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Vilnius 11.-12.6.2007

The Cooperation and Partnership: Developing Education and Science

in 2007-2013

Juha Mäntyvaara

Head of Department for Education and Culture,

State Provincial Office of Southern Finland

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Vocational education and training in Finland

- solutions and results

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Students in education and training 2000-2004

Students 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Comprehensive schools

593 451 595 727 597 356 597 414 593 148

Upper secondary general schools

130 032 128 642 124 644 121 816 120 531

VET 159 884 160 115 166 809 174 813 230 823

Polytechnics 114 020 118 013 126 767 129 875 131 919

Universities 157 796 162 939 164 312 169 846 173 974

Total 1 155 183 1 165 436 1 179 888 1 193 764 1 250 395

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VET in Finland

• Mainly within institutions (work-based learning included)– apprenticeship training expanding (in IVET 10%,

in CVET 40 %)• VET provided by registered VET providers – licence from

Ministry of Education– municipalities, joint municipal boards or private

organisations– 212 VET-providers (initial and continuing vet)

• Financing system based on national unit prices based on costs in different sectors of VET – different systems for IVET and CVET

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VET in Finland

• Financial contributions to VET providers from MoE

– statutory division of costs at national level

– in IVET: state 46 % - municipalities together 54 %

– in CVET mainly by state

• IVET: tuition and meals free of charge, CVET: small fees

• Instruction for Swedish-speakers either in Swedish-speaking or bilingual institutions

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Registered VET providers 2006

• Registered VET providers 212 (incl. state) – Initial VET 175

• 156 have also licence for CVET• private 91• municipalities 26• joint municipal boards 57

– Only IVET 19 – Only CVET 37

• private 35 • municipals 1 • joint municipal boards 1

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Costs of VET for providers in 2005

Costs for VET providers (not incl. capital costs) Costs €

• Initial VET in institutions 1 052 732 833

• Apprenticeship training (IVET, CVET) 128 728 168

• Continuing VET in institutions   101 151 129

• Services–incl. Training for employment service 416 591 934

Total 1 699 204 064

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Challenges on VET

• Ageing population– Engaging all youth in VET and challenge on those in working

life• From unemployment to skills shortages – Changing social and

education trends contributing to skills shortages in traditional skills– More balanced approach to counteract current trends– Stronger recognition of the role of intermediate skills –

broader base of skills

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Challenges on VET

• Changing needs of industry and service– New technology and work practices – New forms of

employment

• Engagement of employers

– Competitive business environment/policy settings create a disincentive for many employers to make necessary investment in skill formation

– Companies making decisions about the location of operations in global markets

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Challenges on VET

• Social inclusion as a policy priority • Growing expectations of learners

– Individuals taking increasingly responsibility for their own skill development

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Challenges on VET

• Productivity in education and training system

– Need to produce more with existing financial framework

– Financial constraints in future in public sector

• Better links and pathways between school – VET – higher education

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Challenges on VET

• Competency-based qualifications structure – European qualifications framework

• Growing demand for workplace learning

• Long lead time required for skill formation

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Vocational education and training in Finland

• Competence-based qualifications– Based on the needs of working life– National qualification structure– Modular structure– Curriculum and training programs at provider level:

more individualised programs

– Recognition of prior learning

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Vocational education and training in Finland

• Skills demonstrations– 1994 into adult VET – 2006 into all VET

qualifications – Recognition of earlier professional experience:

regardless of how and where skills have been acquired (informal and non-formal learning)

– Validation of skills and competences acquired during the training

– Qualification committees (national/regional/provider)

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Vocational education and training in Finland

• Registered training providers– Accreditation: fields of training, maximum number

of students/year, other requirements and provisions

• National requirements for teachers– HE qualification, work experience and VET

teacher training– Training of trainers at work-places: no formal

qualification requirements

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Vocational education and training in Finland

• Quality management at the training providers´ level– National recommendations (CQAF)– National quality awards (EFQM/CQAF)– Quality enhancement and development projects (Leonardo,

national)

• Evaluation

– Obligation of VET providers to carry out evaluations: self-evaluations, external evaluations

– National evaluations: The Finnish Education Evaluation Council

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Vocational education and training in Finland

• Increased use of skills competitions – Benchmarking, skills demonstrations

• Financial incentives

– Performance-based financing system for VET-providers – performance indicators: impact (employment, HE transition), processes (drop-out, completion/graduation), staff (qualifications, staff development)

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Cross waves in Finnish VET

VET IN CROSS WAVES

DESIRE FOR INTEGRATE VET AND

UPPER SECONDARY GENERAL

EDUCATION

ADULT EDUCATION AS ENTIRETY -

ASPIRE TO DIVIDE THE SYSTEM INTO

YOUTH AND ADULT TRAININGADULT LIBERAL EDUCATION

INSTITUTIONS MOVING INTO VET

VET PROVIDERS RESPONSIVENESS

TO THE NEEDS OF CUSTOMERS:

