Skive Technical School can trace its roots back to 1868 when the Citizens and Craftsmen’s Association established a Sunday school for apprentices and a craft school for young boys under confirmation age.
The years at Nordbanevej 6
The school traditionally traces its history back to 1871, when a local branch of the “Vestjydsk Industriforening” was established in the town, whose purpose was to run evening and Sunday schools for craftsmen in the town. The first chairman was merchant Otto Jørgensen.
In the beginning, the association used the premises of the community school, but the desire was to have its own building. On July 7, 1891, the building on Nordbanevej was inaugurated, designed by architect of the railways Edvard Jensen, Nyborg (from 1904 a resident of Silkeborg. Supervisor of the construction of Skive Railway Station, architect for Silkeborg Technical School 1889).
The school was expanded several times with the addition of teachers’ residences, etc. but it didn’t work out. In 1932, a wing was added to the southwest. The extension was designed by architect Erik V. Lind, who was also a member of the board. There were now 14 classrooms compared to the previous 8.
Danish, arithmetic, geometry, drawing and standard writing were taught. There was vocational training for plumbers, plumbers, formers, clockmakers, electricians, auto mechanics, bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, coopers, upholsterers, brushwood drillers, painters, typographers, hairdressers, gardeners. In addition, practical workshop training for bakers and butchers in the city.
During the last year of the occupation, it was necessary to rent accommodation in various locations in the city, as the German occupying forces had seized the building.
After the war, the school quickly became too small and in 1949/50 a new wing was added to the building, bringing the number of rooms to 23.
In the years 1952-59, space was made available for the newly established Skive Seminary to be housed in the building.
New apprenticeship law, centralization and school homes
The Apprenticeship Act of 1956 meant unconditional compulsory education for apprentices. The Act was the government’s contribution to the current alternating education system – theory/practice, where vocational training was integrated into the overall education policy and placed under the Ministry of Education in 1961.
Skive Technical School now switched to a full day school and centralization took hold – first the iron trades. In the following years, joinery and carpentry were also centralized and could stay in Skive. Other trades such as electrician, painting and bricklaying were centralized at other technical schools. Later in 1964, typographers, bakers, butchers and hairdressers were also centralized. Only hairdressing remained in the city.
Other small trades were changed to national trades and here it became possible to get apprentices from the carpentry and upholstery trades, however, it required a change to have boarding students. Initially, Skive Folkeblad’s premises were converted into a school home and the teaching of carpentry, upholstery and other small trades took place temporarily in the old brush factory’s premises in Østergade 4A.
New organization, new building in Egeris and new tasks
Since 1871, the school had been run by Skive Industriforening. At an extraordinary general meeting on 17 March 1965, the association decided that the school should become a self-governing institution following the transition to a full day school with an associated school home and centralization of teaching. The assets of the industrial association – which mainly consisted of the property on Nordbanevej – were transferred to the independent institution Skive Tekniske Skole.
In 1966-68, a new school and a new school home designed by the architectural firm Tage Hansen & Axel Ritto were built. The site was 70,000 m2, the school was designed for 6500 m2 and the school home for 3500 m2.
After the opening of the new school, apprentices from Skive and the surrounding area were trained in carpentry, joinery, mechanical carpentry and hairdressing, and for some time also the metal trades: blacksmith, machinist and auto mechanic. Furthermore, upholstery, auto saddlery, basket making, sail making, shoemaking and goldsmithing as well as traveling clothes and portfolio making.
Shortly after the school was opened, hairdressing, blacksmithing, machining and auto mechanics were centralized and only the metal school was allowed to remain in Skive.
The good conditions at the new school made room for new programs such as industrial carpentry and the school also offered a number of continuing education courses, e.g. a series of courses in the toolmaker program, which was adapted to the needs of industry in Skive and the surrounding area.
In 1976, the school took a lease on Frisenborgvej (which had previously housed the Eta-Tau factory) in order to start the new Basic Vocational Education (EFG), which was intended as a replacement for the master apprenticeship. In Skive, there was room for 120 students – but as at many other technical schools, enrollment was low and only 70 students started. Most of them chose the apprenticeship program, where they were paid throughout the training. At the same time, the lack of internships after the basic year caused problems, even with the addition of school internships.
Reforms to vocational education
EFG was never a great success and the 1991 reform with the introduction of EUD merged the two tracks, and vocational education then consisted of a basic course at school and a main course with alternating internships and school
From 2001, greater emphasis was placed on individualized education with the introduction of the contact teacher scheme, educational plan and individual courses. Vocational education was given a crucial role in realizing the goal of 95% of a youth cohort completing upper secondary education.
In 2014, the Danish Parliament adopted a reform of vocational education and training with the goal that by 2020, at least 25% will choose a vocational education directly after 9th or 10th grade and that at least 60% will complete the education.
Like many other vocational programs, Skive suffered fromdeclining student numbers.
Merger to Skive College
In 2017, Skive Tekniske Skole and Skive Handelsskole merged to become Skive College. Today, the school is located at several addresses. The vocational programs are located on Kongsvingervej, while the upper secondary programs are located on Arvikavej. On H. C. Ørsteds Vej you will find the school’s internship center.
Some of the programs that no longer exist include basket making and shoemaking, while carpentry is still one of the major programs at the school.
Skive has been a national school for several programs, and today Skive College is the only school in Denmark that educates supply operators, upholsterers, car saddlers and curtain decorators. The school is also a leader in toolmaker training, with over 90 percent of all apprentices in Denmark being trained in Skive. Many students from all over Denmark live at the vocational college.
Most recently (2021), the school has created an industry-adapted electrician program with a focus on green energy.
In 2021, Skive College celebrated its 150th birthday with the release of a video with the school’s history.
Principal / Directors
Head teacher Becker 1890-1918
Municipal teacher N. Mortensen 1919-1936
Architect Tage Hansen 1936-1965
Jørgen Lauritsen 1965-1993
Engineer Hans Simonsen1993-2005
Ann K. Østergaard 2005- 2015
Lene Dall (acting)
Desiré Christoffersen 2016-2017
Discontinued
Sources
- Old traditions and new technology Skive Technical School through 125 years, Pan tryk Skive 1996
- Skive Technical School 100 years, Skive Folkeblads Bogtryk 1971
- Skive folkeblad 27/5-1936, 27/4-1965, 15/12-2005, 20/10-2021
- a-1969-werner-rasmussen.pdf (uddannelseshistorie.dk)