2022
International competence as an optional part of all IVET qualifications
New optional qualification unit allows VET students to gain work experience in international environments. The new unit brings opportunities especially to those students whose fields have not traditionally had international mobility as a part of their training.
The unit consists of the following parts:
- preparing to work in international environments
- interaction in international networks
- working in an international environment
- applying and sharing international competence
The new unit does not require a working period abroad.
2021
Government proposal for a minimum number of school social workers and psychologists per pupil / student
Both comprehensive and upper secondary schools must have at least one social worker per 670 pupils / students and one school psychologist per 780 pupils / students. The law will enter into force at the beginning of 2022. The statutory school social worker and psychologist / student ratio ensures more equal access and quality of these services in different parts of Finland. Better support for children and young people in schools promote the extension of compulsory education, improve opportunities to tackle bullying and also help to fill learning and well-being gaps caused by the corona. In addition, there will be some clarifications for school social worker eligibility requirements. The government has admitted 29 million euros special state subsidy from 2023 onwards for hiring school psychologists and social workers. 10 million euros was granted in 2021-22 as a special state grant to 120 municipalities and joint municipal authorities to be used for the recruitment of school psychologists and social workers and for the strengthening of collective pupil welfare services and preventive work.
The service system for continuous learning
The service system for continuous learning will be reformed in 2021. Key measures include increasing the provision of education that considers different life situations as well as the needs of the world of work and strengthening the structures of the bond between work and competence. The digital solutions to be introduced by 2023 will form the framework and platform for the services in continuous learning. Guidance will make it easier to reach out to different target groups at work and outside work. Foresight and its utilisation will be improved.
Compulsory education extended until age of 18
Compulsory education will end when a young person reaches the age of 18 or has completed an upper secondary qualification,6 general upper secondary education and matriculation examination or vocational qualification. The reform will enter into force on 1 August 2021. Young people finishing their basic education in spring 2021, mainly those born in 2005, will be the first age group affected by the reform. From August 2021 upper secondary level students will get free: • instruction (already free of charge) • daily school meal (already free of charge) • textbooks and other learning materials required in instruction • tools, clothing, ingredients and other materials required in instruction • the 5 tests required for completing the matriculation examination at the end of the general upper secondary syllabus and, in the case of these tests, retake of rejected tests • school journeys of seven kilometres or more • in some special cases, accommodation and travel costs. In education programmes where special equipment, such as musical instruments and sports equipment are used, and which are also used by the students outside instruction, the costs will still be paid by the students. All above mentioned will be free of charge until the end of the calendar year in which the student will be 20 years. The period of free education could also be extended for justified reasons, for example due to illness. Extending compulsory education is one of the objectives laid down in the Government Programme. The reform will raise Finland’s level of education and competence, decrease learning gaps and increase equality in education. The extension of compulsory education is also expected to increase the employment rate.
Action plan to prevent bullying
The Ministry of Education and Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, has prepared a comprehensive action plan to prevent bullying, teasing, violence and harassment in schools and educational institutions. The means of the program range from actions to prevent bullying to teacher training aiming to promote well-being of pupils and students by various means. The goal is to ensure that every child and young person can attend school safely and to ensure zero tolerance for school bullying. Activities to fight against bullying need to begin already in early childhood education and care. According to the action plan a separate programme is needed to support emotional intelligence and social skills in early childhood education and care as a means of preventing bullying and teasing. Provisions on bullying and harassment in the Act on General Upper Secondary Education and in the Act on Vocational Education and Training should be made more specific. Therefore, there is a need for some amendments to current legislation. The action plan includes 14 measures, for example • Equipping children with necessary tools to develop emotional intelligence and social skills already at the early childhood education. • Providing adequate training for teachers so they can detect and prevent bullying and loneliness among pupils, granting teachers and principals the authority to intervene in disagreements and act against bullies if needed • Hiring more psychologists for schools. Institutions are also encouraged to cooperate with police, social workers and youth workers to ensure a safe and peaceful environment. Bullying and teasing takes also place outside school time, at pupil’s leisure time. Youth workers meet students and young people outside of school and therefore the government considers it important to introduce the methods and practices used by youth workers in schools and educational institutions
More information Action plan to prevent bullying – resources, education and legislative amendments at the centre
Program measures in Finnish Ohjelman toimenpiteet
2020 Preparing the Programme to Develop Quality and Equality in Vocational Education and Training
This programme to develop equality and quality in vocational education and training will help ensure that all students in vocational education and training acquire solid occupational competence and good basic skills for work, life and lifelong learning. The Ministry of Education and Culture will implement the programme together with the Finnish National Agency for Education from 2020 to 2022. The programme aims to make sure that vocational education and training is of high quality and encourages the continuous development of quality in line with the effectiveness objectives and policies of the Quality Strategy for Vocational Education and Training. It also aims to reduce and prevent differences in learning and learning outcomes related to gender, socio-economic background, place of residence or need for support. This, in turn, advances equality and non-discrimination in vocational education and training.
