Developing graduate tracking in upper secondary education

Timeline

2024Design

ID number

46963

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

The current graduate tracking in Finland is based mostly on quantitative data available in national registries. Even though the data give valuable information about employment and continuing education after graduation, the qualitative side of analysis is lacking. In addition, there can be a relatively long delay in receiving the information, which makes it harder to react in time when development needs arise from the data. Gathering qualitative data on how students experience the transition from education to working life or further education, would provide new insights on how to develop the quality of VET.

Working life feedback (separate surveys to workplace instructors and workplaces) and student feedback are also collected and used in monitoring the quality of VET. This feedback focuses more on the quality of and does not provide long-term tracking information. By developing the qualitative aspect of graduate tracking, a more comprehensive picture can be formed of the effectiveness and impact of VET. The information can be utilised by VET providers and teachers as well as central government of VET to determine how well VET is able to support the professional development of students and answer to the needs of the changing labour market.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

The objective of the policy development is to create a model of graduate tracking that systematically creates information that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of VET on a national level. Systematic gathering and analysing of graduate tracking information enables faster reaction to the changing need of the labour market and possible development needs in VET.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

The Ministry of Education and Culture has appointed a working group to design, pilot and produce the graduate tracking model simultaneously in general upper secondary education and VET. The content and schedule of the surveys are planned while taking into consideration research and the goals of general upper secondary and VET, and EU-level policies.

The working group is set to work from 2024 until 2026.

2024

Design

The working group appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture started its term in May 2024. The group consists of experts from the ministry and the Finnish National Agency for Education, and has representation from education providers, student unions, and other main stakeholders.

In 2024, the working group laid out the groundwork for the development of the graduate tracking model and organised the schedule and methods of working.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.

Ministry of Education and Culture
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Entities providing VET

VET providers (all kinds)

Other stakeholders

National, regional and local authorities

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Governance of VET and lifelong learning

This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.

This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.

The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.

Further developing national quality assurance systems

This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.

European priorities in VET

EU priorities in VET and LLL are set in the Council Recommendation for VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, adopted on 24 November 2020 and in the Osnabrück Declaration on VET endorsed on 30 November 2020.

VET Recommendation

VET agile in adapting to labour market challenges

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.

IVET

CVET

Country

Finland

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.

Practical measure/Initiative

Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Developing graduate tracking in upper secondary education: Finland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/da/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/46963