Conditions for employment need to be strengthened in VET leading to an initial vocational qualification

Release Vocational education

According to a recently completed evaluation, support for students' employment needs to be strengthened more consistently throughout their studies in vocational education and training (VET) leading to an initial vocational qualification. There are development needs in the areas of skills anticipation, working life contacts, career guidance and transferable skills. At the same time, there are already a number of strengths and good practices in VET leading to an initial vocational qualification that can be used to strengthen students’ conditions for employment.

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) has completed an evaluation of finding employment after vocational education and training (VET) leading to an initial vocational qualification. The evaluation provided information on the current state of employment, how to promote employment following initial vocational qualifications and what factors support students' transition to working life. Carried out between 2024 and 2026, the evaluation also identified good practices to promote employment at the national and international level.

VET provision needs to be better aligned with the needs of employers 

VET providers use a variety of sources of information for skills anticipation and in many cases engage in close cooperation with employers. However, the evaluation shows that skills anticipation is not yet sufficiently systematic and sufficiently linked to the planning of VET provision and related decision-making. Employers are also satisfied with the smoothness of cooperation with VET providers, but there is room for improvement in terms of aligning VET with their needs and the availability of employees who have completed VET. VET providers should strengthen their skills anticipation activities, systematically gather information on the competence and labour needs of their local regions and utilise this information in a more targeted way in planning their VET provision, teaching and guidance. VET provision should be more effectively targeted towards sectors and professions with high employment rates. This also requires VET providers, employers, employment services and other regional actors to take shared responsibility for planning VET provision and services based on the needs of the region. It is also important to ensure that the knowledge base for skills anticipation is sufficient at the national level and supports the coordination of national and regional VET and skills needs.

Career guidance for employment must be strengthened 

Students need support to develop their career planning and jobseeking skills throughout their studies. While guidance and support for students to help them find employment is available, there is room for improvement in the content, timing and practices of this guidance. Particular attention should be paid to the acquisition and use of labour market and occupational knowledge, the assessment of different job and employment options and the ability to operate in a changing and uncertain labour market. Furthermore, it is important to strengthen students' capacity to build and leverage networks that support employment.

Guidance should form a clear and planned whole that persists throughout VET studies. This requires clarifying the responsibilities of and division of labour between teaching and guidance staff and strengthening guidance skills. At the same time, guidance must take better account of employment challenges and changes in the labour market, and the continuum of guidance must be strengthened at the transition phase in cooperation with employment services, Ohjaamo guidance centres and other similar bodies, for example, says Counsellor of Evaluation Jani Goman.

More opportunities to explore working life and strengthen working life connections are needed

Networking during studies, employer contacts and work-based learning are key factors in facilitating the transition to working life. Young students in particular often lack previous work experience and employer connections, which is why they need low-threshold opportunities to familiarise themselves with working life early on in their studies.

Early contacts with employers help students to get a feel for the jobs in their field, build networks and prepare them for actual work-based learning periods later on. It is also important to ensure that students have sufficient basic skills before taking part in work-based learning, says Senior Evaluation Advisor Raisa Hievanen.

Work-based learning is an important stepping stone for students into working life, and many students later find employment in the workplaces where they participated in work-based learning. However, there is a need for more workplaces suitable for work-based learning and apprenticeships. At the same time, it is important to ensure that students with greater support needs also have access to suitable learning environments and sufficient support for their transition to working life. According to the evaluation, apprenticeship models should also be developed to make them more suitable for young people. This development work needs the input of VET providers, educational authorities and labour market organisations alike. 

Promoting employment from an international perspective 

The international expert panel that supplemented the evaluation considers the strengths of Finnish VET to include, in particular, educational equality, openness and good opportunities to continue to higher education. However, according to the panel, the high unemployment rate of young initial vocational qualification graduates also reflects structural challenges: in many sectors, connections with employers are too weak, work-based learning practices vary and employer involvement in VET is not well established. The panel stresses that strengthening employment requires stronger cooperation structures between VET providers and employers, further development of work-based learning and a more long-term commitment to VET on the part of employers.

Implementation of the evaluation

FINEEC collected data for the evaluation by conducting surveys of VET providers, teaching and guidance staff and initial vocational qualification graduates. In addition to these, FINEEC conducted surveys of employers in collaboration with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), Suomen Yrittäjät and Local Government and County Employers (KT) and had an international expert panel conduct interviews with key stakeholders. Furthermore, the evaluation made use of register data. 

Closing webinar of the evaluation on 5 May 2026

FINEEC will hold a webinar on the results and development recommendations of the evaluation on 5 May 2026 at 13.00–15.30. The webinar is open to all interested parties. For more information on the webinar (in Finnish), please visit FINEEC’s website. Hope to see you there! The webinar will be held partly in English, partly in Finnish.

Reports: