This country note provides an overview of the governance of the adult skills system in Finland. It is part of an extensive review of all 38 OECD countries. The main findings across all countries are summarised in the OECD policy paper The Role of Subnational Governments in Adult Skills Systems. Representatives from the Finnish government reviewed the country note in February 2025 and it was published in June 2025.
The role of subnational governments in adult skills systems: Finland
Note : For more information on the definitions of the governance models, please see (OECD, 2025[1]).
Source: (OECD/UCLG, 2022[2])
Finland does not have a separate system for adult education or adult learners. Instead, the country has one relatively decentralised combined system for education and skills.
At the national level, the Ministry of Education and Culture (Opetus-ja kulttuuriministeriö) oversees the design and strategic framework and legislation for Vocational Education and Training (VET), Higher VET (HVET) and Continued Education and Training (CET).
VET, HVET and CET programmes are delivered by multiple providers, including Universities and Universities of Applied Science (Ammattikorkeakoulut) (operating mainly at the national level) and public VET schools (Ammattioppilaitokset), which are managed by municipalities or non-profit organisations operating locally or by consortiums of municipalities. The Regional Councils and other regional organisations such as the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) and Chambers of Commerce also play a key role in gathering labour market intelligence to guide adult education and skills provision. In 2026, the Ministry of Education and Culture will launch a seven-year pilot programme on operatial steering of education providers, in which a number of providers will be given more freedom on how to organise education provision at local level.
Adult education (AE) in Finland refers to a broad range of educational opportunities for adults on all levels of education, including formal and non-formal learning. AE is delivered primarily by municipalities through vocational schools/institutions, liberal adult education centres or private and non-profit providers operating locally. However, there are no separate systems for adult education within the educational framework.
Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) are drafted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (Työ —ja elinkeinoministeriö). The Ministry is responsible for national employment policy and its functioning at the national level. At the same time, delivery has been devolved from the national level to the employment areas formed by municipalities since January 2025. Municipalities are responsible for the provision of ALMPs and the integration of employment services for the unemployed.
Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No
Note: For more information on exact definitions of policy areas and responsibilities, please see (OECD, 2025[1]).
Note: Colour code: Dark blue → government/national/subnational agencies, Green → social partners, Lighter blue → private actors and education providers, Yellow → Expert councils/foundations/associations/research institutions. For more information, please see (OECD, 2025[1])
Source: OECD compilation based on available information
At the national level, responsibilities for adult skills policies are divided between various ministries and agencies in close cooperation with social partners
The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for setting the strategic and legal framework for the entire formal education system, including VET, HVET, and CET. The Ministry also contributes to allocating funding to municipalities and universities but does not fund any activities directly. The Finnish Agency for Education and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre are responsible for intelligence and implementation.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment sets the legislative framework and strategic goals on employment policies and the public employment services (PES), which the municipalities deliver locally.
Social partners (trade unions and employers’ organisations) consult on the legislation for and delivery of VET, HVET, and CET policies.
Universities and universities of applied sciences provide a mix of VET, HVET, and CET programmes.
The Service Centre for Continous Learning and Employment (SECLE) increases the opportunities for the working-age population to develop the competence required in working life. It gathers and analyses anticipatory information, based on which it funds currently required education in the labour market.
Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No
Source: OECD compilation based on (Cedefop, 2024[3]), (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2025[4]), (Studieinfo Opintupolku, 2025[5]), (Ministry of Education and Culture, 2025[6]), (OECD, 2023[7]), (OECD, 2022[8]), (OECD, 2020[9]),
Finland is divided into 19 regions (maakunta)1 governed by regional councils that serve as forums for cooperation for the municipalities of each region.
The regional councils (Maakuntaliitot) have no direct responsibilities for providing adult skills. Still, they are responsible for regional planning and development in Finland, including long-term planning to provide adult skills.
The 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Ely-keskukset) promote regional competitiveness and sustainable development. As part of this task, they produce forecasts on long-term skills needs.
Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No
Source: OECD compilation based on (Cedefop, 2024[3]), (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2025[4]), (Ministry of Education and Culture, 2025[6]), (Studieinfo Opintupolku, 2025[5]), (OECD, 2023[7]), (OECD, 2022[8]), (OECD, 2020[9]),
At the local level, the 308 municipalities have substantial responsibilities for skills development policies:
Municipality responsibilities encompass funding allocation, staff recruitment, curriculum design, and implementation, particularly for VET, CET, and AE policies. Most VET schools in Finland are public or quasi-public institutions run by municipalities or non-profit organisations. Municipalities also oversee most of the liberal adult education centres, which specialise in providing basic adult education. Most adult education is provided free or at a very low cost to the individual, limiting the presence of private providers.
As of January 2025, the municipalities have delivered ALMPs through 45 employment areas. By consolidating employment services with municipal education and business development policies, the recent reform seeks to create a cohesive support system that promotes rapid employment and effectively addresses local labour market demands
Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No
Source: OECD compilation based on Organisation and governance, Full Report | OECD, OECD Economic Surveys: Finland | OECD iLibrary, Continuous Learning in Working Life in Finland | OECD, Vocational education and training policy briefs 2023 – Finland | CEDEFOP, Finnish vocational education and training | Finnish National Agency for Education, Vocational education and training in Finland - OKM - Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland, Vuxenutbildning - Studieinfo, “Who does what” for active labour market policies : A zoom on the role of subnational governments | OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers | OECD iLibrary
References
[3] Cedefop (2024), Vocational education and training policy briefs 2023 – Finland, https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/fr/country-reports/vocational-education-and-training-policy-briefs-2023-finland.
[10] European Commission, Eurydice (2023), 8. Adult education and training, https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/netherlands/adult-education-and-training.
[4] Finnish National Agency for Education (2025), Finnish vocational education and training, https://www.oph.fi/en/education-system/finnish-vocational-education-and-training.
[6] Ministry of Education and Culture (2025), Vocational education and training in Finland, https://okm.fi/en/vocational-education-and-training.
[1] OECD (2025), “From national to local: Exploring the role of subnational governments in adult skills systems across OECD countries”, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2025/XX, OECD Publishing, Paris.
[7] OECD (2023), ““Who does what” for active labour market policies: A zoom on the role of subnational governments”, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers,, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d8d6868d-en.
[11] OECD (2023), Evaluation of Active Labour Market Policies in Finland, Connecting People with Jobs, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/115b186e-en.
[8] OECD (2022), OECD Economic Surveys: Finland 2022, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/516252a7-en.
[9] OECD (2020), Continuous Learning in Working Life in Finland, Getting Skills Right, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/2ffcffe6-en.
[2] OECD/UCLG (2022), 2022 Country Profiles of the World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment., https://www.sng-wofi.org/country-profiles/finland.html.
[5] Studieinfo Opintupolku (2025), Vuxenutbildning, https://opintopolku.fi/konfo/sv/sivu/vuxenutbildning.
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← 1. Åland Islands have autonomous status under the Constitution, and not all the legislation in force in mainland Finland is applied as such.