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2026
Country-specific report
Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices
PDF version

Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices - Finland

Please cite as:Cedefop (2026). Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices - Finland. CareersNet national records. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/country-reports/inventory-lifelong-guidance-systems-and-practices-finland-2
CareersNet Contributor:Jaana Kettunen
Reviewed by:Cedefop
Acknowledgements:Raimo Vuorinen (alternate CareersNet member)
Anna Toni (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment)
Janne Savolainen (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment)
Erno Hyvönen (Ministry of Education and Culture)
Mia Vartiainen (Finnish National Agency fo Education)
Copyright:Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.
Disclaimer:Translations of titles/names for entities, country policies and practices are not to be considered as official translations. The facts and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with the official position of Cedefop. Information supplied by the CareersNet core expert is updated to the best of their knowledge according to the relevant reference period and available information provided by stakeholders and sources consulted. The records have not been edited by a professional English language service. (Reference period: updated March 2026)
Previous versions:2020, 2021

Introduction

In Finland, career information, guidance and counselling is a citizens’ entitlement identified in national legislation. Services are provided within two main publicly funded policy domains: the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. In addition, the National Lifelong Guidance Forum, consisting of multiple national, regional and local stakeholders, aims to promote access to lifelong guidance, support career management skills’ development, strengthen guidance practitioners’ competencies, develop a quality assurance system and create a coherent and holistic lifelong guidance system.

Sources

Coordination and collaboration among stakeholders

The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for providing guidelines and objectives for educational affairs. In turn, the Finnish National Agency for Education is the national agency responsible for the implementation of these guidelines. In doing so, it transfers the responsibility for the actual design and implementation of teaching methods, including guidance courses, to local municipalities and individual education institutions. As such, there is an increased level of freedom in the implementation of guidance activities, though these are made in accordance with the national core curriculum.

The Act on the Organisation of Employment Services (380/2023, Laki työvoimapalveluiden järjestämisestä) provides the current statutory framework for public employment services in Finland, following the transfer of employment service responsibility from the state to municipalities on 1 January 2025. The Act regulates the objectives, organisation, and principles of employment services, including guidance and counselling for jobseekers, and the 45 municipal employment areas are responsible for their implementation. The regulation of coaching has been made more flexible for employment areas.  In general, the interests of employers and employees are integrated within labour policies, since the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment collaborates with their representatives on the drafting of labour policies.

The Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE/Jotpa) was established in 2021 to promote the competence development of working-age people and to improve the availability of skilled labour. The Centre analyses competence and labour market needs, finances education and training for working-age people, and develops information, guidance and counselling services. It also supports regional and cross-sectoral cooperation in continuous learning. SECLE/Jotpa plays an active role in developing and piloting guidance-related innovations.

Coordination and collaboration at national level is managed through a National Lifelong Guidance Forum. This national group is designated and co-chaired by both the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The first working period was 2010–2011 and the group launched a national strategy for LLG for both sectors covering the years 2012–2016. A new working group was designated in 2015 to follow up the implementation of this strategy and to act as the steering group for national level development programmes for guidance. The third period of the working group covered the years 2020–2023 and its mandate was renewed for the years 2024–2028 and was endorsed by both ministries in 2024. The main task of the Forum is to guide the implementation of the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028.

The National Lifelong Guidance Forum includes representatives from many stakeholders:

The National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2023 was jointly endorsed by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in March 2021 and aligned with the priorities of the then Government Programme. The strategy examines lifelong guidance as a continuum of the whole lifespan. It is seen as a dialogue between individuals and their own career management skills, as well as information, advice and guidance that support the acquisition of these skills. Lifelong guidance is promoted comprehensively, taking into account the objectives of individuals, communities and society alike.

The strategy was updated in 2023 to take into account changes in the operational environment and the priorities of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government. The updated National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028 objectives place particular emphasis on the responsibility of guidance organisations to identify their specific clientele and develop services based on their needs; and the integration of responsibility and ethics into all guidance activities. The updated strategy also highlights the importance of more systematic implementation and monitoring of development actions.

The six focus areas and their long-term goals — accessible and customer-oriented, digital, high quality, equal and sustainable, cross-sectoral and coordinated, and evidence-based — remain unchanged from the 2020 version.

  1. Accessible and customer-oriented

The long-term goal is that everyone has the potential and skills to make well-informed and conscious plans and decisions on education and careers in a changing world of work.

  1. Digitally

The long-term objective is a well-functioning entity of digital services for continuous learning, in which guidance and career development are at the centre, serving lifelong learners smoothly, including the use of artificial intelligence.

  1. High quality

The long-term objective is that those engaged in guidance work have the capabilities and competence to perform high-quality, multi-channelled guidance work.

  1. Equally and sustainably

The long-term objective is that guidance promotes an equal, fair and diverse society in Finland.

  1. Cross-sectoral and coordinated

The long-term objective is that the sectors responsible for guidance co-operate smoothly with clear division of labour. Measures to develop guidance that are prepared in different sectors will be jointly planned and implemented through multi-administrative cooperation between different administrative branches.

  1. Evidence-based

The long-term objective is an evidence-based lifelong guidance system and policy development. The aim is to enhance both national and regional evidence-base by national cross-sectoral monitoring and impact assessment of guidance services. Knowledge-management tools bring continuity to guidance throughout life.

The regional One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo) were established as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, originally under the Youth Guarantee scheme. Following the ESF-funded development phase (2014–2021), the centres have been made permanent. After the ESF project phase concluded in 2021, the responsibility for supporting and coordinating the centres was assigned to the Employment, Development and Administration and Centre´s (KEHA Centre) Operational Development Unit prior to the 2025 municipal transfer. Since January 2025, 87 Ohjaamo centres across Finland operate under municipal governance as part of the municipal employment and service structure as of March 2026.

In 1999, the Finnish Euroguidance (EG) centre established a national advisory and expert group which gathers different stakeholders (ministries, HEIs, companies, student organisations, youth centres) and career providers. The task of the group is to support the Finnish Euroguidance centre in planning, implementing and monitoring their national activities. The aim is to reflect the EG centre activities from national and regional lifelong guidance stakeholder perspectives and national lifelong guidance strategies. The group feeds the preparation of annual work programmes, creates links between the EG centre services and the national stakeholder needs. As a long-term goal, the group supports the quality development and impact evaluation of the EG centre.

Since 2013, Finland has focused on regional and local cross-sectoral developments linked to employment and education priorities, supported by cooperation on lifelong learning and lifelong guidance. The development, design and implementation of guidance service have been supported by 15 regional lifelong guidance forums. Until the end of 2025, these forums were coordinated by the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres). Following the regional administration reform, the 15 ELY Centres were replaced by 10 Economic Development Centres (Elinvoimakeskukset) from January 2026. The regional coordination of lifelong guidance forums is in transition as the new Economic Development Centres assume their responsibilities.

The National Agency for Education draws up the core curricula and requires that the principles and division of labour among the different players in guidance and counselling activities are to be defined locally (Basic Education Act 628/1998). The local institutional curriculum must include a description of how cooperation with the local labour market and business community is being implemented within the school. Classroom visits by labour market representatives, visits to workplaces, project work, the use of different sectors' information materials and introduction-to-working-life periods are central parts of this cooperation (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2016).

The national reform of continuous learning, launched under the 2019–2023 government programme, sought to enhance flexible education pathways, personalised guidance, and funding structures for working-age people. Its implementation produced 27 policy measures targeting skills shortages, improved guidance for underrepresented groups, and the development of digital services for continuous learning. A final report was submitted in March 2023 and the reform's key measures were carried forward into the current government term. Many of the actions related to lifelong guidance were financed through Recovery and Resilience Fund of the EU, including work on the evidence-base, professionalism, career management skills and digital services. The Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government (2023–2027), titled 'A strong and committed Finland', continues to develop continuous learning with a focus on responding to skills shortages and making better use of existing skills. Priority areas include expanding adult education opportunities and developing micro-credentials in cooperation with business and industry. The reform of language teaching for immigrants is also being developed to better integrate language provision with pathways to further study and employment.