LEARNERS AND WORKING LIFE

VET AND HIGHER EDUCATION AS

COMPETITORS

CREATION OF POLYTECHNICS

NEED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF

DIFFERENT SECTORS OF WORKING

LIFE

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• Strengthened links between VET and the world of work

– Increasing employability and making transition from school to work more effective

– Expansion of work-based learning: increased work-placements and apprenticeship training

– Innovative forms of public –private –partnerships: "Training companies – corporation between employers, institutions and polytechnic/universities" –electro-metal industries – "Practice-training companies" in entrepreneurship training

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• Better access to higher education and lifelong learning

– General eligibility from 3 year VET qualifications into tertiary education

– Creation of polytechnics (non university HE)

– Increased training provision for adults– Common principles for recognition of prior learning

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• Decision-making powers largely shifted to training providers– Total reform of the education and training

legislation – flexibility – Responsive to regional labour market –

responsibilities within same hands– Anticipation of the match between demand and

supply – signals to TPs

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• Need for better quality assurance– Competence-based qualifications – national

qualifications structures– Skills demonstrations– Registered training providers - National

requirements for teachers– Quality Charter for TPs - Quality management at

the training providers´ level

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• Evaluation – no large inspection system– Increased use of skills competitions – Financial incentives– Training of teachers and enhancing teachers

contacts with working life– Training of trainers

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• Financing system - lump sums without ear-marks

– Public financing to TPs (for operational costs and investments)

– Financing follows students´ choices – Based on national unit prices – Performance-based funding included: indicators:

employment, HE transition, drop-out, completion/graduation, staff qualifications, staff development

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Policy priorities of VET in Finland

• More coherent network of VET providers– Consolidation on TPs – “VET college strategy”

• Development of VET for students with special needs • Lowering of the drop-out rates and increasing the

attrition rates• Active participation in EU Copenhagen process

– Enhanced co-operation between EU member states in VET

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VET Agenda 2006 in Finland

• Skills demonstrations – quality assurance

• Performance-based funding

• More coherent VET providers network

• Increased provision of CVET

• Development program of VET for persons with special needs

• Securing availability of competent teachers and trainers

• Co-operation between VET and upper secondary general education

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VET Agenda 2006 in Finland

• Strengthened co-operation between VET providers and working-life

– increased work-placed learning

• Increased efficiency of education and training system

– drop-out, attrition

– linkages and transitions

– productivity program

– improved joint application system

• EU presidency

– review of the Copenhagen process

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Goals for WorldSkills 2005 Helsinki- successfully reached

• Enhance the appreciation of VET and skills

• Improve the quality of training and skill levels

• Highlight excellence in vocational skills

• Consolidate national skills competitions and their role as

developing training and skills levels

• Build up new national and international skills networks

– to learn from each other

– to strengthen the international capacity of VET providers

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Demonstration-based qualifications

• Knowledge, skills and competences regardless of how and where skills have been acquired

• Primarily intended for adults skilled in different fields to demonstrate their practical competence and vocational skills

• Taking part in skills demonstrations does not require formal preparation

– however, most participants acquire preparatory training

(individual learning programmes)

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Demonstration-based qualifications

• Tri-partite qualification committees (national, regional) (250 committees):– do not organise skills demonstrations themselves– contract with VET-providers and give providers

licence to organise skills demonstrations in order to aqcquire demonstration-based qualification

– supervise providers and issue certificates

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Recognition of prior learning

• Perspectives to recognition and accreditation of prior learning– during application to education and training– during studies– in demonstration-based qualifications

• Differences in post-secondary education and training– recognition is most widely used in demonstration-based VET

qualifications– recognition of prior learning is also an established practice in

initial VET: accreditation of prior studies and non-formal and informal learning

– not largely used in higher education – more in polytechnics than in universities

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Recognition of prior learning

• Education and training providers empowered to

– approve proofs/evidence and to select assessment methods of non-formal and informal learning results

– grant credit for competency acquired in non-formal and informal learning

– accredit prior non-formal and informal learning when persons are applying to education and training

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Continuing training of VET teachers

• Obligation to participate in in-service-training based on collective agreements

• 88 % participated in continuing training 2005• Training intended for keeping skills and competences up to

date, not to have a direct bearing on teachers’ salary and career development

• National support for continuing training of teachers and trainers in specific fields decided yearly in state budget or through ESF funding

• International mobility programs as continuing training

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Continuing training of VET teachers

– Special programs to support co-operation between training and working life

» specialist in demonstration-based qualifications» studies for teachers in increasing their

competence in the world-of-work » teachers` on-the-job learning periods

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Continuing training of VET teachers

• The topics prioritised in state budget 2006 are for teachers at basic education, upper secondary general schools and in VET:

– eLearning pedagogy and media competence– Developing the foundation of learning and subject-

specific skills– Promoting education in entrepreneurship – Well-being of students and guidance and counselling– Special needs education – On-the-job learning and skills demonstrations – Promoting active citizenship and education of

students with multicultural background– Training for school management