Monitoring and Impact Evaluation of the Operational Steering Pilot in Vocational Education and Training

The aim of the operational steering pilot in vocational education and training is to strengthen the impact, quality, and accessibility of vocational education through a new governance model, as well as to enhance cooperation and dialogue between education providers, the labour market, public administration, and regions. The pilot is part of the reform of vocational education included in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government Programme. The Ministry of Education and Culture will implement the pilot between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2033, and it will involve 40 education providers.

FINEEC Evaluates the Operational Steering Pilot

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) evaluates the achievement of the objectives of the operational steering pilot, the implementation of the negotiation procedure, and the pilot’s impact. Evaluation data will be produced at different stages of the pilot. Initially, the baseline will be defined, against which changes will be assessed as the pilot progresses. When the negotiation procedure begins, its implementation will be evaluated. An interim evaluation will provide information on the progress of the pilot and its initial effects, and data on its overall impact will be obtained at the end of the pilot. The impact will be assessed in relation to the pilot’s objectives and the entire vocational education sector. The effects will be evaluated from the perspective of both the education providers participating in the pilot procedure and those operating under the VET provider authorisation procedure. FINEEC’s task is based on the Act on the Operational Steering Pilot (1077 / 2024).