needs with training and education that can give both companies and employees a learning boost.

“We have a number of open programmes aimed mainly at providing additional qualifications in one of the professions we cover. But we also have a growing number of companies and organisations that ask KEA to customdesign programmes for the whole staff.

Typically, there are positive side effects in addition to the specific content, because the participants find renewed

Theme

KEA's Centre for Continuing Education and Training in Ballerup has created an adult educational environment.

–facts– KEA offers continuing higher education as open programmes, corresponding to one-year full-time studies or 60 ECTS points on the following levels: Diploma Graduate: corresponds to a professional bachelor’s degree Academy Profession Graduate (formerly VVU, further adult education): Corresponds to business academy programmes (short-cycle higher education) and builds on general or vocational upper secondary education.

KEA offers a wide range of courses and programmes to adults who wish to update their professional knowledge or acquire qualifications in a new area or a new profession.

Diploma programmes in management, ecommerce, design etc.

Academy programmes in management, communication, IT etc.

Individual subjects on academy or diploma level Custom-designed courses and programmes for companies Courses for job-seekers The programmes are typically planned as parttime studies and require at least two years of work experience.

Visit kea.dk to read more about what we offer.

inspiration. Taking a course together also has positive social effects, as people develop together and discover new sides of themselves and their colleagues.

That can have a positive effect on work procedures and the workplace culture.

Thus, in recent years, we have seen competence development become a driver of organisational development.” See the case from the Danish Department of Prisons and Probation on page 74.

Once your boss has given the green light for you to take additional training, your next challenge is to sort out the many training and education programmes: “We are constantly working to improve our visibility through formal and informal networks with companies and organisations, because many lack a clear picture of the content of the various courses and programmes,” says Lars Thore Jen-

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sen, who believes the most pressing task in the coming years is to offer guidance in the jungle of available courses and programmes: “Our main challenge is that people don’t know enough about our courses and programmes. Therefore we are in constant dialogue with small and large companies to learn what their needs are and to tell them what we have to offer. The Danish education system has become very complex, and we are also up against a huge grey market of courses and so-called ‘educational programmes’, so we are facing a huge communication task in explaining how people can acquire new skills and qualifications. Many people have no idea that they can complete a qualifying higher education programme in 2-3 years on a part-time basis.” 

KEA Reports

learnin

FO text Terne Thorsen og Michael Schmidt Photography Jan Søndergaard

Better pay, improved self-esteem, higher quality of life

and the necessary knowledge and experience to meet the growing demands placed on managers. These are some of the key motivating factors that make adults return to the education system. Here you can meet the independent business owner, the HR director, and the district manager

and read what they have taken away from their continuing education experience at KEA. – 070 –

Cases

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ORlife – 071 –

KEA Reports

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Cases

PETER Hvidberg

FOU N DER A N D DIR ECTOR OF A MERICA N SPORTS OU TLET

The CONTINUING EDUCATION programme in e-commerce was perfect in RELATION TO MY GOAL OF BOOSTING SALES and OPTIMISING MY COMPANY,” says Peter Hvidberg, who is at the HELM OF HIS OWN COMPANY.

“T

he continuing education programme in ecommerce was perfect in relation to my goal of boosting sales and optimising my company,” says Peter Hvidberg, who is at the helm of his own company.

He once played on the Danish national team in American football. Today he sells equipment for the sport from his online store, Outlet.dk. Step one was a pronounced frustration with the excessive price level from other suppliers. To Peter Hvidberg, the leap from thought to action is never far, so together with three friends he founded American Sports Outlet in 1999. The following year he bought out the three others, and over time, his hobby project has grown into a full-time occupation.

At the age of 41, Peter has now enrolled in continuing education. Two diploma degrees, no less: one in sales

and optimisation and one in business development. The decision to engage in continuing education was not difficult.

It took just five minutes’ reading in a newsletter before this self-taught businessman was convinced. “It was fairly obvious to me how I could create value for my business, and once the personal motivation is in place, it’s well worth the hours I spend. I see it as a way to upgrade both my business and myself as a manager,” says Peter, who began his studies at KEA in January 2013.

One of the advantages for Peter Hvidberg was that he was quickly able to implement the new methods in his business. “Right now, we are learning about optimising sales, which is an area I really want to work on in my business. So I can actually put my new learning to use instantly. Many of the things we work with at KEA are areas where I already have experience from my company, but the training helps me grasp the big-

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ger picture. That helps me optimise!