Extensive programme for guidance counselling
The Ministry of Education and Culture is launching an extensive programme for guidance counselling to support guidance counselling in primary education, lower secondary education, general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. The programme is part of the extension of compulsory education. The programme for guidance counselling includes three main objectives: • Improving and reinforcing the implementation and practices of guidance counselling and ensuring a continuation from the lower secondary to the upper secondary level • Ensuring personal guidance that is tailored to the learners’ needs • Increasing educational equality by making opportunities in working life and in further studies visible to all.
2019
A new department for general upper secondary education and vocational education and training is set up in the Finnish ministry of education and culture
Compulsory education which now ends in the age of 16 will be extended to the upper secondary level and the minimum school leaving age to 18 years. At the same time, upper secondary education will become completely free of charge. The reform will start with extensive research and will respond to the increase in skills requirements brought about by technological development. The reform aims at achieving a systemic change, requiring the whole society to keep every young person engaged in their studies until they complete an upper secondary qualification. The reform of compulsory education is due to enter into force in 2021.
The extension of compulsory schooling age, included in the Government Programme, applies to the whole upper secondary level, general upper secondary- and vocational upper secondary education. It is therefore appropriate to unite the matters concerning general upper secondary education and vocational upper secondary education under a common department. A new Department for General Upper Secondary Education and Vocational Education and Training was set up in the Ministry of Education and Culture in November 2019. The establishment of the department will strengthen the cooperation between general- and vocational upper secondary education and the cooperation opportunities on the upper secondary level. Both the Vocational Education and Training Act and the Act on General Upper Secondary Education obligate these forms of education to cooperate with each other. Source: https://valtioneuvosto.fi/artikkeli/-/asset_publisher/1410845/lukiokoulutukselle-ja-ammatilliselle-koulutukselle-yhteinen-osasto-okm-on?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Recommendations to strengthen cooperation between VET and higher education
The Ministry of education and culture will establish an expert group for the development of co-operation between VET providers and higher education institutions in 2019. The group makes proposals for making cooperation more effective and goal-oriented. The groups task is based on the new government programme’s aim of increasing co-operation between the upper secondary level and higher education. In addition, the legislation on VET emphasises that education providers should co-operate with the local employers and businesses, other providers of vocational education and training, higher education institutions and general upper secondary education providers. The 2017–2020 performance agreement for higher education institutions state that higher education institutions should deepen their cooperation with upper secondary education providers in order to accelerate the transition to higher education. The share of higher education graduates in the age group 25–34 should increase to 50 per cent by 2030. For more information in Finnish: https://minedu.fi/artikkeli/-/asset_publisher/kehittamisryhma-ammatillisen-koulutuksen-ja-korkeakoulutuksen-yhteistyohon-suunnitelmallisuutta-ja-valtakunnallisuutta
Funding is granted to improve attractiveness and communications
The Finnish National Agency for Education allocates state funds for VET projects that improve and upskill the communication skills of teachers, trainers and other VET staff. Funding also aims to improve the attractiveness of VET. Projects which use innovative channels and new communication methods are prioritised. The goal of these projects is to develop models where students and the world of work can be involved in the communication processes. With new innovative communication, new target groups should be reached. For more information in Finnish: https://www.oph.fi/fi/uutiset/2019/tukea-ammatillisen-koulutuksen-viestinta-ja-vetovoimahankkeisiin
International mobility is picking up in vocational education and training
The number of international mobility periods among Finnish vocational (VET) students has started to increase in 2018. The annual fluctuation of the number of students is typical in vocational education and training. The budget cuts in the last few years in VET in Finland are reflected in the numbers. The number of foreign students coming to study in Finland grew by 6.5 % in 2018 compared to the year before. Mobility periods of Finnish students typically last for 6 weeks. The most popular target countries in mobility periods of more than two weeks are Spain and Britain, for short-term periods Sweden and Estonia. Most foreign students come to Finland from the Netherlands and Russia. For more information in English: https://www.oph.fi/en/news/2019/international-mobility-vocational-education-and-training-picking-again
10 million euros for VET to improve the availability of skilful workforce
The ministry of education and culture has distributed 10 million euros to the short-term vocational education and training. This extra funding is allocated especially fields which are suffering from lack of skilful workforce such as health and welfare and field of industry. The objective is to respond the recruiting needs fast and ease the access to employment. Support can include individual measures to alleviate the access to the world of work and it is especially appointed to those unemployed applicants who are in their best working age.
