The dental surgery assistant programme, which is offered at the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, is one of the most popular vocational education and training programmes in Denmark.

2016.09.26 | Lise Wendel Eriksen

The dental surgery assistant programme is one of the most popular programmes in Denmark. Photo: Lars Kruse

The vocational education and training programme for dental surgery assistants grabs a position as number nine on the list of this summer's admissions to vocational schools, betting last year’s position, when the training programme was number twelve on the list. This is shown by a recently published ranking from The Association of Danish Business and Technical Colleges.

"There are 107 vocational education and training programmes in Denmark. The fact that the dental surgery assistant programme is placed in the top ten shows that we have an attractive programme, which young people are aware of, and which they choose among the many other educational programmes on offer. That is very pleasing to see," says Caroline Hørsted, head of sector for the dental surgery assistant programme at Aarhus University.

University environment plays a role

The dental surgery assistant training programme is not the only success, At the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, which offers the dental surgery assistant training programme in Aarhus, there has been an increase in the number of young people applying for a place, with 64 students admitted this year, compared to 38 in 2015.

"The health-related training programmes are popular. I think that our location at the university together with the other dental programmes helps to attract the best and most goal-orientated students. And our location and the success that the programme is currently enjoying is precisely what we need to use to recruit the most talented young people," says Caroline Hørsted.

The ranking of 2016 admissions to the vocational schools was carried out by The Association of Danish Business and Technical Colleges.

Figures for the dental surgery assistant vocational education and training programme

In 2016, there were 427 applications to the dental surgery assistant programme (385 applicants in 2015).

• This makes the dental surgery assistant programme the ninth most popular vocational education and training programme in Denmark (number 12 in 2015).
• There are 107 vocational education and training programmes in Denmark.
• Dental surgery assistants are trained in 12 different institutions in Denmark. Six of these are located in Jutland.
• Aarhus and Copenhagen are the only locations where the dental surgery assistant programme is geographically located together with the university.
• The Department of Dentistry and Oral Health (previously The School for Dental Assistants, Hygienists and Clinical Technicians (SKT)) at Aarhus University admitted 64 trainees in 2016 (38 trainees in 2015).

Further information

Head of Sector, Caroline Hørsted
Aarhus University, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health
Direct tel.: (+45) 8716 8283
Email: choersted@dent.au.dk