The present study aims at investigating the long-term cognitive effects of vocational education (VET) in Sweden and Denmark, using data from the PIAAC Survey of Adult Skills. While Sweden has moved towards a more academic vocational education, Denmark has kept the apprenticeship system. Using multiple regression analysis we estimate the contribution of VET versus general upper secondary education to the proficiency in literacy. The results show a higher literacy performance in those Swedish age groups in more academic VET programs compared to the older Swedish age groups and to all the Danish age groups. A reasonable interpretation is that the amount of cognitively challenging subjects at the upper-secondary level gives a lasting imprint on literacy proficiency later in life.