Danish student skips school to train as a sausage maker

A 15-year-old Danish student who grew tired of traditional schooling has instead begun training as a sausage maker through a new apprenticeship program, reports DR.

Mads Rubin from Holbæk is among 2,551 students in the 2025/26 school year participating in Denmark’s first juniormesterlære (junior apprenticeship) scheme. The program allows students to spend three days a week in school and two days in workplace training.

Rubin, who said he was “school-tired,” now works at a local business where he prepares and boils rullepølser, a traditional Danish rolled sausage. His experience was documented in a video produced by students Sophia Reinemer and himself, showing a day in his apprenticeship.

The junior apprenticeship initiative aims to combine classroom education with hands-on vocational training, offering an alternative for students seeking practical career experience.