diff --git a/client/src/components/header/SubNavItem.vue b/client/src/components/header/SubNavItem.vue
index 69c4f074..736e93ab 100644
--- a/client/src/components/header/SubNavItem.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/header/SubNavItem.vue
@@ -28,7 +28,14 @@ const isExternalLink = computed(() => {
     <slot />
     <it-icon-external-link />
   </a>
-  <router-link v-else v-slot="{ isActive, href, navigate }" v-bind="$props" custom>
+  <!-- make `:to` explicit -->
+  <router-link
+    v-else
+    v-slot="{ isActive, href, navigate }"
+    v-bind="$props"
+    :to="$props.to"
+    custom
+  >
     <a
       v-bind="$attrs"
       :class="isActive ? activeClass : ''"
diff --git a/client/src/components/header/SubNavigation.vue b/client/src/components/header/SubNavigation.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..afcd424f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/header/SubNavigation.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import SubNavItem from "@/components/header/SubNavItem.vue";
+import { Listbox, ListboxOption, ListboxOptions } from "@headlessui/vue";
+import { computed, ref } from "vue";
+import { useRouter } from "vue-router";
+const router = useRouter();
+
+export interface EntryRoute {
+  name: string;
+}
+
+export type EntryOrExternalRoute = EntryRoute | string;
+
+export interface SubNavEntry {
+  id: number;
+  name: string;
+  route: EntryOrExternalRoute;
+}
+
+export interface Props {
+  items: SubNavEntry[];
+}
+const props = defineProps<Props>();
+
+const isCurrentRoute = (route: { name: string } | string) => {
+  return typeof route !== "string" && route?.name === router.currentRoute.value.name;
+};
+const currentRouteName = computed(() => {
+  return props.items.find((item) => isCurrentRoute(item.route))?.name || "";
+});
+const open = ref<boolean>(false);
+const currentRoute = ref(props.items.find((item) => isCurrentRoute(item.route)));
+const selectRoute = (current: SubNavEntry) => {
+  // we use this to mimic VueRouter's active flag
+  open.value = false;
+  currentRoute.value = current;
+};
+</script>
+<template>
+  <nav class="border-b bg-white px-4 lg:px-8">
+    <Listbox as="div" :model-value="currentRoute" by="id">
+      <div class="relative w-full py-2 lg:hidden">
+        <button
+          class="relative flex w-full cursor-default flex-row items-center border bg-white py-3 pl-5 pr-10 text-left"
+          @click="open = !open"
+        >
+          {{ currentRouteName }}
+          <span
+            class="pointer-events-none absolute inset-y-0 right-0 flex items-center pr-2"
+          >
+            <it-icon-arrow-down class="h-5 w-5" aria-hidden="true" />
+          </span>
+        </button>
+        <ListboxOptions
+          v-if="open"
+          class="absolute top-14 z-50 flex w-full cursor-default flex-col rounded-xl border-0 bg-white text-left shadow-lg"
+          static
+        >
+          <ListboxOption
+            v-for="item in items"
+            :key="item.id"
+            v-slot="{ selected }"
+            :value="item"
+            class="relative w-full border-b py-3 pl-10 pr-10 last:border-b-0"
+          >
+            <SubNavItem
+              :to="item.route"
+              class="flex items-center gap-2"
+              @click="selectRoute(item)"
+            >
+              <it-icon-check
+                v-if="selected"
+                class="absolute left-2 top-1/2 w-8 -translate-y-1/2"
+              />
+              {{ item.name }}
+            </SubNavItem>
+          </ListboxOption>
+        </ListboxOptions>
+      </div>
+    </Listbox>
+    <ul class="hidden flex-col gap-12 lg:flex lg:flex-row">
+      <li
+        v-for="item in items"
+        :key="item.id"
+        class="border-t-2 border-t-transparent"
+        :class="{ 'border-b-2 border-b-blue-900': isCurrentRoute(item.route) }"
+      >
+        <!-- todo: split by external / internal and align external links to the right -->
+        <SubNavItem :to="item.route" class="block py-3">
+          {{ item.name }}
+        </SubNavItem>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+  </nav>
+</template>
diff --git a/client/src/pages/competence/CompetenceParentPage.vue b/client/src/pages/competence/CompetenceParentPage.vue
index 665507ba..170f2a85 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/competence/CompetenceParentPage.vue
+++ b/client/src/pages/competence/CompetenceParentPage.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import SubNavItem from "@/components/header/SubNavItem.vue";
+import SubNavigation, { type SubNavEntry } from "@/components/header/SubNavigation.vue";
 import { useCurrentCourseSession, useEvaluationWithFeedback } from "@/composables";
 import {
   CERTIFICATES_ROUTE,
@@ -7,16 +7,12 @@ import {
   COMPETENCES_ROUTE,
   SELF_EVALUATION_ROUTE,
 } from "@/router/names";
-import { Listbox, ListboxOption, ListboxOptions } from "@headlessui/vue";
 import { useTranslation } from "i18next-vue";
 import * as log from "loglevel";
-import { computed, onMounted, ref } from "vue";
-import { useRouter } from "vue-router";
+import { onMounted } from "vue";
 