Sources

Access to guidance

In Finland, career information, guidance and counselling is a citizens’ entitlement identified in national legislation. These services are provided mainly within two publicly funded policy domains.

Schools have the main responsibility for educational and vocational guidance. At the national level The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for the organisation of guidance and counselling services in comprehensive education, upper secondary education and higher education. The right to guidance is established in the Basic Education Act (628/1998, § 11 and § 30, Perusopetuslaki), which states that every pupil is entitled to adequate guidance and counselling services. Comparable legal provisions apply to vocational education and training under the Act on Vocational Education and Training (531/2017, § 61, Laki ammatillisesta koulutuksesta) and to general upper secondary education under the General Upper Secondary Schools Act (714/2018, § 7 and § 22, Lukiolaki).

The Act on Compulsory Education (1214/2020, Oppivelvollisuuslaki), which came into force in 2021, raised the minimum school leaving age in Finland to 18 years. The reform includes new entitlements to guidance and counselling for students, but also new responsibilities for municipalities and schools to follow up the students´ individual learning paths. Within the reform, guidance and counselling, as well as student welfare services have been strengthened, along with the capacity of comprehensive schools to provide everyone with the skills needed to complete upper secondary education.

In comprehensive school, guidance forms a continuum across all grades. In grades 1 to 6, guidance is embedded in the work of the classroom teachers. Career education (guidance and counselling) is a compulsory element in the curriculum, comprising 76 hours of scheduled activities in students’ timetables during grades 7 to 9. Students in grades 8 and 9 are entitled to more intensive personal guidance and counselling where necessary, to prepare for the transition to upper secondary education and further studies. This intensive guidance is documented in a personal development plan for further education (Act amending the Basic Education Act 1216/2020, Laki perusopetuslain muuttamisesta, § 11a). The National Core Curriculum for General Upper Secondary Education prescribes 76 compulsory hours of career education for general upper secondary students. General upper secondary education can, from August 2026, be completed in English in addition to Finnish and Swedish, thereby expanding access for international students and returnees. Students who have not progressed to further studies or employment within 12 months of graduation are entitled to personal guidance and counselling to support their planning.

From August 2026, young people who have completed an upper secondary qualification but were not admitted to a higher education institution through the joint application process are entitled to a study voucher (opintoseteli). The study voucher is a payment instrument worth 30 ECTS credits for open higher education studies, valid for two years. It can be used flexibly across participating institutions. The voucher also entitles the holder to guidance supporting both the completion of open studies and the application process for degree-leading education. The voucher is targeted at those under 29 years of age and aims to support their transition towards further education or employment. The scheme is a three-year pilot of the Ministry of Education and Culture, running to 2028 (Act pending; legislation under consultation in April 2026).

Guidance services are generally provided by guidance counsellors in cooperation with group advisers. In addition, all teachers are expected to instruct their students in study skills. Under the Vocational Education and Training Act (531/2017, Laki ammatillisesta koulutuksesta) in force since 2018, career management skills are embedded across all vocational subjects and developed in cooperation with municipal employment services, local employers and youth services. A personal competence development plan (HOKS), is drawn up collaboratively for every VET student in accordance with Act 531/201. VET providers and their guidance counsellors are the main source of information and guidance for students, but municipal employment services also provide labour market information, courses and guidance for young people.

Various working methods should be used in accordance with the needs and readiness of individual students and groups. These include individual discussions with a focus on personal issues, small group guidance and whole class activities. The groups are formed flexibly, considering the contents and opportunities for peer support. Within personal/individual guidance, students have the opportunity to discuss issues relating to their studies, educational and career choices and their life situation. In small group guidance sessions, students learn to deal with common issues within the group or personal matters that may appropriately be shared with the other students in the group. The continuity of the career development process should be ensured by providing guidance and counselling at all grade levels. Where appropriate, guardians should have the opportunity to discuss questions related to the students’ studies and their choices during joint meetings with the teacher, student counsellor, student and guardian.

There is no explicit legal framework for guidance in higher education, but the student entitlement to individual study plans is included in the legislation for universities and universities of applied sciences. Most universities and universities of applied sciences have career centres for students (see the section on guidance for higher education students).

In the employment sector, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for national employment policy and oversees public employment services across Finland. Following the employment services reform (380/2023, Laki työvoimapalveluiden järjestämisestä), the organisation of guidance and counselling services in the employment sector has, since January 2025, been the responsibility of 45 municipal employment areas. Services are mainly targeted at clients outside educational and training institutions and are provided in accordance with the Government's steering documents and guidelines.

Municipal employment services provide career guidance, job search support, labour market training, and career planning services for jobseekers. Services are tailored to individual needs, ranging from direct job placement support for clients ready to enter the labour market to more intensive career guidance, skills assessment, and employability development for those who require it. Municipalities have flexibility in organising service delivery in line with local labour market conditions, within the statutory framework.

In addition, as of March 2026 Finland has 87 cross-sectoral One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo) operating permanently across the country. Organised by municipalities, the centres provide low-threshold information, guidance and support for young people under the age of 30 in matters related to education, employment and everyday life. Staff from municipal employment services, youth services, education, social and health services, and the voluntary sector work together within the centres.

Sources

Quality assurance

Quality assurance in career guidance in Finland operates across several interconnected levels: national policy and evaluation, institutional self-assessment, and sector-specific regulatory frameworks. There is no single unified quality assurance system covering all guidance provision; instead, quality is pursued through legislative requirements, national core curricula, provide-level quality management, external evaluation instruments, and evidence-based strategy implementation.

In basic and general upper secondary education, each school is required to develop and maintain an institutional plan for career guidance and counselling (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2016a; 2016b). This plan describes the organisation of guidance, the division of labour, responsibilities, cooperation structures, and transition-related support, and it is intended to support the evaluation and continuous development of guidance and counselling. Quality at institutional level is thus partly self-regulated, with schools integrating guidance quality review into their broader annual self-evaluation processes.

In vocational education and training, quality assurance is embedded in the competence-based qualification system and in providers’ own quality-management arrangements. The personal competence development plan (HOKS) functions as both a guidance instrument and a quality assurance mechanism, ensuring that each student's learning path — including recognition of prior learning, guidance interventions, and transitions — is planned and documented. VET providers are required to report on qualification completion rates and graduate employment outcomes, which serve as indirect indicators of guidance effectiveness (Ministry of Education and Culture, 2025). The qualification requirements, published on the ePerusteet (eRequirements) platform, provide a publicly accessible and continuously updated reference point for quality standards across all VET qualifications.

In higher education, quality assurance is the responsibility of individual institutions. Universities and universities of applied sciences are required to have quality management systems that encompass all their core activities, including guidance and counselling services. The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre conducts institutional audits on a regular cycle. Career services and graduate employment tracking feed into institutional quality reviews and programme development processes.

In the employment sector, guidance quality was historically monitored through customer satisfaction surveys and service usage statistics at the state Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE offices). Following the transfer of employment services to 45 municipal employment areas in January 2025, quality monitoring mechanisms are being redeveloped within the new municipal service structure. Municipalities are developing their own customer feedback systems in line with the statutory framework set by the Act on the Organisation of Employment Services (380/2023).

The monitoring framework for the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028 (Kettunen et al., 2026), is currently the closest Finland has to a cross-sector national framework for monitoring quality in guidance. The framework is aligned with Cedefop's (2023) quality indicator framework for lifelong guidance.

