The new application numbers add another chapter to a well-known story. "It's becoming very hard to change"

Can two billion kroner and a comprehensive quality pledge for welfare education programs make young Danes suddenly want to become nurses and social counselors?

This question was one that education expert Mads Fjord Jørgensen from the think tank DEA had hoped to keep in mind as the Education and Research Ministry published the application numbers for post-secondary education.

Last Saturday, he and the rest of the country received an answer:

No.

Although the government tried in the spring to cast a better light on the four large welfare education programs with a comprehensive reform (https://ufm.dk/aktuelt/pressemeddelelser/2025/arlig-prioritering-pa-naesten-2-mia-kr-skal-gore-det-attraktivt-for-flere-at-uddanne-sig-til-f-eks-paedagog-socialradgiver-eller-datamatiker), the number of applicants for the programs has not increased as hoped.

The number of applicants for the teacher education program and the pedagogue program has therefore remained almost unchanged.

Applicants for the social counselor education program decreased by two percent, and a total of eight percent fewer applied for the nursing education program.

According to Mads Fjord Jørgensen, the new application numbers add a new chapter to a story we have heard many times before.

"We can see that the application to the large welfare education programs – that is, to teacher, pedagogue, nursing, and social counselor education – collectively has fallen again this year. So in that way, there is not much new under the sun in these numbers," he says.

At the same time as the number of applicants for welfare education programs has decreased, the number of applicants for universities has increased again (https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/ansoegningsfristen-er-naaet-her-er-aarets-mest-populaere-uddannelser).

"And it is therefore, despite attempts from the political side to direct the young towards other post-secondary education programs by setting a ceiling on enrollment," says Mads Fjord Jørgensen.

However, neither this political move has apparently managed to infect the young yet.

According to Mads Fjord Jørgensen, it does not necessarily mean that the initiatives have not worked.

"It would be very surprising if they had already made an impact in this year's application numbers, as the initiatives have only been implemented this year," he says and adds:

"But it says something about how big a task politicians have set themselves. It will be very difficult to change the young's application behavior and desires."

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A European problem

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In an interview with Berlingske (https://www.berlingske.dk/indland/minister-efter-isaer-et-bekymrende-lavt-ansoegertal-alle-skal-til-at-tale), education and research minister Christina Egelund (M) urges that one should speak more positively about the country's welfare education programs in the future, as it is elementary, before one can turn the curve in the number of applicants.

"Unless we manage to turn the curve, we risk ending up in a place where we have a welfare society in name, but not in substance. That must not happen," she says.

She is also concerned about the development in the number of applicants for language programs.

Especially with regard to programs in German and French, Christina Egelund is not confident about the few who apply – and it is also very few, when looking at the numbers.

Only 61 people applied for language studies in French and German.

Christina Egelund attributes her concern to the fact that we are currently in a time where we are tying ourselves more closely to each other in Europe.

This concern is shared by Mads Fjord Jørgensen.

"We are currently in a situation with war in Europe, and there are also some of the language competencies that can be part of diplomacy. So I can well understand the concern that the minister expresses"

At the Danish Industry Association, under-director Mikkel Haarder shares the same thoughts.

"When the number of applicants for German and French falls, it will have consequences for the entire food chain, both youth education and primary school. Who will teach the future teachers in German and French, if there is no one who is training?" he says and adds:

"Europe is moving closer together in these years. Exactly for that reason, it is important that we also have German and French language competencies at our disposal. It is high time that we have turned this development – it requires an acute effort from the political side to maintain the academic environments."

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