Vocational Education and Training and the Green Transition in Finland

1. Key insights

Abstract

This chapter summarises the key findings and recommendations presented in the report. The proposed recommendations are intended to support Finland in achieving its ambitious environmental goals by further strengthening its already robust vocational education and training (VET) system.

Introduction

Finland has one of the most ambitious climate targets in the world, with a legal obligation to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 – ahead of the EU’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The country has been pursuing emissions reductions through renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable land use, and climate adaptation strategies.

Environmental goals will transform Finland’s labour market and shift skill demands. The Carbon Neutral Finland 2035 strategy predicts that pursuing climate and carbon neutrality targets may reduce overall employment, but the effects will vary across sectors. New jobs will be created in some fields and the content of existing jobs roles will evolve. As a result, part of the workforce will need reskilling and upskilling (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, 2022[1]).

To meet the skills needs of the green transition, Finland can rely on its strong education and training system and its highly skilled adult population. In 2022, 15-year-old in Finland scored above the OECD average in mathematics, reading and science in the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA). Vocational education and training (VET), which enrols nearly 45% of young people in upper-secondary education, compared to the OECD average of 38%, is a key component of this system. VET typically plays a key role in preparing individuals for jobs that are at the heart of the green transition. In Finland, one in four young VET graduates work in occupations where the green transition is altering job content or driving increased workforce demand.

This report, part of a larger OECD study on VET in the context of the green transition, offers suggestions for how Finland’s VET system can be adapted to better support the transition to a green economy and address emerging skills shortages. It focuses on the development and revision of VET qualifications, the strengthening of post-secondary VET pathways, the reinforcement of career guidance, and the need for skills development of the VET teaching workforce.

Development of VET qualifications

The Finnish VET qualification system is highly flexible and modular. Qualifications are made up of a set of units, and learners complete the units that they need – taking into account their already existing skills and knowledge - at their own speed. In Finland, the completion of a vocational qualification is independent of where competencies have been acquired. A personal competence development plan is drawn up by VET institutions together with the learners at the start of their studies to design the most suitable learning pathway. Finland is now also expanding their offer of ‘Micro-qualifications’, which are shorter than a full qualification and are designed to prepare individuals for specific job tasks. They can consist of one or more units from one or more qualifications.

To strengthen this robust qualification system and ensure that VET leads to strong labour market outcomes while supporting the green transition, Finland should make effective use of the flexible nature of its VET qualifications to ensure that VET qualifications remain up to date. This requires regular revisions, including the removal of outdated units and the addition of new ones aligned with emerging skill requirements.

Define an appropriate revision timeline for different types of qualification units

To improve the monitoring and management of qualifications in Finland’s VET system, a structured categorisation of qualification units into three levels could enhance the clarity and responsiveness of the system. The three levels include:

• Units of Basic Competences: Fundamental skills such as mathematics and national languages (e.g. Finnish/Swedish), which are foundational across all sectors and roles.

• Units of Broader Professional Competences: Skills that span multiple sectors and occupations, providing workers with versatility and adaptability in the labour market.

• Units of Specific Occupational Competences: Specialised skills directly tied to particular occupations, ensuring individuals are equipped with the technical expertise required for specific roles.

Units of Specific Occupational Competences, being closely tied to technological advancements and dynamic industry demands, would require the most frequent updates to ensure their relevance. Units of Broader Professional Competences, which are applicable across multiple sectors, could be updated less often, as their applicability is not as directly affected by changes in specific industries. Finally, units related to Basic Competences, which remain relatively stable over time, would require the least frequent revisions. Such a diversified timeline for revising units guarantees a balance between adaptability and resource allocation in maintaining up-to-date qualifications.

Classify skill requirements associated with the green transition

The categorisation of qualification units as described above, can be further integrated with a classification of “skills for the green transition”. In this approach, skill requirements within the units would be identified as “green” if they align with the demands of the green transition. A relatively simple method for classifying skill requirements as green would involve matching the VET qualification content with existing green skills classification, such as for example the one developed as part of the European classification of Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO).