Sources

  • Act on the Organisation of Employment Services (380/2023) [Laki työvoimapalveluiden järjestämisestä]. https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2023/20230380
  • Cedefop. (2023). Towards European standards for monitoring and evaluation of lifelong guidance systems and services (Vol. II): A preliminary list of indicators for quality frameworks. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/754351
  • Finnish Government. (2020). Elinikäisen ohjauksen strategia 2020–2023: ELO-foorumi [Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2023: National Lifelong Guidance Forum]. Valtioneuvoston julkaisuja 2020:34. Valtioneuvosto. https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/162576
  • ePerusteet [eRequirements]. (n.d.). eRequirements [ePerusteet]. https://eperusteet.opintopolku.fi/#/en?haku=&sivu=1
  • Finnish National Agency for Education. (2016a). National core curriculum for basic education 2014. Oppaat ja käsikirjat 5.
  • Finnish National Agency for Education. (2016b). National core curriculum for general upper secondary schools 2015. Oppaat ja käsikirjat 7.
  • Kettunen, J., Vuorinen, R., Felt, T., Lounema, K., Karlsson, U.-J., & Savolainen, J. (2026). Elinikäisen ohjauksen strategian 2020–2028 seurantakehikko [Monitoring framework for the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028]. Finnish Institute for Educational Research Reports and Working Papers. https://doi.org/10.17011/ktl-rt/19
  • Ministry of Education and Culture. (2025). Vocational education and training. https://okm.fi/en/vocational-education-and-training

Career management skills

The Finnish National Agency for Education draws up the national core curricula, which give guidelines for the delivery of career education and guidance in school settings. Career education is understood as a transversal competence running across the curriculum, with the acquisition of lifelong career management skills as an explicit learning objective at all levels of education. According to the curricula, career education serves students, their families, the school and society as a whole.

Each school is required to have an institutional plan on the design and delivery of career education and guidance services. The plan must include descriptions of the structure, operating practices, division of labour and staff responsibilities as well as local multi-professional networks. The implementation of career education is a continuum, with current focus on the design of individual study programmes, learning techniques, self-knowledge, further education, acquisition of career management skills and transition to the labour market. Guidance services are generally provided by school counsellors in cooperation with group advisers. All teachers are expected to support students in developing study skills (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2016). In VET, career management skills are embedded across all vocational subjects. Education providers are required to cooperate closely with municipal employment services, local employers and youth services in organising workplace learning, work-experience periods and transitions to employment. Every VET student has a statutory right to a personal competence development plan (HOKS) which integrates career planning with competence development throughout the qualification process.

In higher education institutions (HEIs), guidance and counselling services vary in quantity and quality. Institutions have autonomy in designing their student support and career services, but they are developing indicators identifying how this process is promoted, supported and monitored as part of the quality assurance systems of the whole organisation. For example, students are invited to use their portfolios in reflecting their own professional competence development and employability skills. Some institutes pay attention to the placement of their graduates as an indicator of the labour market relevance of their programmes.

In employment services, career coaching and job search coaching are delivered through municipal employment areas, including through services commissioned from external private providers. The development of career management skills is embedded in labour market training for those receiving unemployment benefits.

Strengthening the acquisition of career management skills for people at all life stages is one of the priority areas of the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028. A national career management skills framework, together with supporting materials, has been developed to support the acquisition and development of career management skills across all levels of education and guidance practice. The new Competency Path service (Osaamispolku), launched in 2026, includes tools based on the framework to support individuals in mapping and developing their career management skills across the lifespan.

Sources

  • Competency Path. (n.d.). Competency Path [Osaamispolku]. https://osaamispolku.fi/en
  • Finnish National Agency for Education. (2016). National core curriculum for basic education 2014. Publications 2016:5.
  • Finnish National Agency for Education. (2020). National core curriculum for general upper secondary education 2019. Regulations and guidelines OPH-5799-2024. https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/LOPS2019%20English%20translation%202024%20final_0.pdf
  • Employment, Development and Administration Centre (KEHA Centre) (26.10. 2023). Career Management Skills: Proposal for a National Framework. National ELO-foorum. https://peda.net/id/ff098428bac
  • ePerusteet [eRequirements]. (n.d.). eRequirements [ePerusteet]. https://eperusteet.opintopolku.fi/#/en?haku=&sivu=1
  • Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. (2025). Employment areas. https://tem.fi/en/employment-areas
  • Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. (2024). Elinikäisen ohjauksen käsikirja: Katsaus elinikäisen ohjauksen valtakunnalliseen kehittämiseen 2020 - 2024 ja uusiin ohjaustyötä tukeviin työkaluihin [Lifelong guidance handbook: A view of the national development of lifelong guidance 2020 - 2024 and new tools to support guidance work]. MEAE guidelines and other publications 2024:5.

Evidence, monitoring and assessment

Municipalities are generally required to evaluate their own performance in education annually, and guidance is part of this process. The National Association of School Counsellors conducts their own surveys among its members and provides feedback to policy makers. When schools evaluate the effectiveness of work-experience periods, they collect data from employers. The student unions (Union of Upper Secondary school students in Finland and the national Union of Vocational Students in Finland) conduct annual studies on the provision and their feedback receives a lot of publicity. Guidance is also referenced in the annual studies on student wellbeing surveys and in the youth barometer. Research into career learning needs and outcomes is based on individual thematic studies conducted mainly by the staff members of the training units of career practitioners.

Different types of national evaluations in relation to educational, vocational and career guidance has been conducted during the past two decades by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Finnish National Agency for Education, the National Audit Office of Finland, and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC). The national evaluation of career education was last conducted by the Finnish National Agency for Education in 2002. The most recent evaluation of guidance and counselling across education sectors was conducted by FINEEC in 2022–2024. Commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture as part of the guidance development programme linked to the extension of compulsory education, the evaluation examined new and enhanced forms of student counselling across basic education, general upper secondary education, vocational education and training, preparatory education (TUVA), and liberal adult education. A national evaluation of lifelong guidance (Elontila), conducted as part of the RRF-funded national development projects coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in 2022–2024, produced an assessment of guidance services across all sectors and evaluated their overall functionality (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, 2024a, 2004b).

In addition to organisational-level client satisfaction measures, there are national efforts to measure the value and quality of career guidance provision. Following the 2025 transfer of employment services to municipalities, customer feedback mechanisms and quality monitoring of guidance within municipal employment areas are being developed as part of the new service structure.

The National Audit Office of Finland found that national data on the amount and quality of guidance were relatively deficient and recommended that ministries develop tools for continuous monitoring of guidance needs, resources, availability and quality. A monitoring framework for the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028 was published in 2026 to address this gap (Kettunen, et al., 2026).  It is designed for flexible use, from comprehensive national monitoring and cross-level comparison to organisational self-assessment and time-series tracking.

Sources

Career information, ICT in guidance

In Finland, the Ministry of Finance steers public sector information management, structural development, and joint services and service provision. It also steers the general criteria for information security, prepares information and administrative policies and develops digital administration. Each ministry steers the development of information management and related projects in its own administrative branch.

Public guidance service provision in Finland relies increasingly on online applications and tools. This follows the national strategic objectives in terms of making guidance services more easily available for all target groups to allow access to the services at a time, place and method most convenient to the users. There are several online portals and digital services developed by the national education and employment authorities, municipalities, different regional actors, and youth information centres, to serve the information, advice and guidance needs of their primary client groups. Mostly these services are available in Finnish and Swedish, often also in English.

The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education have the main responsibility to maintain the national level database of education and training provision in Finland. This data is integrated in Studyinfo.fi, which is the official and up-to-date website with all the information about study programmes leading to a degree in Finland. The service can be used to find different study options and apply for the studies online. For students in VET, eHOKS digital service supports the documentation and management of individual personal competence development plans. The service enables students and education providers to manage data on prior learning, competence acquisition and upskilling, and supports transitions between education and working life. It is integrated with other national e-governance systems within the boundaries of user consent. The Studyinfo portal is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Culture as part of the learner’s online services.

ePerusteet (eRequirements) (the national online platform for qualification requirements and curricula) maintained by the Finnish National Agency for Education is an online platform for digital creation and publishing of qualifications and curricula. It offers tools to describe and make transparent what kinds of learning paths are available for completing qualifications. The digital format of presenting curricula and qualifications allows the use of their content through an open interface, for example, in digital study materials or learning environments. This online platform enables a flexible and continuous revision of curricula and qualifications, keeping them up to date. Follow-up and evaluation of the implementation of the actions described in the curricula is supported by this online platform.

Study in Finland maintained by the Finnish National Agency for Education, is a web portal designed to provide information, resources and tools for those who are interested in studying in higher education institutions in Finland. The content is planned mostly with a view to those people who live outside Finland and who are unfamiliar with the study options, higher education institutions and how to apply to them. One of the main functions of the Study in Finland website is to promote English-taught bachelor and master degree programmes offered in Finland. The web portal links the visitor to information sources such as the study programme information platform Studyinfo.fi, direct links to higher education institutions and the immigration services. The portal also provides information on international study opportunities and exchange programmes.

