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WORKING IN DENMARK

IN DETAIL: What is Denmark doing to recruit health workers from abroad?

Denmark’s government has announced an agreement which it says will bring more foreign health workers on to the country’s labour market. What does the agreement say?

Published: 25 January 2024 16:49 CET
IN DETAIL: What is Denmark doing to recruit health workers from abroad?
Danish politicians have presented an agreement which contains a range of measures related to work permit rules for foreign health professionals. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

A deal between the government and a majority in parliament will allow more people from abroad to be granted permits to work in the country’s social health sector as care workers or sosu-hjælpere in Danish.

The agreement was announced in a statement from the Ministry of Education and Research.

Grabbing the headlines was a decision to broadening the positive list scheme, through which work permits are granted to people with qualifications in desired professions.

READ ALSO: Denmark confirms deal to recruit 1,000 health staff from abroad

However, the agreement contains a total of 17 different measures, aimed at doctors, nurses and dentists as well as social carers.

“With this agreement, we are broadly implementing 17 specific initiatives that make it easier to recruit foreign health professionals, whom we so badly need in hospitals and in elderly care,” health minister Sophie Løhde said in the government statement.

The text of the agreement, published by the government, outlines each specific measure which will be implemented under the deal. They are summarised below.

Short-cut authorisation process for foreign medical credentials

A new “shortcut” will make some steps of the authorisation process for foreign medical professionals concurrent.

This means that foreign doctors and nurses will be able to work under evaluation at the same time as other steps of the process, so the overall time to reach authorisation is reduced.

This measure was already announced by the government earlier in January.

Extension of residence permits if evaluation job offer on table

The residence permit given to doctors and dentists while their authorisation case is ongoing can be extended if they have been offered a job for the evaluation step of the process.

Possible use of nurses as social care assistants

Health authorities are to evaluate whether foreign-trained nurses who do not receive approval for Danish authorisation as nurses can instead be authorised as social and health carers. This may involve additional training, the agreement states.

Extension of “positive list” work permit scheme to include social health care staff

As detailed here.

Information campaign for applicants

Applicants for authorisation of health care qualifications are to be informed about job opportunities in care sector roles that do not require specific qualifications.

Disclosure of partnerships with non-EU countries on targeted recruitment of healthcare professionals

The content of any agreements with other countries on recruitment and training of health personnel must be disclosed in relation to potential further partnerships with Denmark and other countries, including in relation to the professions involved.

Earlier this month, the government said it was in talks with India and the Philippines over a potential deal to bring in social carers from those countries.

Exemption from work permit if residence permit given through professional authorisation

The requirement for a work permit in addition to a residence permit will no longer apply to healthcare professionals granted authorisation, including doctors, dentists and nurses.

Review of Danish language classes for healthcare professionals

A review of existing Danish language classes is to be conducted, including potential removal of deadlines for passing minimum grades in a number of Danish tests.

The review will also consider the viability of Danish courses tailored for healthcare professionals.

READ ALSO: Denmark announces review of country’s Danish language schools

Simplification or application for evaluatory role

Applications for the job authorisation application take on an evaluatory basis must in future be made through jobnet.dk.

The “evaluation” work placement is a mandatory part of the authorisation process for health professionals such as doctors, nurses and dentists.

READ ALSO: Which health professions need authorisation to work in Denmark?

Health authorities will meanwhile be strongly encouraged to offer these roles to doctors and dentists.

Simplification of guidelines and information

All information about the authorisation process along with residence and work permits will be placed together on the Workindenmark.dk website.

Automatic approval of the EU/EEA qualifications

An applicant with citizenship of a non-EU country who has trained in an EU country as a doctor, dentist, nurse or midwife will no longer have to meet additional conditions to obtain authorisation, provided the qualification complies with EU standards.

Exemption from three-year deadline for completing the authorisation process

A normal three-year deadline for completing the authorisation process (including work placements) will not apply if a placement job is offered in a timeframe that would exceed the deadline.

More flexibility relating to post-qualification training and job seniority

Four other measures outlined in the text of the agreement (points 11-15) offer increased flexibility on rules in the existing authorisation process which relate to post-qualification training and labour market experience.

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WORKING IN DENMARK

Why are Danish experts recommending closure of all job centres?

Recommendations made by an expert commission to the government on employment and welfare advocate for closure of all municipal job centres.

Published: 24 June 2024 17:32 CEST
Why are Danish experts recommending closure of all job centres?

Denmark’s job centres, which are responsible for administration of social welfare benefits for people seeking employment and of facilitating training and work placements under welfare lows, should be closed according to recommendations handed to the government on Monday.

Additionally, over half of the current rules related to unemployment benefits should be scrapped and 9 in 10 sanctions for people who fail to comply with criteria such as attending meetings or applying for a set number of jobs.

Denmark has two broad tiers for those out of work: dagpenge, which provides an income calculated on the person’s tax payments while in employment, and the more basic kontanthjælp.

Dagpenge is available to people who a paying members of a semi-private uninsurance provider called an Arbejdsløshedskasse or A-kasse, while kontanthjælp is available to everyone.

Both groups must comply with legal requirements related to job searching in order to receive the benefits they qualify for – these are administered by municipal job centres.

READ ALSO:

When the coalition government took office at the end of 2022 it stated that it wanted to save three billion kroner annually by reforming the municipal unemployment area and improving its efficiency – specifically by targeting job centres.

This has led to an expert group, appointed by the government, making six specific requirements – those announce on Monday.

The government is not obliged to follow the recommendations.

But the expert group says there is much to gain from closing job centres.

“There’s great potential in replacing the current one-size-fits-all system with a new approach where individual needs are in focus,” group chairperson Claus Thustrup Kreiner said in a press statement.

The six broad recommendations are as follows:

  • Fewer target groups and special rules
  • Individual programmes
  • More balanced sanctions system
  • Abolish job centres and introduce free organisation at municipalities
  • Give more influence to A-kasse and private interests
  • Results, not system-based approach

|Source: DR

“Our report includes recommendations for the biggest reform of the jobseeking area ever, and will make the system cheaper, simpler and more dignified without weakening employment,” Kreiner said.

The national confederation for trade unions, Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation (FH), criticised the costcutting element of the recommendations in comments to broadcaster DR, and also said it would reduce the options and rights of jobseekers.

“I thought this was about giving unemployed people more freedom to decide what they need,” FH chairperson Nanna Højlund said.

“But the expert group clearly sees it as being about allowing municipalities to do exactly what they want,” she said.

The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) welcomed the proposals.

“The expert group has proposed a simplification of employment with fewer rules and benefit categories and with a large saving” DI deputy director Steen Nielsen said in a statement.

“That is a good idea because it’s difficult to run a job centre efficiently with the many different criteria and rules that must be met for each of the many categories,” he added.

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