Special subsidy against grooming
The Finnish National Agency for Education grants 500 000 euros special subsidy for in-service-training for educational staff (ISCED 1-3) against grooming that is aimed at children and adolescents. The subsidy is meant for schools’ and educational institutes’ intensified actions so that pupils and students would better recognise the grooming phenomenon and they could act safety in social media and in situations where they might encounter something frightening or disturbing. Children and adolescents are supported in defending their personal integrity and in protecting themselves from harmful and damaging phenomena. In addition, the special subsidy is aimed for preparing support material for protecting young people from violence, teasing and disturbance as well as strengthening media and protection skills of children and adolescents. The emphasis is on safe use of social media.
The first results of the anticipation work for the year 2035
The report by the National Forum for Skills Anticipation highlights changes in competences and the most important skills needed in 2035. Important skills needed in the future are customer-oriented development of services and knowledge of sustainable development. Working life requires skills in digitalisation, information evaluation skills and problem-solving skills. Experts from the education and training sector and from the world of work examined the most important skills and education needs by 2035 and reflected on the proposals for the development of education and training. Anticipation work was made based on the listings drawn up by 30 sector groups. This anticipation process was implemented during June 2017 and February 2019. In the scenario, digitalisation and technological development plays a vital role. Digitalisation will become an essential condition for companies’ operation and competitiveness. It will change the operating practices of companies as well as customer behaviour. In 2035 new jobs will emerge especially in high-tech industry and in the marketing and processing of highly processed products. In addition, the forecast predicts that the development of cost-efficiency and ecological sustainability will in the future take place at the same pace. Knowledge of sustainable development will be an important basic skill in the future, especially in industrial sectors. The importance of skills in sustainable development will become more important if societal development continues in a more ecological direction. The ability to learn was found important, but the development and management of personal competence was also highlighted from the employers’ point of view. Problem solving skills and information evaluation skills, on the other hand, are essential metaskills needed in the future. The importance of skills in customer-oriented development of services is emphasised in the service sector. In the future, new types of solutions will be needed in interactive customer service where the role of service design and automation is emphasised. Challenges facing continuous learning are also themes emphasised in the future. According to the anticipation scenario, a reform of continuous learning is required in the 2020s. This means that qualification-based learning should be only one part of competence and skills development and developing competences and skills is especially needed in transformation of technology. Furthermore, the funding of the continuous learning provided by society should follow the individual so that everyone would be able to flexibly choose what, where and when to study. The National Forum for Skills Anticipation serves as a joint expert body in educational anticipation for the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI). The system consists of a steering group, anticipation groups and a network of experts. The task is to promote the interaction of education and training with working life in co-operation with the Ministry and EDUFI. Anticipation groups are involved in both qualitative and quantitative anticipation work. For more information in Finnish: https://www.oph.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/101/0/asiantuntijoiden_nakemys_tulevaisuuden_osaamistarpeista_tyoelamassa_tarvitaan_kestavan_kehityksen_osaamista_digitaitoja_ja_jatkuvaa_oppimista
Work to improve attractiveness of vocational education and training is supported by a state subsidy
The Finnish National Agency for Education will allocate 500 000 euros to the state subsidies for supporting communication work and to improve the attractiveness of VET. Subsidies can be applied during April 2019. VET in Finland creates versatile opportunities for future and it is strongly connected to the needs of working life. Studying in VET supports lifelong learning. Main aim of the state subsidies is to enhance the attractiveness and appreciation of VET. VET Skills week, organised in October 2019 is one of the main events of the EU presidency in Finland. Goal of the event is to raise awareness of the importance of the skills needed in the changing world. State subsidy is mainly granted for the communication work related to the Skills week. State subsidy is granted for vocational education and training providers and other stakeholders such as student unions and working life organisations.