Opin.fi is a joint platform of Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences, launched in 2025, that provides access to open studies from up to 37 higher education institutions in a single service. The platform enables users to browse, compare and enrol in open courses, webinars, podcasts and other learning opportunities offered in Finnish, Swedish and English, both on-site and remotely. It is intended for anyone wishing to develop their competences — whether to update skills in working life, explore a career change or familiarise themselves with higher education before applying for a degree programme.

Töissä.fi provides information about the working life of graduates from the universities and universities of applied sciences. The website is produced by higher education institutions. Students and graduates can explore what kind of working opportunities could be possible based on their degree and individual learning programmes.

A new digital service, Competency Path (Osaamispolku), was launched in 2026 to enable people at all stages of life to map their interests and skills, find suitable education and employment opportunities, and access guidance and counselling services. The service is structured around three components. The individual component provides tools for competence mapping, career planning and educational pathway exploration, with personal data remaining under the user's control and usable throughout life. The guidance professional component offers practitioners up-to-date labour market and education information and methods to support their work across sectors. The information component aggregates data on skills, education and labour market trends for use by education providers, employers and public authorities in planning and decision-making. The service can be used anonymously or with strong authentication for access to personal study data.

The primary national digital platform for employment services is Job Market Finland (Työmarkkinatori), which provides services for job seekers, employers, and citizens seeking information on employment, competence development, and integration services. Following the 2025 transfer of employment services to municipalities, Job Market Finland continues to function as the main channel for job registration, job search, and communication with municipal employment authorities.

The Skills Needs Compass (Osaamistarvekompassi), developed by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE), is an online platform providing data-driven insights into Finland's evolving skills and labour market needs. The service offers statistical analysis of labour market transitions between occupational sectors, data on changes in labour market and skills needs, and analyses of education and skills gaps, using AI applications to anticipate skills needs and identify shortcomings in the availability of education and training. It is primarily intended for career professionals, education providers, employers and policymakers, though the service is publicly accessible.

Sources

Quality assurance

Finland has a strongly professionalised system of guidance certified by international standards. The qualifications of the guidance counsellors at comprehensive and secondary level education, and also of the vocational psychologists, are defined in legislation at the Regulation on Eligibility Requirements for Teaching Staff (986/1998, Asetus opetustoimen henkilöstön kelpoisuusvaatimuksista). In addition to the required qualification for teachers (a master degree or a special qualification for vocational-school teachers), all guidance counsellors must have a certificate of the completion of specialist postgraduate diploma in guidance and counselling (60 ECTS). Another option is to take a master’s degree programme in guidance and counselling (300 ECTS, which includes the pedagogical training equivalent of 60 ECTS). A longstanding parliamentary recommendation sets a target ratio of 250 students per guidance counsellor to guarantee the entitlement for individual counselling.

Practitioners are required to participate in in-service training every year. According to their work contracts, relevant statutes and collective agreements, guidance practitioners are obliged to attend continuous professional development for one to five days per year. They have the main responsibility for the organisation and implementation of guidance and counselling services. According to the national core curricula and the whole school approach in guidance, every teacher in vocational education and training is engaged in guidance activities as part of their teaching duties (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2016). The qualification requirements for counsellors working in higher education or other career experts in municipal employment services are not laid down by law.

There has been significant and sustained improvement in professionalisation over the past two decades. Evaluation of the training programs of career professionals (Kasurinen et al., 2024) found that the qualification level of guidance counsellors has continued to improve, building on the gains documented in earlier data. Most practitioners working in schools hold the legally required qualification. The survey also examined the structures and development needs of Finnish- and Swedish-language guidance training programmes, noting variation in content and the need for greater coherence across sectors.

In 2025, three universities and five universities of applied sciences provided programmes which meet the legally defined qualifications. The annual total intake is between 200-240 students. Namely:

  1. Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
  2. Häme University of Applied Sciences HAMK
  3. JAMK University of Applied Sciences
  4. University of Jyväskylä
  5. University of Eastern Finland
  6. Oulu University of Applied Sciences
  7. Tampere University of Applied Sciences
  8. Åbo Akademi  — Swedish-language qualification training

A prerequisite for vocational guidance psychologist in public employment services in Finland is a master’s degree in psychology. Following the transfer of employment services to municipalities in 2025, in-service training for employment service staff is coordinated in conjunction with the Employment, Administration and Development Agency Centre (KEHA Centre).

Since the beginning of 2000’s guidance work has emerged in different sectors and the competence of those engaged in guidance work varies according to diverse educational backgrounds. Although the basic training and skills requirements of some guidance counsellors are clear (e.g. guidance counsellors and career counselling psychologists), in practice many other professional groups perform guidance in different settings. As one of the key objectives of the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy 2020–2028, a comprehensive national competency framework for career professionals has been developed. The framework describes the knowledge, skills and competences required across different guidance roles and sectors, and is accompanied by assessment forms to enable guidance professionals, teams and organisations to evaluate their competencies. This represents a significant step towards greater coherence in a field where professional backgrounds have historically been varied. The framework is not legally binding; it is designed as a self-assessment and professional development tool for individuals, teams and organisations. Developed through an extensive co-development process involving several hundred guidance professionals and experts across Finland, it also serves as a shared competency reference for training curriculum development. While recommended within the National Lifelong Guidance Strategy, its use is based on professional commitment rather than regulatory obligation.

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Funding career guidance

In comprehensive and upper secondary education, funding for guidance services is included in the total educational services budget. The budget combines a national share from the Ministry of Finance for basic services and estimated unit costs per student, which vary by age cohort and level of education. Students with special needs attract higher unit costs. Municipalities add their own contribution on top of the national allocation.

In vocational education and training, funding was significantly reformed from the start of 2026. The reform increased the share tied to employment and further study outcomes. This shift towards outcome-based funding creates stronger incentives for VET providers to invest in guidance and counselling as a means of supporting completion, transitions to employment, and progression to further education.

In higher education, guidance and career services are funded as part of institutional core funding under the Universities Act (558/2009, Yliopistolaki) and the Act on Universities of Applied Sciences (932/2014, Ammattikorkeakoululaki). Individual institutions determine how resources are allocated to guidance within their quality management frameworks.

Following the transfer of employment services to municipalities in January 2025, career guidance for jobseekers is funded through municipal employment area budgets under the Act on the Organisation of Employment Services (380/2023, Laki työvoimapalveluiden järjestämisestä). The state sets the funding framework and municipalities are responsible for service organisation and delivery within it.

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Career guidance for school pupils

The Finnish National Agency for Education draws up the core curricula and requires that the principles and division of labour among the different players in guidance and counselling activities are defined locally. The current core curricula (2016a and 2016b) were adopted by the National Agency for Education in 2014. Further information can be found here and here.

In the comprehensive education, grades 1 to 6, guidance and counselling is integrated into other subjects and in conjunction with other school activities. The class teacher is responsible for guidance in cooperation with other teachers. Special emphasis is given in grades 7 to 9 where guidance and counselling is integrated into the school timetable as a distinct subject, since basic graduates are called to make their first career choices by selecting their next education step. Following the extension of compulsory education in 2021 under the Act on Compulsory Education (1214/2020, Oppivelvollisuuslaki), all pupils completing grade 9 are required to apply for upper secondary education, which has further strengthened the importance of career guidance at this transition point.

Guidance and counselling are essential from the students', school's as well as society's perspective. Career guidance activities must form a coherent entity throughout the comprehensive education and a continuum to further education and studies after basic education. Guidance and counselling promotes success and progress in studies, completion of studies and effectiveness and impact of the whole education system.

The objective of guidance and counselling is to promote students' personal growth and development so that they can further develop their study skills and social skills as well as to acquire knowledge and skills necessary in their further life. Guidance and counselling support students in developing skills to make choices in daily life, studies, further education and their own future life based on their readiness, values, situation and interests. With the help of guidance and counselling, students learn to become aware of their own possibilities and have influence on the planning and decisions concerning their own lives. Students should be encouraged to reflect and challenge their own preconceptions about education and careers, and to make their choices without gender bias. Guidance and counselling is provided in cooperation with guardians.

