Minister does not want to change the contested education law.

IT-University Willing to Train More IT-Savvy Individuals, but Minister Holds Firm on 'Reasonable' Education Law

IT-University in Copenhagen wishes to train more IT-skilled individuals, as the industry demands, but Education and Research Minister Christina Egelund insists on maintaining the 'reasonable' education law.

The IT industry requires more IT-skilled individuals, and IT-University in Copenhagen wishes to train more of them. However, Education and Research Minister Christina Egelund shares the concern that not enough individuals are being educated within the IT sector, as well as the issue with teacher and educator training ().

- It's quite clear that this is a problem if we don't have enough heads to help us ensure that our IT security is as it should be, the minister says.

Despite concerns from industry associations IDA and Dansk Erhverv regarding the so-called education law, Minister Egelund has no intention of changing the rules.

IT-University has reported that it could accommodate around 100 more students, and study director Lene Rehder finds it frustrating that the university cannot add more students when demand is high.

This year, more have applied for IT education than last year, but fewer have been admitted. The number of accepted students has precisely fallen by one percent compared to 2023, resulting in 6,881 students.

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Limit Intended to Ensure Better Balance

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Both IDA and Dansk Erhverv point to the cap on enrollment in major cities as an obstacle to enrolling more students. However, Minister Egelund has no plans to challenge the limit.

- The limit that was introduced back in 2021 aimed to ensure that there are also IT-educated and other educated individuals throughout Denmark. It was part of the agreement we made at the time. And it's quite sensible, in my opinion, that we ensure that there are also IT-educated individuals outside of major cities, the minister says.

Read also: More apply for IT education but are rejected: 'Scrap the law and let more study in major cities' ()

Among other things, IT-University must reject three out of four programs, meaning that more would be trained if there were no restrictions on places at the university. So, what is best – to try and force people outside of major cities or to educate the hands that are available?

- I won't force anyone into anything whatsoever. We have an offering of 930 different educational opportunities in Denmark this year. That gives young people the fortunate opportunity to choose exactly the place that suits them best, the minister says.

She also encourages young people who have been rejected by the Education and Research Ministry to check the ministry's website, where they can see that there are still places available for some programs.

- It could be that you might find one that fits what you're dreaming of, the minister says.

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Limit Does Not Benefit the Province

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There are still vacant places on IT education programs outside major cities.

An expression of there being too few places in major cities and too few applicants outside major cities has come from Dansk Erhverv.

Read also: Fewer are being trained to secure us against hacker attacks, criticism says: 'A hole in the head' ()

The message is that young people primarily choose to study in major cities and at well-known institutions like IT-University.

- They don't choose to seek another IT education somewhere else in the country. And that means we end up with fewer specialists in the IT field. Thus, business life is left with a long nose, and it's hardly a benefit to the province, says education and research policy chief in Dansk Erhverv Mads Eriksen Storm, speaking to DR.

According to Christina Egelund, the numbers about IT education enrollment tell a story not only of a smaller overall enrollment compared to the previous year but also of a positive trend in enrollment for programs with good job prospects.

- When you look at the enrollment numbers for IT education, it's the case that the IT education programs where we know there are good opportunities for finding a job, we have actually enrolled more students in, whereas the IT education programs where it's more challenging to find a job, we have enrolled fewer students in. That seems to me a sensible approach, the minister says.

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