New figures reveal long travel times for applicants to vocational training programs. A new study from the Ministry of Children and Education shows that almost half of all applicants to vocational training programs have more than 45 minutes of travel time to their preferred educational institution. Long travel time plays a significant role in young people’s choice of further education, and there are significant differences in the accessibility of different types of education. The study reveals that 48 percent of applicants to vocational training programs have over 45 minutes to their preferred educational institution. In comparison, this only applies to 12 percent of applicants to the general upper secondary school, stx, which, according to Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye, is due to a high geographical coverage of stx and a lower availability of vocational training programs across vocational schools.
“There is not equal access to the different upper secondary education programs. Young people considering options other than the traditional gymnasium often have to travel long distances to school. This is a problem,” says Mattias Tesfaye in a press release. The government is therefore working on developing a new upper secondary education program that should be geographically accessible nationwide. “Geography should not determine young people’s choice of further education,” says Tesfaye. The study highlights an important issue regarding young people’s educational choices and the accessibility of educational institutions, emphasizing the need for a more equal distribution of educational offerings across the country.