Each school is required to have an institutional plan on the design and provision of career guidance and guidance and counselling services. The plan must include descriptions on the structure, operating practices, division of labour and staff responsibilities in guidance and counselling as well as on the local multi-professional networks which are needed to achieve the objectives of guidance and counselling. The plan should also include descriptions of the cooperation between homes and school, between the school and the working life and description of the descriptions of the practical introduction-to-working-life periods. The implementation of the institutional plan should be evaluated systematically. Students' progress is monitored during basic education and in the transition phases to further studies by means of cooperation between teachers and guidance counsellors, and, if necessary, by cooperation with other professionals. In their daily work, teachers should use current and up-to-date information on further studies and labour market trends as well as keep track of the changes occurring.

Career education acts as a link between the school, community and working life. Guidance and counselling promotes social justice, equity, equality and inclusion and prevents marginalisation from education and employment. The knowledge and skills developed in guidance and counselling contribute to the availability of a skilled labour force, to the balance between skills' demand and skills' supply and to competences' development in the future labour market.

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Guidance for VET participants

Career education and guidance for upper secondary vocational education is a continuum of the services within comprehensive education. The national qualification requirements cover issues on the design of individual study programmes, learning techniques, self-knowledge, further education, acquisition of career management skills and transition to the labour market. Guidance services are generally provided by guidance counsellors in cooperation with group advisers. All teachers are expected to support their students in developing study skills.

Under the Act on Vocational Education and Training (531/2017, Laki ammatillisesta koulutuksesta), in force since 2018, every student is entitled to a personal competence development plan (HOKS, henkilökohtainen osaamisen kehittämissuunnitelma), which replaces the earlier separate planning requirements for young people and adults. The HOKS is drawn up at the start of studies in collaboration with the student — and, for students under 18, their guardian — and is updated throughout the qualification process as plans evolve. From the start of 2025, the HOKS has become more flexible for students still within compulsory education, following an amendment to the VET Act. The obligation for VET providers to prepare a qualification-specific plan for the implementation of competence assessment has been removed, giving providers greater flexibility in how they document the competence assessment process (Act 708/2024, Laki ammatillisesta koulutuksesta annetun lain muuttamisesta). Career guidance and transition skills are embedded across vocational subjects and are developed in cooperation with local municipal employment services, companies and local youth services. VET providers are required to pay particular attention to students with learning difficulties, absences from school or problems with everyday life. Employment opportunities for students with special support needs are developed in cooperation with municipal employment services, business life, and municipal health and social services.

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Guidance for higher education students

In Higher education institutes (HEIs) guidance and counselling services vary in quantity and quality. The Ministry of Education and Culture regulates the provision of guidance, but each institution also has a level of flexibility in designing its respective guidance methods. Higher education institutes often provide courses to promote employability skills among students. The Universities Act (558/2009, Yliopistolaki) and the Act on Universities of Applied Sciences (932/2014, Ammattikorkeakoululaki) state that higher education institutes must arrange teaching and guidance in order to support students in graduating in the estimated time period. The acquisition of the employability skills can also be integrated in other courses during the individual learning paths.

The HEIs have autonomy in designing the guidance services, but they are developing indicators identifying how this process is promoted, supported and monitored as part of the quality assurance systems of the whole organisation. The student affairs office is usually the place where students can ask about things linked with their studies, work practice, and student grants. In faculties there are student affairs secretaries who are responsible for students’ study plans and for planning, developing and coordinating counselling services.

In the universities of applied sciences (former polytechnics) career centres with career professionals are responsible for guidance and counselling services. Academic tutors and other teachers, along with peer tutors, take part in counselling as agreed in the universities of applied science’s counselling plan.

Higher education institutes have established a  network and carry out follow-up studies on the placements of their graduates. The institutes have established projects to improve the use of collected data in career services and curriculum development. In addition to the quantitative data on placements, an online service Töissä.fi collects narratives and career stories from graduates from different sectors on how they have been able to utilise their competences in the labour market.

Young people who were not admitted to a higher education institution through the joint application process may from August 2026 receive a study voucher (opintoseteli) entitling them to 30 ECTS credits of open higher education studies free of charge. This scheme supports access to higher education and career exploration for those in the post-secondary transition period

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Guidance for adult learners

As in most European countries, there is a growing need for adult guidance in Finland. Guidance services in adult education institutions vary in scope and method, but legislation establishes clear student entitlements, including the right to an individual study plan and recognition of prior learning. Following the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (681/2023, Laki kotoutumisen edistämisestä, in force from 1 January 2025), which replaced the previous 2010 Integration Act, immigrants have also the right to an integration plan. This sets out the individual's needs goals, and the services required to achieve them.

The current legislative framework for vocational education and training is the Act on Vocational Education and Training (531/2017, Laki ammatillisesta koulutuksesta), which came into force on 1 January 2018 and unified what were previously separate acts for young people and adults. A central feature of the reformed VET system is the personal competence development plan (HOKS, henkilökohtainen osaamisen kehittämissuunnitelma), which every student has a statutory right to.Personalisation refers to customer-oriented planning and implementation of guidance, advisory and support measures for a student based on an individual's prior learning, experience and goals. The education provider is responsible for attending to personalisation and providing expert guidance throughout. The education provider must cooperate with working life representatives and, where necessary, other experts in the field. The result is a system in which guidance, recognition of prior learning, and qualification pathways are delivered as a single coordinated process.

Within validation of formal and non-formal learning, recognition of prior learning is a core principle of the VET system. Prior learning acquired in training, working life or other learning environments must be recognised as part of the qualification process. This applies to all three qualification types: vocational upper secondary qualifications, further vocational qualifications, and specialist vocational qualifications

From 1 January 2025, employment and business services were transferred from the state Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE offices) to 45 municipal employment areas under the Act on the Organisation of Employment Services (380/2023, Laki työvoimapalveluiden järjestämisestä). Career guidance and counselling for adults — both employed and unemployed — is now delivered through these municipal employment services. Digital services are provided primarily through Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi), with the new Competency Path service (Osaamispolku) offering an integrated digital tool for skills mapping, education pathway exploration, and access to guidance services for people at all stages of their working lives.

A career coaching pilot for mothers on extended childcare leave (äitien uravalmennuskokeilu), launched in 2026, offers individual career guidance to over 500 women to support their return to employment or education. The pilot includes a scientific research component and is implemented by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment.

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Guidance for the employed

Guidance for unemployed and employed young people and adults is regulated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which is responsible for employment, entrepreneurship and labour as well as for immigrant integration policy.

From the start of 2025, employment and business services as well as integration services were transferred from the state Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE offices) to the responsibility of municipalities and employment areas formed by municipalities, creating 45 municipal employment areas. Persons' employment area is determined by their municipality of residence from where they will receive guidance that is customer-focused and performance-oriented and aims to serve the needs of individual customers, enterprises and organisations.

The aim of the reform was to bring services closer to customers and accelerate the employment of jobseekers. The transfer also expanded municipal responsibility to include guidance for both employed and unemployed people, allowing closer coordination between local labour market policy, education providers, and social services. The goal was to enhance the flexibility and customer focus of local offices in delivering these services.

Additionally, there is a stronger focus on delivering services through multiple channels, improving accessibility and user-friendliness for clients. Digital services are primarily provided through Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi), which offers a national platform for job search, competence development, and interaction with municipal employment services. A new digital service for employed people is Competency Path (Osaamispolku), launched in 2026. Competency Path is intended for people at all stages of life – including those already in working life – and enables users to map their interests and skills, find suitable employment and education opportunities, and access guidance and counselling services.

A government pilot project for learning while working (työn ohessa opiskelu, 2025–2026) supports employees in labour shortage sectors — particularly healthcare, social welfare and early childhood education — to study while remaining in employment. Education providers and employers cooperate closely to arrange studies alongside work, and employers receive compensation for related costs. The project is implemented by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment.