In addition to using existing green skills classifications, Finland-specific skill needs could be identified by analysing labour market trends and consulting social partners and experts in relevant areas. Such consultations would help identify key jobs for Finland’s green transition, and the skills that are required by Finnish employers but are not included into the ESCO green skills catalogue. It could also reveal job roles that do not yet exist in Finland and may not be captured in the ESCO classification but are likely to emerge due to planned investments in green technologies.

To facilitate the process of classifying skills requirements as “green”, Finland should standardise the way in which qualifications detail their skill requirements to ensure consistency across different (types of) qualifications and units.

Improve reporting of local units

Finland’s qualifications are made up of national and local units. VET institutions are required to provide national units of qualifications, which are developed and managed by the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI). This requirement ensures standardised vocational competence across the country and serves as the basis for evaluating learning outcomes. Local units are developed by VET institutions to address the specific competence needs of local working life, including emerging skill requirements driven by the green transition. Local units can account for up to 8% of the qualification content. For local units insufficient reporting and inconsistent descriptions are significant barriers to their integration within the broader system. A common framework and mandatory reporting of all local units to a shared platform, such as the existing ePerusteet service, would enhance comparability across local units with national units.

Augment the processes of identification of emerging skill needs and development of qualifications with the use of innovative tools and methods

The pace of updating VET qualifications may not keep up with the rapidly evolving needs related to the green transition. While involvement of key stakeholders in the revision process is essential to ensure that the qualifications meet the needs of both learners and the labour market, enriching this process with tools that offer up-to-date information on changing job requirements would enhance the VET system’s responsiveness to the dynamic demands of green jobs. Leveraging innovative methods and tools, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analysis, offers a transformative opportunity to improve the responsiveness, efficiency, and alignment of Finland’s VET system with labour market demands.

Such innovative methods could also be used to identify and address units with overlapping requirements within the qualification system in Finland, leading to a reduced number of units and a more streamlined approach to their management and revision.

Leverage institutional expertise to address green transition needs

Some VET institutions located in regions with a strong exposure to the green transition or VET institutions specialising in specific sectors may be more advanced in identifying sectoral skill needs and providing education and training for green occupations. Given their specialised knowledge and existing collaborations with local employers, these institutions may be best positioned to take the lead in developing programmes and training initiatives within their areas of expertise. Sectoral expertise could then be shared across other interested institutions and used to inform the process of qualifications update and revision.

Finnish VET institutions collaborated actively to develop a national sustainability roadmap for the VET sector through the VASKI project, which has ended recently (VASKI, 2024[2]). Following the completion of the VASKI project, it remains important for VET institutions to have platforms to exchange expertise on the green transition.

Involve universities of applied science and universities into development and revision of VET qualifications

Green jobs require a diverse range of skills. Within a specific sector, all types of skills are interconnected and essential. For example, in a car industry, engineers are needed to design car engines that emit less CO2. However, without skilled technicians able to assemble, inspect, and repair these cars, the market for vehicles with less polluting engines cannot effectively grow.

To deliver the range of skills needed to support the green transition within specific sectors, an approach that spans all levels of education and involves representatives from universities, research institutions, and VET providers ‑ would be most effective. This would also help establish clear pathways from upper-secondary VET to higher education and support the upskilling of VET graduates seeking to develop more advanced skills throughout their careers.

Develop ‘micro-qualifications’ for the green transition

As a relatively new concept in Finland, several issues surrounding micro-qualifications still require clarification. Challenges inherent to VET qualifications, such as the lack of systematic reporting and harmonisation at the national level, are equally, if not more, relevant to micro-qualifications. Key questions remain regarding their governance and implementation: should micro-qualifications be defined nationally or locally, and how can awareness and acceptance of micro-qualifications be increased among learners and employers?

