The Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, have traditionally been viewed as a coherent group, characterised by universal welfare policies and a strong emphasis on social equality and inclusion within a free market capitalist framework. However, there are important national differences in how the education systems are organized and their coherence has been questioned, especially as market‑oriented reforms in the past decades have made their mark. The aim of the paper is to compare the vocational education systems at the upper secondary level in the five Nordic countries in terms of their structural features and contemporary challenges and reforms. The findings show important differences among the countries in how their VET systems are structured at the upper secondary level, the role of apprenticeship, and whether preparation to higher education is emphasized. There are also important similarities in terms of state involvement and how recent reforms have shaped these systems to deal with current challenges. Overall, the findings suggest that rather than a unified Nordic model of VET, the systems share family resemblance shaped by common values.

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