In fall 2025, Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment piloted a model to support older workers to stay in working life through career coaching and strengthening their career management skills (työurahuoltamo). The model is being developed for broader implementation.

A project for better recognition of skills of the employed (osaamisen tunnistamisen työryhmä) was finalized in 2025 and in their final report importance of career guidance is highlighted. A new national working life development strategy, setting out objectives for working life towards 2035, is to be launched in June 2026 (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, 2025b).

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Guidance for unemployed adults

Experts from municipal employment services help individuals in finding education and training, career choice or career solutions that are compatible with their life situation. Following the major employment services reform that took effect on January 1, 2025, services previously provided by Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE offices) are now delivered by 45 municipal employment services and employment areas.

Services provided by the employment services support individuals in all stages of their career:

  • looking for a job
  • thinking about their career choices
  • planning how to develop their skills
  • considering a career change

Individuals can use online services through Job Market Finland or contact their local municipal employment service offices. Job Market Finland continues to function as the primary platform for job registration, job searching, and communication with employment authorities.

Jobseekers may receive:

  • Labour market training,
  • Job search coaching,
  • Skills development support,
  • Guidance toward education or other municipal services
  • Self-motivated study on unemployment benefit
  • Apprenticeship training can also be a pathway to obtain a vocational qualification.
  • Integration training that provides immigrants with basic skills needed in vocational education and training or working life and in Finnish society

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Guidance for older adults

Older adults are entitled to use the mainstream services of municipal employment areas (see section Guidance for unemployed adults). The services available to older adults include career guidance, job search assistance, and training opportunities. These services are designed to support individuals in navigating the labour market, regardless of age.

In 2024–2025, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health commissioned a special investigation into measures to increase the employment rate of workers over 55. The final report recommended an individual career planning model and proposed a career workshop pilot (työurahuoltamo) to provide anticipatory, individual and goal-oriented support for career planning serving both employees and employers (Lindström, 2025). In autumn 2025, the career workshop pilot (työurahuoltamo) tested individual career coaching, supervisor coaching and development workshops at three workplaces. It found that career planning and competence development must be embedded in employer strategy and reflected in everyday supervisory work. The individual career planning tools used in the pilot are available on the Competency Path (Osaamispolku.fi) platform. The Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment will continue developing the model for broader implementation.

Career guidance for older adults is integrated within the broader employment services framework, with career counsellors trained to address age-specific challenges such as skills updating, career transitions, and age discrimination in the labour market. Services include career assessment, retraining opportunities, and support for entrepreneurship as alternative pathways for older workers.

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Guidance for early leavers

Teaching is arranged to take different learners' needs and capabilities into consideration, with learning support provided primarily group-specifically, though pupil-specific support measures can also be provided (see section Guidance for special needs and disabilities).

The extension of compulsory education in 2021, under the Act on Compulsory Education (1214/2020, Oppivelvollisuuslaki), raised the minimum school leaving age to 18 years, meaning that compulsory education level is reached when students are 18 years-old or have completed an upper secondary qualification: either the general upper secondary cycle (or matriculation examination) or the vocational training qualification. This change continues to be implemented as of 2025, requiring all 9th graders in comprehensive education to apply for upper secondary education. The reform aims to improve the educational level of young people and their employment opportunities, helping to prevent school dropout and social exclusion, meeting labor market needs, and supporting Finland's competitiveness internationally. Students can fulfil their compulsory education in general or vocational upper secondary education or through he Preparatory Education for an Upper Secondary Qualification (TUVA), established under the Act on Preparatory Education for Upper Secondary Qualification (1215/2020, Laki tutkintokoulutukseen valmentavasta koulutuksesta) and implemented from August 2022.

Career guidance for early school leavers is delivered through multiple integrated services. One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo) provide comprehensive career guidance for young people under 30 who have left education early, combining individual counselling with practical support for returning to education or finding employment pathways.

Youth workshops support young people under 29 years old in tackling issues related to education and training, working life and life management. The workshop activities are based on learning by doing through coaching and practical work. Young people can contact a workshop directly or through the municipal employment services, social welfare office or their municipal Ohjaamo advisory service point.

Youth workshop activities are organised by municipalities, associations and foundations, among others. They are available in over 90% of all municipalities in continental Finland (further information can be found here). The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for developing the workshop activities. The Ministry provides assistance via grants handled by the Finnish Supervisory Agency.

Outreach youth work assists young people under the age of 29 who are excluded from education and working life or who need support in accessing services. Outreach youth work offers young people early support. These activities cover most of the country, but municipalities decide on whether or not to organise them. The Ministry of Education and Culture supports the recruitment of staff for outreach youth work with grants handled by the Finnish Supervisory Agency (further information can be found here).

Nuotti coaching is personalized support provided by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) for young people between 16 and 29 years whose functional ability has weakened significantly and who otherwise need support to make plans for their education or career. The program aims to help young people identify their strengths and resources while acquiring skills needed in education, training, and working life. The program is voluntary and free of charge, and participation does not require a medical certificate or prior rehabilitation decision. The sessions can be held in person or remotely, based on the young person's needs.

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Guidance for NEET

Between 2015 and 2021, Finland developed integrated guidance services with regional one-stop guidance centres (Ohjaamo) within the European Social Fund programme. These centres, an integral part of the Youth Guarantee, give support to young people in transitions aged under 30, and encourage them to remain in education and work. As of 2025, there are approximately 70 One-Stop Guidance Centres operating across Finland, maintaining their role as essential support services for young people.

The centres function as an aid for young people until a longer-term solution to the situation is found, or until the young person starts studying or moves into employment. Apart from official bodies, educational institutions and workshops, social rehabilitation and health services, the centres’ wide collaborative network includes third sector organisations, voluntary organisations and other bodies that work with young people. They also function as a link to the business community through local companies and trade associations and promote meetings between employers and young people. The young people themselves are actively involved with their centre and can implement various peer-group activities. Since 2020 the operations of Ohjaamo centres have developed and become more digitalized, enabling the provision of remote services for young people. Young people can access services with or without an appointment, alone or with a family member or friend, receiving free one-to-one guidance.

Career guidance within Ohjaamo centres addresses the complex needs of NEET youth through individual counselling and group interventions. Career counsellors work alongside professionals from various sectors to provide holistic support that addresses both career development needs and underlying barriers to education and employment. Services include career assessment, educational pathway planning, job search support, and skills development opportunities.

A significant structural change occurred in 2025, when the responsibility for organizing employment services was transferred from the state Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE Offices) to municipalities and employment areas. Employment areas are obligated to organise joint services for young people, such as the One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo). The operational model of the one-stop guidance centre has been integrated with the reformed municipal employment services structure. The objective continues to be strengthening cooperation between municipalities and career and education guidance services to improve the effectiveness of services for young people.

An additional transition support measure available from August 2026 is the study voucher (opintoseteli), a Ministry of Education and Culture pilot targeting young people under 29 who completed an upper secondary qualification but were not admitted to a higher education institution through the joint application process. The voucher provides 30 ECTS credits for open higher education studies and is valid for two years. It offers young people at risk of becoming NEET a concrete pathway to continue learning and explore further education or career options during the post-secondary transition period.

As a service model, each One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo) strengthens and simplifies services for young people and eliminates the duplication of activities. Alongside the face-to-face services continue to be parallel national development projects for integrated all-age online career services. The coordination of one-stop guidance centres has been fully transferred to municipalities through the employment services reform, with national oversight maintained by the Employment, Development and Administration and Centre (KEHA Centre). Face-to-face services support existing multi-channel approaches, including education advisory services provided through the employment areas and the Finnish National Agency for Education’s portal, Studyinfo.fi.

Specialized interventions for NEET youth include Kela's Oma Väylä rehabilitation for young people aged 16-29 with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD or ADD, which strengthens abilities to study and engage in working life through individual and group sessions. Preparatory Education for an Upper Secondary Qualification (TUVA), implemented since August 2022, provides targeted support for NEET youth lacking upper secondary qualifications, combining career guidance with individualized study plans.