For example, I have learned that by changing my storage policy, I can save DKK 300,000 a year.”

Of course, there are also challenges involved in taking continuing education.

“You have to embrace the challenge, and much of that is really about prioritising your time. In addition to the lessons I also have to prepare. That requires an effort. But I always remember to see the value it brings, both for myself and for my company.” In fact, the lessons are quite different from Peter’s previous experience with education. “I am in class together with people from a wide range of industries, and we have very different backgrounds. Here, it’s important to be open about one’s skill set and ask, if something doesn’t seem quite clear. We are doing this because we want to, so generally we have a really cool and open dialogue, where everyone contributes.”

KEA Reports

PERNILLE Iversen

HR DIR ECTOR, KR IMINALFORSORGEN (COPEN H AGEN PRISONS)

Pernille Iversen was working as HR manager in a pharmaceutical company when she first heard about KEA. She was ORGANISING COURSES FOR THE STAFF, and she chose to partner with KEA. Today, Pernille Iversen is HR director in the Danish Prison and Probation Service, and her COOPERATION WITH KEA IS INTO ITS FIFTEENTHS YEAR .

“T

he great thing about KEA is their flexibility in planning the education to match the company’s needs,” says Pernille Iversen, HR director in the Danish Prison and Probation Service. KEA’s continuing education and training includes courses, individual subjects and academy and diploma programmes, most of them developed in cooperation with companies, organisations or municipalities. For the Danish Prison and Probation Service, KEA provides both academy and diploma programmes as custom-designed management programmes tailored to the needs of their staff. The programmes address the Service’s specific needs, and in close cooperation with Pernille Iversen, KEA makes sure to include topics that relate specifically to everyday life in the Danish prison system.

To provide education that the staff feels

up to engaging in has also required preparing the staff for the major change involved in going back to school. “The way we have planned it, the employees do an orientation course before embarking on their diploma programme. Our managers are trained prison guards, and they are not used to studying. The course prepares them for the programme before they start,” Pernille Iversen explains.

Although many find it challenging to return to school with everything it entails in terms of studying, writing assignments and exams, their motivation is high, which helps them complete the programme. Pernille Iversen thinks that the staff’s motivation springs from the growing demands that are made on them as managers. That is a factor in society in general, and it is also evident in the Danish Prison and Probation Service. The continu-

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ing education at KEA prepares them to meet the ever growing demands from the workplace and from society at large.

“The education clearly boosts their confidence. It is a qualifying management programme, which means that they can now match the competence level of most other managers. And that is not only useful in their current context – it’s also something they can use if they ever want to move on to other areas of the labour market.

This gives them a whole new set of qualifications,” she says and adds, “I can only encourage other companies to do what we are doing. KEA is really good at planning qualifying education programmes that are custom-designed for the individual companies, and offering your employees additional training improves both their job satisfaction and their qualifications.”

Cases

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KEA Reports

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Cases

JESPER Paarup Blicher

DISTRICT M A NAGER, J EM & FIX

When Jesper Paarup Blicher embarked on his CONTINUING EDUCATION at KEA he was a store manager. Today, eighteen months later, he has been promoted to district manager with RESPONSIBILITY FOR MORE THAN 200 EMPLOYEES in the DIY retail chain jem&fix. A BIG STEP UP THE CAREER LADDER, which he attributes to his Academy Professional Degree in Commerce at KEA.

W

hen Jesper Paarup Blicher’s workplace, jem&fix, offered ten of its store managers a chance to take additional education at KEA, he knew right away that he wanted to be one of the ten. It sounded exciting, and Jesper wanted to take his career to a new level.

“When I read about the programme, I thought it sounded very academic, and it was a little hard to relate to,” says Jesper, who nevertheless decided to give it a chance. He found that his worries had been unfounded. “I was really surprised at KEA’s ability to integrate our working experience on an academic level in the classes. When the classes are as practice-oriented as they are at KEA, it’s really easy to take what we learn and implement it at work.”

Jesper Paarup Blicher is taking the academy degree in Retail – Academy

Professional Degree in Commerce, and although he is only a little over half-way in the programme, he has already benefited more than he had expected. “After I became district manager I have really been able to use what I have learned in the programme. I am 30 years old and responsible for 200 to 250 employees, so I have had good use for the knowledge about management that I have acquired at KEA,” says Jesper, who began his working life when he trained as a sales assistant at COOP in 2003. “KEA is extremely adept at providing variation in the courses, and the content is always clearly related to our everyday experience.”