As full qualifications remain well-recognised and highly valued in the Finnish labour market, it is important to identify a market for micro-qualifications and areas where they can have an impact. Sectors or occupations that are undergoing rapid changes, including because of the green transition, may want to offer opportunities to workers to upskill through short and targeted micro-qualifications.

Engage social partners in the development of micro-qualifications

A social partner-driven approach to micro-qualifications is particularly effective in rapidly changing sectors such as those linked to the green transition. Designed in direct collaboration with industry stakeholders, these credentials address specific labour market needs, ensuring their immediate applicability and value for both workers and employers. This collaborative model also fosters trust among employees, who see these micro-qualifications as directly enhancing their work, and among employers and VET providers, who recognise their role in addressing skills gaps.

Strengthening post-secondary vocational education and training in Finland for the green transition

Many green jobs, especially the new and emerging ones, rely on novel technologies and innovation, and this requires workers with more complex, higher-level skills. In addition, existing occupations, such as electricians and technicians, are becoming more complex because of changes brought about by the green transition and therefore increasingly demand skills upgrading.

Various studies in Finland anticipate that with the green transition, the demand for high-skilled professions, especially in roles that require expert knowledge in engineering, physics, construction, technology and geography, will increase. These skills are typically developed through higher education programmes, but also through post-secondary vocational education and training.

This report argues that diversifying and expanding post-secondary VET, as well as creating pathways from post-secondary VET to HE in Finland would enable more young people and adults to develop the higher-level technical skills that the green transition calls for. Moreover, as the Finnish government aims to increase enrollment and completion rates in higher education, these post-secondary VET programmes could enable a greater share of VET graduates to continue their studies.

Diversify fields of study in Specialist Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)

Post-secondary VET in Finland is provided through Specialist Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). They are primarily designed for professionals seeking to deepen their technical or management skills after gaining work experience.

Currently, around 40% of SVQ learners are concentrated in the field of business management. While this field is important for the labour market, including for developing greener management practices, more could be done to balance the offer with more technically oriented qualifications that are vital for employment in green sectors and occupations. Finland should identify gaps in existing SVQs and prioritise fields essential for the green transition, such as STEM fields.

Attract younger learners to SVQs

SVQs are more commonly pursued by employed adults, with 97% of participants aged 25 and older. While SVQs should continue to play the important role of providing upskilling or reskilling opportunities to (employed) adults, they should also be accessible and relevant to young learners coming from upper-secondary VET and looking to develop higher-level skills within their field. This may require adapting the design and delivery of some SVQs to better suit younger learners.

Facilitate the recognition of SVQs in university of applied science (UAS) programmes

Recognising SVQs in UAS programmes presents a significant opportunity to enhance the attractiveness and efficiency of post-secondary VET pathways for upper-secondary VET qualification holders. However, this recognition is not automatic in Finland today. Few UAS in Finland acknowledge SVQs for admission points or credits and information about which UAS do so is not readily available.

Expanding and systematising pathways between SVQs and UAS degrees could yield considerable benefits: greater recognition would reduce barriers for SVQ holders to enter UAS as upskilling pathway, and this could shorten study durations and increase UAS completion rate among vocational qualification holders. While SVQs should continue to focus on practice-oriented learning that is directly relevant to the labour market, the possibility of using SVQs as a stepping stone towards UAS could also make them more attractive to some learners, such as graduates from upper-secondary VET.

Provide opportunities for the development of basic skills in SVQs

Currently, there are no common units involved in SVQs because of the nature of SVQs as short labour market upskilling tools for workers who typically already hold upper-secondary education or higher. The only exceptions are units providing sustainability skills, which will be added in the near future to SVQs to facilitate the green transition. However, there are arguments for providing essential skills such as numeracy and literacy for adult learners who may need to refresh their basic skills and knowledge. If young people were encouraged to pursue SVQs, basic skills could also be provided to this group, as some young graduates lack strong basic skills upon completion of upper-secondary VET programmes. Green jobs, particularly those emerging from the green transition and those with evolving responsibilities, demand high-level technical and analytical skills, as well as soft skills in management and leadership. Strong core competencies, such as numeracy and literacy, are essential for developing these more advanced skills required in green jobs.