One-stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo) are based on the knowledge, advisory and guidance services of various organisations as well as on the complementary skills and cooperation between social and health care providers. The operating model now requires strong partnerships between municipalities, the various actors, and new municipal employment areas, developing enhanced operating practices and skills in multi-sector management under the new decentralized structure. The fundamental idea of the operation is that the professionals working at a centre, work as employees of their host organisations (including municipality, career and education guidance, educational institution, the Kela benefits service), but are based in the joint centre premises. The labour input into a centre’s operation can vary from full-time to collaborative periodic on-duty sessions.

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Guidance for young people at risk

Finland’s approach to career guidance for young people at risk is underpinned by several legislative and policy frameworks. The Act on Compulsory Education (1214/2020, Oppivelvollisuuslaki), extended compulsory education to age 18 or until an upper secondary qualification is attained. The aim is that all students completing basic education gain an upper secondary decree. Education providers and municipalities are responsible for guidance and tracking of students’ transitions to upper secondary education; students who do not find a place can be assigned to preparatory education. The Youth Act (1285/2016, Nuorisolaki, amended) provides the legal basis for outreach youth work, youth workshops, and cross-sectoral cooperation at the municipal level.

Career guidance for at-risk youth is delivered primarily through One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo), with 87 centres operating under municipal employment authorities as of March 2026. These centres provide integrated career guidance alongside education, employment, housing and health support for young people under 30. Career practitioners work within multi-sectoral teams to address the complex needs of vulnerable youth. Young people can access services with or without an appointment, alone or with a family member or friend, receiving free one-to-one guidance.

Preparatory Education for an Upper Secondary Qualification (TUVA), implemented since August 2022, includes career guidance as a core component for young people who have not completed upper secondary education. Students receive individualized study plans with integrated career planning to clarify educational and employment pathways.

Specialized programmes include Kela's Oma Väylä ("My Way") for young people aged 16-29 who have an autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or ADD. The aim is to strengthen the young person’s abilities in studying, working, managing day-to-day life, and social skills. It is intended for those who do not qualify for intensive medical rehabilitation.

The transfer of employment services to municipalities in January 2025 has integrated career guidance with local services, enabling closer cooperation between guidance counsellors, educational institutions, social services and employers to create more flexible pathways for young people.

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Guidance for persons with disabilities

The Finnish basic education system is based on the philosophy of inclusion and has been so for a long time. Basic education is the same for all. Children are supported individually so that they can successfully complete their basic education. Compulsory education was extended to age 18 (or until an upper secondary qualification is attained) in 2021.

Following major legislative changes, Finland has reformed its approach to learning support. The reform came into effect in August 2025 in basic and general upper secondary education and will enter into force in vocational education and training on 1 August 2026. The traditional three-tiered support system (general support, intensified support, and special support) in pre-primary and basic education has been discontinued. Under the new legislation, teaching is arranged to take different learners' needs and capabilities into consideration, with learning support provided primarily group-specifically. All pupils are entitled to this support, and in addition to group-based support, pupils can receive pupil-specific support measures as needed. The focus remains on the earliest possible support to prevent the emergence and growth of problems. Support is provided early and proactively, ensuring that all learners continue to have the right to learn and receive support throughout their learning path. Finnish legislation does not categorise learners according to disabilities or difficulties, focusing instead on providing flexible support that changes according to needs.

During the 2025-2026 school year, decisions on special support issued before August 1, 2025, are being reviewed to align with the new legislation. The support needs of pupils previously receiving intensified or special support are being assessed, with guardians involved in this process to ensure continuity of appropriate support. Support is generally planned and implemented as part of multidisciplinary student welfare work. Learners and their parents must be provided with information about support measures and be given an opportunity to express their views on the provision of support.

Students studying at general upper secondary school are entitled to receiving personal and other guidance for studies to meet the students' study-related needs and equip them with plans for further studies. Students compile their personal study plan that contains an overall plan for studies, a matriculation examination plan, and a plan for further studies and transition to life after general upper secondary education. The students are also entitled to other support measures and special needs education upon request and as agreed within the educational institution. Following the Act on General Upper Secondary Education (714/2018, Lukiolaki), special education has been available to upper secondary school students nationally since 2018, and these schools now employ special education teachers. Under the 2025 reforms, students' right to remedial teaching and other guidance and support at an early stage will be strengthened, with subject teachers playing a more important role in providing learning support.

All students in vocational education and training have the right to receive sufficient personal and other educational guidance as needed. Vocational institutions are required to pay particular attention to the counselling and guidance of students with learning difficulties, absences from school or problems with everyday life. Students in need of special educational or student welfare services are provided with an individual education plan or personal competence development plan. This plan must set out details of the qualification to be completed, the requirements and scope of the qualification, the individual curriculum drawn up for the student, as well as the student welfare services and support required for studying. Vocational special needs education and training is primarily provided in regular vocational institutions with all other students. There are currently six separate vocational special schools. These provide special facilities and services to promote vocational education and training primarily for students with the most severe disabilities or chronic illnesses.

Preparatory Education for an Upper Secondary Qualification (TUVA), established under the Act on Preparatory Education for Upper Secondary Qualification (1215/2020, Laki tutkintokoulutukseen valmentavasta koulutuksesta) and implemented from August 2022, unified the previously separate transition phase programmes into a single flexible education pathway. TUVA is designed for learners who have not completed upper secondary education and need preparatory support to transition to upper secondary studies. It serves both students of compulsory education age and adults. Students receive an individual study plan based on their goals and competence needs, with study and career planning as a common component. Preparatory education and training for work and independent living (TELMA) is designed for students requiring special support who, due to illness or disability, are unable to transition to degree-oriented education. In TELMA training, guidance is tailored to meet each student's individual goals and abilities. One-Stop Guidance Centres (Ohjaamo) provide comprehensive support services for young people under 30, offering information, advice, guidance and support across various sectors. At the beginning of 2025, these centres were transferred to work under municipal employment authorities as part of the broader employment services reform.

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Guidance for immigrants

In 2025, the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (681/2023, Laki kotoutumisen edistämisestä) came into effect, replacing the previous 2011 Integration Act. The Act applies to persons who have a valid residence permit, whose right of residence has been registered or who have been issued with a residence card under the Aliens Act (301/2004, Ulkomaalaislaki). The updated legislation aims to strengthen early integration measures, clarify institutional roles, and enhance multi-sectoral cooperation among authorities, municipalities, and organizations to support immigrants' integration into Finnish society. The reform also aims to strengthen immigrants' employability, work capacity and language skills, and to increase their participation in society. Additionally, the government has introduced amendments that increase immigrants' own responsibility for integration.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for the overall steering and development of integration policy and the functioning of the employment service system. From 2025, following the PES services reform, the responsibility for integration services has been transferred to municipalities, marking a significant shift in service delivery. The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration ceased operations, and its responsibilities were transferred to the Development and Administrative Services Centre (KEHA Centre). The KEHA Centre now supports municipalities through the Koto-digi information system, training, and guidance in implementing integration services. The Centre:

  1. compiles and distributes research, statistical and indicator data as the basis for the planning and implementation of integration and promotes the assessment of effectiveness of the activities;
  2. disseminates good practices and organises events for professionals meeting immigrants as part of their work in which they can strengthen their expertise;
  3. develops useful work processes and cooperation networks.

The Integration.fi website, maintained by KEHA Centre, provides up-to-date information on immigrant integration and refugee reception.

From 2025, municipalities and employment areas have the overall responsibility for promoting the integration of immigrants, including those who are jobseekers and those who are not part of the workforce. Municipalities now lead local integration efforts, ensuring public services (education, early childhood, youth, health, etc.) are immigrant-friendly. Employment authorities are responsible for integration services for jobseekers. The responsibility for providing integration services organised as employment services, such as integration training, has also been transferred to municipalities. Municipalities provide early-phase integration services specifically intended for immigrants, including:

  1. guidance and advice for immigrants,
  2. an initial assessment;
  3. an integration plan;
  4. integration training and multilingual civic orientation courses

Municipalities are also required to develop a municipal integration programme that coordinates services across different sectors and outlines goals and measures for promoting integration. This programme integrates with the Koto-digi information system that supports integration customer work, improves data transfer, and produces integration data at municipal, regional, and national levels.

