Recognition of vocational education

Vocational testing
If you don't have the necessary documentation for recognition of your vocational background, you can do a practical vocational test (yrkesprøving). Also, if you have learnt a profession through practice and not in school, vocational testing is a chance to prove your skills.

For the testing, you will first be called for an interview where your educational background and/or work experience is discussed. Later you will have a professional interview with a teacher or a professional. You can do this with an interpreter (if the interpreter is professional, you must pay for this yourself). Finally, you go through a practical test to document some of your skills.

You will receive a certificate of vocational competence (kompetansebevis), which explains the subjects or professional areas tested, and a letter of advice which you can use if you want to continue training towards a trade/journeyman's certificate.

For more information on vocational testing please contact:

Oslo Voksenopplæring Sinsen (Oslo Adult Education)
Lørenveien 11
0585 Oslo
Tel.: 23 46 67 00
E-mail: Oslovo@ude.oslo.kommune.no
Web: www.oslovo.no

Recognition of vocational training in upper secondary school
If you need recognition of your vocational background, send an application to Oslo Education Authorities, the department for Vocational Training:

Utdanningsetaten
avdeling for fagopplæring
Postboks 6317 Etterstad
0604 Oslo
tel: 02 180 (switchboard for all municipal offices in Oslo)
fax: 23 43 03 01
www.utdanningsetaten.oslo.kommune.no

Information in this website is in Norwegian only.

The department for Vocational Training forwards their evaluation to the County Governor (fylkesmannen) for Oslo and Akershus, who makes the final decision.

Most health care professions need authorisation before they can be practiced in Norway. If you are an assistant nurse, ambulance driver or health secretary, find out how to obtain authorisation here.

Remember to enclose certified copies of your documents when you apply, both in the original language and with translations into Norwegian or English. If your vocational training leads to a trade/journeyman's certificate, a certified copy of this must be enclosed as well. Letters of recommendation and other employer's statements should also be enclosed.

If your education is not equivalent to the courses offered in Norwegian upper secondary school, or if you did not complete a full course, you can obtain partial recognition. Then you will also be informed about what you must do to get a full recognition.

You can also obtain a formal recognition based on your work experience. Your professional experience must be at least 25% longer than the apprenticeship period in upper secondary vocational training (which is 2 years at present).

To read about vocational training in Norway, click here.

Last modified 16/08/2006