Supporting learners in the green transition through strong career guidance

Career guidance is an essential tool in preparing individuals for the green transition, helping them explore green(er) career pathways and understand how the transition affects their current and future job prospects.

In Finland, career guidance services embedded within vocational education and training programmes and public employment offices have a unique opportunity to contribute to addressing the skills gap in sectors critical to the green transition, such as renewable energy, sustainable construction, and resource-efficient manufacturing.

While the share of employees affected by the green transition is relatively small, the impact on those involved can be significant. Jobs influenced by the green transition encompass a wide range of positions with varying skill requirements and outcomes. Providing clear and accessible information about green jobs, including on employment opportunities, wages, and career progression, can help individuals better understand the options available and make informed decisions. This can, for instance, prevent students from enrolling in programmes that lead to professions likely to be negatively affected by the green transition. By enhancing career guidance to include targeted information on green jobs and relevant training opportunities, Finland can ensure that both youth and adult learners are well-positioned to navigate a green(er) labour market. Informing individuals, especially young people, about green aspects of jobs and associated training, could help them consider training and career pathways they might not have considered otherwise. This could contribute to breaking existing stereotypes and misconceptions about certain VET pathways and careers.

Provide dedicated information on green job opportunities and relevant education and training within career guidance services

While Finland’s career guidance system is well-established and comprehensive, it currently lacks a focused approach to green jobs and related training pathways. To address this gap Finland can enhance its services by integrating dedicated information on green careers into career services. This may involve labelling specific occupations and careers as green and identifying the VET programmes that prepare for them. Finland could enhance the existing StudyInfo platform and other information tools by incorporating information on green careers, making it accessible to both students and career counsellors. To increase awareness among counsellors about this new feature, an information campaign and training, if necessary, could be proposed.

Provide career guidance on green jobs to students in lower secondary education

Young people could be encouraged to pursue VET programmes if they see clear, rewarding pathways in green jobs. In that respect, career guidance can be more effectively leveraged to highlight the benefits of green careers and VET programmes leading to them, particularly for students who may otherwise overlook these opportunities. This effort should be complemented by creating clear and attractive pathways from VET programmes to higher levels of education, to align with the aspirations of some students.

While upper-secondary VET enrolment in Finland has remained stable over time, demonstrating its sustained attractiveness, Finland could introduce career guidance initiatives targeting lower secondary students to further enhance the appeal of VET and raise awareness of green career opportunities among young people. This is particularly important for more academically oriented students and girls, who are significantly less likely to choose VET programmes, and in the case of the latter to pursue careers in green industries.

Ensure green career guidance is objective and independent from individual VET providers

VET providers, which are in charge of career guidance for those enrolled in VET programmes or exploring VET options, may not always be fully aware of emerging skill demands outside their local area and of the programmes offered by other institutions. This can affect the type of information conveyed to prospective and current students, potentially influencing their career decisions. Career guidance based solely on local labour market characteristics and missing a ‘wider picture’ may contribute to skill mismatches, and hamper employment of VET graduates.

Providing independent, relevant information on labour market needs in green occupations nationally and in various parts of the country, along with details about corresponding training programmes, would enable individuals to make more informed career decisions, as recommended above. This information should be available and used as much as possible by all VET providers. This approach could help address skills shortages in green sectors and ensure that students have access to guidance that reflects both local and national job trends.

Include assessments of cross-sectoral green skills to guide adults towards suitable green employment opportunities

Many of the skills that are crucial for employment in green jobs are not unique to these jobs. Individuals may therefore already have knowledge and skills to be successful in green jobs, even when not having a qualification or prior experience that seems directly relevant - and often without knowing it. For example, STEM knowledge and skills are critical for many jobs at the heart of the green transition, particularly in fields such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green manufacturing. Alongside these cross-sectoral technical skills, soft skills such as leadership and project management are increasingly recognised as indispensable in green jobs.