 log.debug("CompetenceParentPage created");
 
-const router = useRouter();
-
 const { t } = useTranslation();
 
 const currentCourseSession = useCurrentCourseSession();
@@ -39,11 +35,7 @@ const competencesRoute = {
   name: COMPETENCES_ROUTE,
 };
 
-const isCurrentRoute = (route: { name: string } | string) => {
-  return typeof route !== "string" && route?.name === router.currentRoute.value.name;
-};
-
-const items = [
+const items: SubNavEntry[] = [
   { id: 0, name: t("a.Übersicht"), route: competenceRoute },
   ...(currentCourseSession.value.course.configuration.enable_competence_certificates
     ? [
@@ -66,84 +58,19 @@ const items = [
   {
     id: 4,
     name: "MS Teams",
-    iconName: "it-icon-external-link",
     route: "https://iterativ.ch",
   },
   {
     id: 5,
     name: "Vorschau Teilnehmer",
-    iconName: "it-icon-external-link",
     route: "https://iterativ.ch",
   },
 ];
-const currentRouteName = computed(() => {
-  return items.find((item) => isCurrentRoute(item.route))?.name || "";
-});
-const open = ref<boolean>(false);
-const currentRoute = ref(items.find((item) => isCurrentRoute(item.route)));
-const selectRoute = (current) => {
-  // we use this to mimic VueRouter's active flag
-  open.value = false;
-  currentRoute.value = current;
-};
 </script>
 
 <template>
   <div class="bg-gray-200">
-    <nav class="border-b bg-white px-4 lg:px-8">
-      <Listbox as="div" :model-value="currentRoute" by="id">
-        <div class="relative w-full py-2 lg:hidden">
-          <button
-            class="relative flex w-full cursor-default flex-row items-center border bg-white py-3 pl-5 pr-10 text-left"
-            @click="open = !open"
-          >
-            {{ currentRouteName }}
-            <span
-              class="pointer-events-none absolute inset-y-0 right-0 flex items-center pr-2"
-            >
-              <it-icon-arrow-down class="h-5 w-5" aria-hidden="true" />
-            </span>
-          </button>
-          <ListboxOptions
-            v-if="open"
-            class="absolute top-14 z-50 flex w-full cursor-default flex-col rounded-xl border-0 bg-white text-left shadow-lg"
-            static
-          >
-            <ListboxOption
-              v-for="item in items"
-              :key="item.id"
-              v-slot="{ selected }"
-              :value="item"
-              class="relative w-full border-b py-3 pl-10 pr-10 last:border-b-0"
-            >
-              <SubNavItem
-                :to="item.route"
-                class="flex items-center gap-2"
-                @click="selectRoute(item)"
-              >
-                <it-icon-check
-                  v-if="selected"
-                  class="absolute left-2 top-1/2 w-8 -translate-y-1/2"
-                />
-                {{ item.name }}
-              </SubNavItem>
-            </ListboxOption>
-          </ListboxOptions>
-        </div>
-      </Listbox>
-      <ul class="hidden flex-col gap-12 lg:flex lg:flex-row">
-        <li
-          v-for="item in items"
-          :key="item.id"
-          class="border-t-2 border-t-transparent"
-          :class="{ 'border-b-2 border-b-blue-900': isCurrentRoute(item.route) }"
-        >
-          <SubNavItem :to="item.route" class="block py-3">
-            {{ item.name }}
-          </SubNavItem>
-        </li>
-      </ul>
-    </nav>
+    <SubNavigation :items="items" />
     <main>
       <router-view></router-view>
     </main>
diff --git a/client/src/utils/route.ts b/client/src/utils/route.ts
index 2fcf97cc..c0b632cf 100644
--- a/client/src/utils/route.ts
+++ b/client/src/utils/route.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { computed, ref } from "vue";
+import { computed } from "vue";
 import { useRoute } from "vue-router";
 
 export function useRouteLookups() {