Patrick Houlind Fanning is pursuing a vocational education, which combines classroom learning with on-the-job training. He dreams of becoming an electrician.

What’s it like to leave school and see your future as a ’black hole’? Patrick Houlind Fanning knows. In 2024, he was among the 12 percent who failed. Now, he’s on the rise.

Patrick expected to fail, but the result still hit him like a slap in the face

Patrick Houlind Fanning is pursuing a vocational education, which combines classroom learning with on-the-job training. He dreams of becoming an electrician.
Listen to the article

He can’t remember how it happened, but there were shards of glass on the floor. The cabinet door was split in two and had fallen to the ground. The mirror was turned the wrong way, and a spider web of shattered glass stretched to the frame.

Patrick’s knuckles were red, so he knew it was him who had done it. He also knew he had just failed Danish and ruined what felt like his only chance to become an electrician. He clearly remembers that’s why he got angry.

Want to keep reading?

Politiken Edition is a curated collection of articles written by our journalists and translated into English. Stay informed on the news – through a Danish lens.

Subscribe now
Already a subscriber? Sign in
Briller

© All material on this page is subject to the applicable copyright law.Read policy