Although Jesper Paarup Blicher is happy that he accepted the offer of continuing education he can easily see how it might hard for some people to go back to school. “It still hasn’t been that long since I was a student, and in

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addition it was incredibly motivating for us that we had so much support form jem&fix – both before and after we embarked on the programme,” says Jesper.

The desire to learn has to be primary motivation. “I think one should consider carefully whether one has the motivation. It does eat into one’s free time, so the motivation has to be there.

But I have benefited so much that it hasn’t felt like a sacrifice,” says Jesper Paarup Blicher, who is excited about the prospects of looking back at the development he has undergone – professionally as well as personally – a year from now, when he graduates. “I have already acquired a whole range of tools that I can use in my day-to-day work, so if it continues like this, I can’t hardly imagine how much good this will do me once I’m done.” 

KEA Reports P R A C T I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N

SHAPE YOUR FUTURE Be well prepared for the future with a degree from KEA. All KEA’s programmes are developed in close cooperation with regional businesses and institutions of education both in Denmark and abroad. We are in constant dialogue with companies and trade organisations in Denmark and abroad to keep our programmes up-to-date in both form and content. This ensures that the education we offer lives up to the current demands and needs in a dynamic global labour market.

EDUCATION Priority on cooperation with companies. The programmes are based on lectures, class room education, workshops, assignments and projects to provide a sound basis for understanding real-life practice. Assignments are done both in teams and individually.

STUDENT COUNSELLING Make the right study choice – consult with a student counsellor.

One of the key factors for a good study experience is that you pick a programme that matches your professional profile and your personal competences.

The student counsellors have in-depth knowledge about the programmes they represent and are able to answer most questions about the various aspects of the programmes. Find your student counsellor at kea.dk, or send an e-mail to studievejledning@kea.dk.

F I N D YO U R E D U C AT I O N A L L E V E L KEA offers programmes on three different levels: · Academy Professional Degree programmes · 1½-year Bachelor Degree programmes (also called Top-up Bachelor Degree) · 3½-year Bachelor Degree programmes Here is an illustration of the position of the various programmes in the education system and their mutual relationships.

You can read more about the individual levels below.

MASTER’S DEGREE

TOP-UP BAC HELOR DEGREE (1 ½ Y E A R S )

BAC HELOR DEGREE (3½ YE ARS) ACADEMY PROFESS IONAL DEGREE (2 Y E A RS)

YO U T H E D U C AT I O N

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P r a c t i c a l i n fo r m a t i o n – Educations KEA –

AC A D E M Y P RO F E S S I O N A L D E G R E E P RO G R A M M E S An academy professional degree programme is a higher education programme that normally takes two years, consists of four semesters and provides 120 ECTS points. However, both the Danish and English versions of the Computer Science programme take 2½ years and confer 150 ECTS points.

B U S I N E S S E S A C A D E M Y P RO G R A M M E S I N D E S I G N DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check www.kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: The programme takes an international approach to subjects such as form, visualisation, branding, marketing, purchasing and construction.

What does a Design Technology and Business graduate do: A Design Technology and Business graduate has an international profile and typically works in the fashion and lifestyle industry, for example as a designer or design assistant, buyer, constructor, PR staffer, an employee in a fashion magazine or an independent business owner.

How do I apply: he programme is included in the coordinated enrolment system KOT, Den Koordinerede Tilmelding. You can only apply under Quota 2. Anyone who meets the admission requirements will have to sit an admission test. The time and place for the admission test will be announced by invitation. You can see a sample admission test at kea.dk.

Programme start: Only in summer. _

ACADE MY PROFESS IONAL DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES I N IT C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 2½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: an international profile in subjects within programming, systems development, technology and the company.

What does a Computer Science graduate do: Typical jobs for a computer scientist include web developer, systems administrator and systems designer.

Programme start: summer and winter. _ IT TECHNOLOGY

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: common component featuring, for example, communication systems, the company, electronic and embedded systems as well as two study option components: network technology and electronics technology. All subjects are based on the international profile.

What does an IT Technology graduate do: jobs such as IT planner, network manager, IT consultant, electronics constructor or production technologist.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

M U LT I M E D I A D E S I G N & C O M M U N I C AT I O N ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: The programme takes an international approach to subjects such as form, visualisation, branding, marketing, purchasing and construction.