The Finnish National Agency for Education and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment have specified new implementation models for the integration training of adult immigrants. These training models concern integration training provided to adult immigrants both as labour market training and self-motivated education, in accordance with the national core curriculum for integration training for adult migrants. New modular-based integration training models allow immigrants to complete training in phases tailored to their individual needs. Integration training is about a year's training for recent immigrants to Finland, with main contents including learning Finnish/Swedish and social and working life skills, career guidance and internships.

The introduction of English-language general upper secondary education from August 2026 provides an additional educational pathway for immigrants and returnees who have not yet developed sufficient Finnish or Swedish language proficiency for regular upper secondary studies. Students completing English-language upper secondary education can take the matriculation examination in English, with the first English-language examinations planned for autumn 2028 (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2025a).

Supporting immigrants in higher education in Finland (SIMHE) is an initiative promoting work-related migration, initially launched in 2016 and funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Today, the SIMHE services are coordinated nationally by a cooperation group and eleven higher education institutions: the University of Helsinki, University of Jyväskylä, University of Turku, University of Vaasa, Tampere University, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, and Oulu University of Applied Sciences. SIMHE operates as a permanent, nationwide service, with activities funded as part of the strategic funding for higher education institutions.

SIMHE services aim to enhance the identification and recognition of the prior learning among highly educated immigrants with different statuses residing in Finland and to facilitate their access to higher education and/or into labour markets at national and regional levels. The purpose is to ensure that the immigrants’ previous studies and degrees are identified and recognised according to national policies as quickly as possible, so that they can find their way to appropriate education and career paths. The main goal of SIMHE guidance is to help immigrants find the options that are best suited to their individual needs and which can advance their integration into Finnish society either through studies or through work.

SIMHE services operate through two major components: the guidance and counselling services provision by email service (entry phase-step 1), by personal guidance discussions (step 2) or by participating in so-called Guidance generalia lectures, based on the individual’s own needs, situation and preferences, and the recognition of prior learning and competences (RPL, AHOT in Finnish). This permits identification of the participant’s skills and competences acquired through previous studies in higher education/study-related work experience in the country of origin and their integration into the Finnish society and labour market. The RPL process, based on the developed process Mapping of competences (Osaamisen kartoitus), includes five consecutive phases:

  1. applying (registration);
  2. orientation (group and individual);
  3. in-depth professional discussion with an expert in the specific field of study (individual);
  4. feedback session (group);
  5. personal guidance discussion.

Although some of the methods used in providing guidance and validation services are group-based, the approach towards clients is clearly individual-centred.

SIMHE services provide validation activities from identification to assessment stages, though no certification phase is included in the RPL process. The main ones are implemented by the staff of SIMHE and universities or other education providers-partners:

  1. the Economic Development Centres (Elinvoimakeskukset)
  2. the National Agency for Education (EDUFI);
  3. the Ministry of Education and Culture and other relevant educational and employment authorities.

The main model of linkage between validation and guidance as part of the SIMHE services can be characterised as ‘integration’, as both elements, guidance/counselling and RPL, are part of the same procedure and are provided by the same organisation.

Additional support for SIMHE services includes regular webinars providing topical information about essential and current themes, SIMHE activities on social media platforms including Facebook groups and LinkedIn pages, and networking opportunities with professional groups such as healthcare professionals seeking recognition in Finland. SIMHE instructors operate across Finland through largely remote training and meetings, providing personal guidance, language courses and job search training.

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Guidance for other groups

The Finnish Prison and Probation Service (Rikosseuraamuslaitos) operates under the direction of the Ministry of Justice, implementing a rehabilitative justice model, with a strong focus on preparing inmates for life after release. The agency's 2024-2027 strategy emphasizes five key goals, prioritizing client support to "improve their abilities to live without crime" through high-quality rehabilitative work. Prisons provide training opportunities for inmates based on the "normality principle," which seeks to maintain conditions that resemble life outside as closely as possible, and this is based on national legislation on education and training (Imprisonment Act 767/2005, Vankeuslaki).

Prisons offer contact teaching in basic education, general upper secondary education, education preparing for a qualification, and vocational upper secondary education and training. The inmates have opportunities to receive guidance on personalised learning programmes according to individual learning goals. The prisons cooperate with local educational institutions, in the design and completion of the learning programmes. At the policy level, responsibility is shared between two sectors: education and justice. During the prison term, it is possible to complete a basic education or a general upper secondary education syllabus or a vocational qualification or parts of them. Additionally, prisons arrange education preparing for a qualification. For inmates with low basic skills or limited proficiency in the Finnish language, prisons provide opportunities for upskilling and targeted language education, including short courses in digital skills, arts, and Finnish language for foreign prisoners. These learning plans are integrated within the personal development plan. The programme consists of modules on the development of personal learning skills (e.g. learning to learn, communication skills, ICT literacy), personal agency (e.g. self-awareness, social skills, basic information of the society, managing daily schedules), employability skills and optional courses based on individual interests.

The open prison model allows inmates to engage in employment and educational activities outside the prison under certain conditions. Inmates can work outside of prison under, either in state-funded open institution jobs or in self-arranged jobs with a civilian work permit. These jobs may be provided by organizations, as well as municipalities or non-profit organizations. Open prisons have dedicated education coordinators who assist inmates with study-related matters and facilitate transition pathways to employment or further education upon release.

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Gender-based policies

In Finland, gender equality is a fundamental principle enshrined in both the Constitution (731/1999,  latest amendment 2018, Suomen perustuslaki) and specific legislation, notably the Act on Equality between Women and Men (609/1986, Laki naisten ja miesten välisestä tasa-arvosta, latest amendment in 2023). The Constitution establishes that "everyone is equal before the law" and prohibits discrimination based on sex, among other characteristics (Section 6). Women’s rights as well as the rights of sexual and gender minorities are explicitly listed as priorities of Finland’s international human rights policy (Finnish Government, 2023). The Act on Equality between Women and Men (609/1986) – also known as the Equality Act – mandates that authorities, educational institutions, and employers with more than 30 employees actively promote gender equality in all activities. This includes the development and biennial updating of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs), which must encompass assessments of the current equality situation, pay surveys, and concrete measures to advance equality in areas such as pay, working conditions, and career development (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 2025).

The Government Action Plan for Gender Equality 2024–2027 (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 2025) provides a comprehensive framework with 50 specific measures across education, working life, and decision-making sectors. The Non-Discrimination Act (1325/2014, Yhdenvertaisuuslaki, amended 2023) forbids discrimination based on all personal characteristics beyond gender, including age, origin, religion, disability, and sexual orientation, among others. Since 2023, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman has been empowered to supervise compliance with the Non-Discrimination Act in individual workplace discrimination cases, in addition to the occupational safety and health authorities. The Ombudsman for Equality supervises compliance with the Equality Act and provides guidance and advice in situations where people suspect that they have been subject to discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity or gender expression. These acts collectively prohibit discrimination and mandate the promotion of equality and equity across various sectors, including education, employment and public services.

In addition to the gender equality-specific legislation, the Government has adopted an action plan to combat racism and promote equality targeting working life and education in particular (Finnish Government, 2024). Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and Culture has published a Programme for Equity and Non-Discrimination in Education and Training (2025–2027), which provides tools for educational institutions at all levels to combat bullying, harassment, and discrimination related to personal characteristics, including gender (Ministry of Education and Culture, 2025).

In the realm of career guidance, these legislative frameworks necessitate that educational institutions and career practitioners integrate gender equality considerations into their services. This involves ensuring that guidance materials and counselling practices are free from gender bias and actively work to dismantle traditional gender stereotypes that may influence career thoughts. Practical implementation includes promoting non-traditional career paths to all genders and providing support that acknowledges and addresses the unique challenges faced by different gender groups. A targeted career coaching pilot for mothers on extended childcare leave, launched in 2026, exemplifies the application of equality principles in practice by providing individual guidance to women outside the labour market.

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Country-specific report details

Country report type
Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices
Related Country
Related Project
Lifelong Guidance
Related Network
CareersNet
Keywords
Guidance and counselling
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