These ‘cross-sectoral green’ skills enable individuals to move between sectors and jobs, making them particularly valuable for navigating the green transition. When providing career guidance to adults, it is essential to assess their existing skills, as different strategies may be applied to help the person transition to green employment depending on their skills endowment:

• Individuals equipped with strong ‘cross-sectoral green’ skills can make the transition relatively easily with minimal additional training.

• Those lacking ‘cross-sectoral green’ skills but possessing strong basic skills / core competencies (e.g. numeracy and communication skills) that support the development of such cross-sectoral green skills may enter green jobs after receiving targeted, job-specific training.

• Individuals without ‘cross-sectoral green’ skills and solid core competencies may require more extensive education and training to develop the full range of necessary skills.

Career guidance services often include assessments of individual competencies to determine training needs, as is already the case in Finland. This approach could be further enhanced by integrating cross-sectoral green skills into these assessments

Supporting learners in the green transition through excellence in teaching

Teachers in VET are central to equipping learners with the skills required for the green transition. Beyond their teaching responsibilities, VET teachers also play a crucial role in mentoring students, helping them understand the significance of sustainability in their future careers and lives and guiding them toward success in green jobs. This requires VET teachers who are well aware of the broad spectrum of skills for the green transition and stay up to date with rapidly changing skill requirements.

Beyond subject-specific content, VET teachers influence green outcomes through their teaching methods and practices. Integrating environmental sustainability into their pedagogical practices and approaches, such as project-based learning focused on environmental challenges, can enhance students’ understanding and awareness of ecological issues.

Attract industry professionals to VET teaching

Attracting industry professionals to teaching in VET programmes brings green-relevant skills and up-to-date industry knowledge directly into VET. This contributes to ensuring that VET provision remains aligned with evolving sustainability standards, green technologies and labour market needs. Furthermore, the involvement of industry professions can help address VET teacher shortages.

Industry professionals can be engaged in VET teaching in various ways. They can be recruited as “standard” full-time teachers, which may require offering alternative pathways for experienced professionals to transition into teaching roles to overcome potential barriers such as demanding qualification requirements and lengthy training. Such alternative pathways typically include an element of recognition of prior learning so that industry professionals can focus on the skills that they lack – typically pedagogical in nature. Finland can also make more use of modular teaching certification options that allow aspiring teachers to qualify gradually while teaching part-time.

Industry professionals can also be involved in VET teaching through hybrid roles where they continue working part-time in their industries while contributing to VET, or where they provide guest lectures or lead workshops. Such flexible teaching roles can be particularly useful for addressing specific needs in rapidly evolving sectors and occupations such as those related to the green transition.

Provide opportunities for VET teachers to better understand and teach the green transition through initial training and professional development

In Finland, sustainability topics are provided as a dedicated subject in VET qualifications but also integrated into other subjects. VET teachers should thus receive guidance and support on how to integrate green dimension in their teaching and how to adapt their pedagogical approaches accordingly.

There are already good examples of Finnish universities and UAS that successfully integrate sustainability topics into the initial VET teacher training curriculum. However, not all teacher training curricula include sustainability elements, and whether an aspiring VET teacher takes those courses mostly depends on personal interest. Finland would therefore benefit from standardising the inclusion of green competencies in initial teacher training programmes.

In addition, more systematic professional development opportunities are needed. These programmes can update teachers’ knowledge and skills about the green transition and its impact on job content. Professional development opportunities can also focus on enhancing VET teachers’ green competencies in general, preparing them to teach complex sustainability concepts.

References

[1] Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland (2022), Carbon Neutral Finland 2035 - National Climate and Energy Strategy, Publications of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 2022:55, https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/164323.

[2] VASKI (2024), VASKI – Responsible and sustainable vocational education and training, https://vaski.info/ (accessed on 9 January  2025).