What does a Design Technology and Business graduate do: A Design Technology and Business graduate has an international profile and typically works in the fashion and lifestyle industry, for example as a designer or design assistant, buyer, constructor, PR staffer, an employee in a fashion magazine or an independent business owner.

How do I apply: The programme is included in the coordinated enrolment system KOT, Den Koordinerede Tilmelding. You can only apply under Quota 2. Anyone who meets the admission requirements will have to sit an admission test. The time and place for the admission test will be announced by invitation. You can see a sample admission test at kea.dk.

Programme start: only in summer. _

Duration: 2 years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: an international profile in the four core areas for the multimedia designer: the company, communication and presentation, interaction development and design and visualisation. You will receive input to design games, web portals and mobile services as well as digital video, 3D and databases.

What does a Multimedia Design & Communication graduate do: multimedia designer, web designer, webmaster, game designer, project manager/coordinator, marketing assistant, web and mobile developer or founding an independent business in an international context.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

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KEA Reports TOP- U P BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES You can take a top-up degree after you have completed your academy professional degree and thus earn a bachelor degree. A top-up programme takes 1½ years, includes three semesters and confers 90 ECTS points.

work as a software developer, software coordinator, software analyst, software programmer or an IT architect.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES TOP-UP BACHELOR DEGREE PROGR AMME IN DESIGN

A full bachelor degree programme takes 3½ years. The programme includes seven semesters and provides 210 ECTS points.

D E S I G N & B U S I N E S S ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: mandatory common modules in design, business, sociology and method. Specialised modules in the specialised lines of Sustainable Fashion Design, Sustainable Purchasing and Sustainable Communication as well as study option modules in, for example, video storytelling, digital design 1 and 2, shoes and accessories, presentation and negotiation and PLM database and visual Communication.

What does a Design & Business graduate do: Depending on the chosen line, the job opportunities include designer, design assistant, creative developer, PR or event coordinator, communication worker, buyer or sourcing.

Programme start: summer. _

T O P - U P B A C H E L O R D E G R E E P RO G R A M M E S I N I T E - C O N C E P T D E V E L O P M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Checkkea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: e-commerce, marketing, design, communication, media technology and project management.

What does an E-Concept Development graduate do: As an e-concept developer you would typically work within e-commerce, web design agencies, advertising agencies or design agency.

Programme start: summer and winter. _ W E B D E V E L O P M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: the design and construction of web applications on every scale.

What does a Web Development graduate do: jobs such as front- and backend developer, programmer, webmaster, web shop developer or web designer.

Programme start: summer and winter. _

BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES I N DES IG N J E W E L L E RY, T E C H N O L O G Y A N D B U S I N E S S ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 3½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: The key focus of the programme is on jewellery, including how it is made by traditional means and by means of modern technology but also how jewellery is conceptualised and marketed – nationally as well as internationally. The focus is on the jewellery design, materials, jewellery concepts, trends, cultural understanding, innovation, marketing, value chain and supply chain.

What does a Jewellery, Technology and Business graduate do: jobs in the jewellery industry such as sales and marketing staff, jewellery designer, trend spotter, buyer, sourcer, PR coordinator or entrepreneur.

Programme start: summer. _

BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN CONSTRUCTION ARC HITECTUR AL TEC HNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION M A N AG E M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

Duration: 3½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: an international profile within subjects such as communication, materials, architectural planning, construction calculation, installations, sustainability, business and law.

What does an Architectural Technology and Construction Management graduate do: jobs in an international context, primarily in the construction industry, for example for consulting architects and engineers or contractors as well as companies related to the construction industry, including the public sector, housing and administration companies, banks and mortgage credit societies and technological institutes.

Programme start: Summer and winter. _

BAC H E LOR DEG RE E PROG R AM M ES I N IT ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

S O F T WA R E D E V E L O P M E N T ( I N T E R N AT I O N A L )

ECONOMICS AND IT

Duration: 1½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: the various aspects of the software development process, including databases, contracts, tests, systems integration, project management and systems development etc.

What does a Software Development graduate do: You may for example

Duration: 3½ years.

Language of instruction: English.

Admission requirements: Check kea.dk/en/ Examples of subjects/themes in the programme: business economics, business strategy, project management, strategic planning of information systems.

What does an Economics and IT graduate do: jobs such as IT management, IT consultant, systems developer or systems analyst.

Programme start: summer.

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