Demands for new qualifications among young and newly educated social pedagogues

Despite a relatively high level of education (Bachelor degree) and continuous training in placements throughout education, newly graduated social pedagogues in Denmark apparently find themselves under growing pressures when they arrive at their first workplaces. The paper discusses the experiences of newly graduated pedagogues and their apparent need for new types of competencies in the light of (historically) growing pressures on the practice of social pedagogues in the Nordic Countries. Transition shock, ‘role ambiguity’, and frustrations have previously been well recorded within other welfare professions, such as nurses and primary school teachers (e.g. Duchscher 2009). But hardly ever within pre-school-teaching and the work of social pedagogues. The studies explore changes and appeal in professionalism and qualifications mainly based on the understandings from Evetts - broader understanding of reflexive moderinity from Beck Based mainly on action research and critical theory, methodolgical approaches partly through etnograpy and thematic qualitative interviews with newly graduated pedagogues All interviewees names and workplaces have been changed and concealed. Consent to usage was given by interviewees and informants. Focus is partly on pressures related to changing working conditions in ECECs and terms of employment of the pedagogues, but I discuss also the broader need for change in competencies related to the ‘knowledge society’ and ‘reflexive modernity’. Questions are raised to the education - and the focus on academic competencies in particular: How can future education and workplaces meet the needs for qualifications of newly educated pedagogues.