The VET qualification system takes into account current working life needs well - however, there is a need for improvement in the processes of reforming the system

Anticipation of skills needs and information resources related to education have been improved in recent years. However, there is room for improvement in the way this information is used to reform the qualification system. While the current qualification system addresses the skills needs of working life fairly well, challenges are associated with developing different qualification types as a whole, identifying overlapping skills in different qualifications, and tackling inconsistencies in quality between the qualification requirements.

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) has evaluated the qualification system of vocational education and training and the efforts to develop the system. The aim of the evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of the processes of developing the qualification system for meeting the vocational skills needs of workplaces and society. It also investigated the effectiveness of the current qualification system for developing the skills of those active in working life. The evaluation issued recommendations for developing the qualification system and the practices for reforming it.

The parties responsible for developing the VET qualification system are the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish National Agency for Education, and working life committees. Education providers, employers and other stakeholders are engaged in the development work.

While there is plenty of information, using it is a challenge

Monitoring and anticipating changes in working life and society play a key role in qualification system development. In recent years, quantitative and qualitative anticipation of skills needs has also been improved, and various data resources have been developed. However, the evaluation found that the processes of converting data into information that helps to develop and modify the qualification system are not yet sufficiently systematic. The processes for analysing and drawing on the information should be developed. The usability of nationally produced anticipation information in developing qualifications and qualification requirements should additionally be improved.

Education providers participate actively in development but employers and students need to be engaged more

In recent years, progress has been made in engaging stakeholders in qualification system development. Online events make it possible for an increasing number of stakeholders to participate. Consultations and giving feedback are also important forms of engagement. The evaluation found that representatives of education providers and educational institutions are more frequently and actively involved in developing the qualification system than employer representatives. The extent to which employers, educational institutions and teachers can be attracted to participate in the development work also varies by sector.

“Finding different types of working life actors willing to get involved is one of the challenges. While the central organisations and trade unions participate actively, employees or entrepreneurs are less likely to get involved. Increasing their participation would be important to ensure that information about skills needs would be conveyed adequately from workplaces to the system level. The visibility of the opportunities for getting involved should be increased, and the modes of participation should be made more flexible and accessible,” says Jani Goman, Counsellor of Evaluation.

While students have not been engaged in developing the qualification requirements up till now, student engagement has been tested in a few qualifications, and the experiences of this have been good. The evaluation found that student engagement should also be extended to other qualifications and put on a permanent footing as part of the development work, as students are a key group using the qualification requirements.

The qualification system mostly meets employers’ skills needs but more flexibility is needed

The evaluation findings indicate that the three-tiered qualification structure of vocational education and training, which consists of upper secondary, further and specialist qualifications, is fit for purpose, and the contents of the qualification system meet employers’ competence needs fairly well. The structure based on qualification units improves the accessibility of VET in working life. More flexibility is called for, however. More possibilities to select units from different qualifications are needed, and modules shorter than a full qualification should be developed to meet new skills needs.

While qualification units or their combinations often meet employers’ skills needs better than entire qualifications, the possibilities of using them are not sufficiently well known in working life. The preconditions for increasing the offer and uptake of units and modules shorter than a qualification include developing the funding of VET to encourage education providers to offer more shorter modules.

Quality assurance of qualification requirements has been improved but inconsistencies in quality remain a challenge

The evaluation found that the strengths of the qualification requirements include the efforts made in recent years to promote their quality assurance, the working life relevance of the requirements, and their accessibility on the eRequirements service. Key needs are associated with developing different qualification types as a whole, identifying skills overlaps between qualifications, and increasingly developing qualifications one unit at a time.

“The evaluation also found inconsistencies in the quality of the qualification requirements, and attention should be paid to this in the future. For example, the scopes of qualification units vary, and in some qualifications they are too extensive considering working life needs. Too large a scope also makes it more difficult for students to select units from other qualifications,” says Paula Kilpeläinen, Senior Evaluation Specialist.

A long-term plan is needed to develop the qualification system

The evaluation indicates that to support the overall development of the qualification system, a vision and strategy, or a similar long-term development plan, should be drawn up. This would make it possible to prioritise and phase the development better and to monitor its progress and impacts. In efforts to develop the qualification system, more attention should also be paid to links to other levels of education and branches of administration.

This is how the evaluation was conducted

Evaluation data were obtained by interviewing representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education, the chairs of working life committees, and persons involved in qualification system development projects (TUTKE). To obtain information from VET providers, a survey was addressed to them. The evaluation also tapped register data relevant to the qualification system. The evaluation team included experts from the areas of education evaluation, teaching, guidance and provision of education as well as working life and the business sector.

Report: 

Goman, J., Kilpeläinen, P., Kiesi, J., Antila, J., Burman, C., Hannula, M., Herranen, J., Katajisto, S., & Laakkonen, M. TUTKINTOJÄRJESTELMÄ JA MUUTTUVAT OSAAMISTARPEET. Arviointi ammatillisen koulutuksen tutkintojärjestelmän kehittämisprosesseista ja toimivuudesta (Qualification system and changing skills needs. An evaluation of the development processes and effectiveness of the qualification system in vocational education and training). Finnish Education Evaluation Centre. Publications 6:2024.