Following the European Qualification Framework (EQF), Denmark is currently implementing a National Qualification Framework (NQF). The purpose of the Danish NQF is to facilitate lifelong learning and mobility by creating an overview of publicly recognised education and adult and continuing education programmes and the routes for attaining these. Furthermore the NQF will facilitate mutual recognition between the Danish qualifications and European qualifications by estatblishing a reference between the NQF and EQF. Like the EQF the Danish NQF includes eight levels, and the VET programmes are expected to be placed at the levels 3-5. Right now the Ministry of Education is developing procedures for the trade committees to apply when placing the particular VET programme in the NQF. Most of the VET programmes are expected to be placed at level 4 at which level the general upper secondary programmes (gymnasium) and the vocationally oriented upper secondary programmes are also placed. The equalification of the VET programmes and the upper secondary programmes is an important step in recognising the value of practical knowledge. However, including the VET programmes at the same level as the upper socondary programmes does not in itself lead to equality of practical and theoretical knowledge and one might very well ask, why this is at all important. It is actually important for several reasons. One of them is that the development of Danish educational system like other European systems reflects the wish to equalize theoretical learning and practical learning e.g. work experience: There is a strong focus on recognizing prior learning including informal learning or work experience. A Danish parallel adult education system has been established in which formal education as well as work experience count as admission into further education programmes up to university level. Furthermore the study time is reduced due to the adult's work experience. However the parallel adult education system is not fully recognized as equal to the ordinary system, because it does not include the same amount of theoretical learning. Another reason concerns the VET programmes: The general oppinion is that it is more prestigious to obtain an upper secondary qualification than a VET qualification. This influences drop out and poses a problem in securing a qualified workforce. Accordingly the issue of this paper is: Is it possible to equalize the status of practical and theoretical knowledge and if so how can this be accomplished?

In order to develop ways of equalising practical and theoretical knowledge the study focuses on the trade committees' principles and arguments in relation to placing the VET programmes in the NQF. The study includes an empirical study conducted as action research i.e. through a dialogue with the trade committees alongside the implementation of the NQF. Basil Bernstein's distinction between horizontal and vertical discourse will be applied as the theoretical frame. According to Jeanne Gamble this distinction allows for a combination of practical respectively theoretical learning and a vertical respectively horizontal perspective.

The NQF and the EQF focus on the learning outcome of the educational programmes. This study takes the same point of departure by assuming that in order to equalise theoretical and practical knowledge it is necessary to focus on competences: What are the learners able to accomplish after having completed the qualification? Furthermore the assumption - i.e. the expected conclusion - is that applying a distinction between vertical and horizontal discourses will dissolve the prestige of theoretical learning compared to practical learning, because the main aim will be to develop the learners' ability for applying knowledge vertically.