construction industry. The number of applicants for vocational education is plummeting, while dropout rates are skyrocketing.
40 percent drop out
Among male students and apprentices, the dropout rate in industrial education programs rose to 40 percent in 2023.
The Forum for Men’s Health received responses from 1,043 respondents. The survey was conducted among members who are in training within 3F, the Painters’ Union, the Plumbers’ Union, the Danish Electrical Union, HK/Private, and the Technical Union.
The survey highlights that:
- 4% had their boundaries violated by being hit, kicked, or similar.
- 7% had their boundaries violated by being threatened.
- 17% had their boundaries violated by being bullied.
- 40% had their boundaries violated by being spoken to rudely.
- 43% had their boundaries violated in one of the above ways.
Damaging mental health
The survey sheds light on the significant impact that boundary-violating behavior has on the mental well-being of apprentices and students. As a result, many choose to drop out of vocational education due to poor well-being and the harsh workplace culture, writes the Forum for Men’s Health in a press release.
– It is incredibly problematic that more than four out of ten male apprentices and students in the construction, building, and woodworking industries have had their boundaries violated while on the job. The dropout rate is high in the industry’s education programs, and it is expected that there will be a labor shortage in the industry. Therefore, we need to challenge the old notion that we have a tough but loving tone, says project manager Emil Færch from the Forum for Men’s Health.
