# No apprenticeship place? Ask about alternative Vg3

Still without an apprenticeship after Vg2? Check who can get alternative Vg3, the 1 October start deadline and what to ask your county authority.

Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/ikke-fatt-laereplass-alternativ-vg3
Language: en
Publisher: SamfunnPrep
Author: Hlib Suslov
Published: 2026-10-05T16:12:13.284+00:00
Modified: 2026-10-06T05:39:43.053531+00:00
AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt

## Key takeaways

- Start by 1 October The deadline concerns the start of alternative training, not your application deadline.
- Keep seeking an apprenticeship The county authority must continue arranging placements for pupils who want an apprenticeship.
- Clarify the offer in writing Ask about the trade, start date, contact person and assessment of whether you meet the conditions.

No apprenticeship place after Vg2? You may have a right to alternative training at Vg3. The county authority is responsible. The provision must start by 1 October. Ask for a specific assessment if you still have no place.

## Who has a right to alternative Vg3?

You may have this right if you do not get an apprenticeship and meet the conditions for placement in workplace training. The right concerns a provision that builds on the programme you completed at Vg2.

Vg2 and Vg3 mean the second and third stages of upper secondary education. Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir), the state agency for education and training, explains the right in its [guidance on alternative training](https://www.udir.no/regelverk-og-tilsyn/skole-og-opplaring/retten-til-videregaende-opplaring/annet-opplaringstilbud-ungdom-ikke-far-lareplass/). The rules were checked on 4 October 2026.

The goal is still a **fagbrev or svennebrev**, a vocational or craft certificate. Alternative Vg3 can organise training differently from an ordinary apprenticeship. The county authority decides the organisation within the law and curriculum. The provision therefore does not have to look the same in every county.

SamfunnPrep's guide to [apprenticeships and vocational qualifications](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/bli-laerling-norge) explains the ordinary model. This guide concerns the next step when you have already applied but still have no place.

## When must the provision start?

The provision must start as soon as possible, and no later than **1 October**. This is the county authority's start deadline, not a new application deadline for you.

Udir refers to opplæringsforskriften § 6-2, the education regulations. The purpose is to prevent young people from being left without training while they wait. As of 4 October 2026, this year's latest start date has already passed.

If you have heard nothing, contact the county authority's vocational training or admissions department. A company that has not replied yet may still be considering your application. That does not settle what the county authority must offer you while you wait.

Find your confirmation from Vigo, the counties' upper secondary application service. Also check messages, email and letters. An offer may have its own reply deadline. Ask the office to check whether there is an offer you have not received or understood.

## What should you do if you still have no offer?

Ask the county authority to assess your right and provide a specific start plan. You can send a short written message with details that make your case easy to find.

Include:

- your name and contact details through the county's recommended channel
- your school and Vg2 programme
- the trade you applied for
- when you applied, and where you have sought an apprenticeship
- whether you have received offers or refusals
- any subjects or exams you have not passed

You can use this message as a starting point:

“I have applied for an apprenticeship in [trade] after Vg2 [programme]. I still have no apprenticeship or information about alternative training. I request an assessment of my right to alternative training and information about its start. Who is following up my case?”

This is a **suggested message**, not an official application form. Use the county's secure channel when sending personal information or documents. Ask for confirmation that your message was received.

If you receive only a verbal answer, note who you spoke to. Send a short summary of what you agreed. This makes follow-up easier without having to explain everything again.

## Must you stop looking for an apprenticeship?

No. The county authority must continue helping you find an apprenticeship if you want this. This also applies after you have started alternative Vg3.

Udir specifies that the county authority cannot set an end date for this placement duty. Clearly state that you still want a place in a company. You can also continue sending applications yourself.

When a company offers a place, contact the county authority before leaving the training provision. Ask for a transition plan. Under [Udir's rules for apprentices](https://www.udir.no/regelverk-og-tilsyn/skole-og-opplaring/retten-til-videregaende-opplaring/larling/), both an apprenticeship contract and an employment contract must be in place before training at the company begins.

A company that says you can visit has not necessarily offered an approved apprenticeship. Clarify what the offer involves. Ask the company and county authority to contact each other if anything is unclear.

## What should you ask before accepting?

Ask about the trade, attendance, training plan and who will support you. Also clarify your finances, since pupil status and apprentice status differ.

| Situation | Status | What you should clarify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alternative training provision | Pupil | Plan, attendance and possible student support |
| Approved apprenticeship | Apprentice and employee | Apprenticeship contract, employment contract and wages |
| Still without a clarified offer | Unresolved situation | Rights assessment and a specific start |

You do not automatically receive an apprentice wage by taking alternative Vg3. Do not plan your finances around wages from a company where you are not yet employed. Ask your adviser to explain which support schemes you can investigate.

The right also does not mean you always get exactly the trade you most want. The county authority must be able to offer at least one trade within your Vg2 programme. Ask for an explanation if the offer concerns a different trade from your first choice.

## What if you lack subjects or follow a special route?

The county authority must assess which right and route apply to you. You should not treat the alternative Vg3 rules as an automatic guarantee.

A **særløp** is a vocational route without the usual Vg2 programme before the apprenticeship. Udir states that applicants who have not completed Vg2 on such routes have no right to alternative provision under opplæringsloven § 5-6, the Education Act. They must apply for Vg2 on the same terms as other pupils.

If you are an adult participant, separate adult rules apply. Ask about the correct scheme instead of assuming all youth rules apply. You can get help choosing through [free career guidance](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/karriereveiledning-gratis-jobb-utdanning-norge).

SamfunnPrep explains Norwegian education arrangements in simple words. Use the [tools overview](https://samfunnprep.no/en/verktoy) to organise your next steps while the county authority clarifies your offer.

## FAQ

### Does everyone without an apprenticeship have a right to alternative Vg3?

No. You must meet the conditions for placement in workplace training. The right builds on your Vg2 programme. Special routes without completed Vg2 are not covered by this right.

### Is 1 October an application deadline?

No. It is the latest start date for the alternative provision under the rules checked on 4 October 2026. Contact your county authority if you still have no offer.

### Can I keep looking for an apprenticeship after starting?

Yes. The county authority must continue helping with placements if you want this, even after you start the provision.

### Do I automatically get an apprentice wage in alternative Vg3?

No. You have pupil status in the alternative provision. Apprentice wages belong to employment with a training company.

## Sources

- [Rett til annet opplæringstilbud for ungdom som ikke får tilbud om læreplass](https://www.udir.no/regelverk-og-tilsyn/skole-og-opplaring/retten-til-videregaende-opplaring/annet-opplaringstilbud-ungdom-ikke-far-lareplass/)
- [Lærling](https://www.udir.no/regelverk-og-tilsyn/skole-og-opplaring/retten-til-videregaende-opplaring/larling/)

Citation: Hlib Suslov, "No apprenticeship place? Ask about alternative Vg3", SamfunnPrep, 2026-10-05T16:12:13.284+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/ikke-fatt-laereplass-alternativ-vg3