List of policy instruments

  • Description

    Focus area
    The training cards are produced by Finland’s National Board of Education and the Competence Foresight Forum (OEF). The cards are produced for several sectors and regions and contain sets of future skills and competences listed and assessed by the anticipation groups of the National Forum for Skills Anticipation (FSA).
    Implementation level
    At what level is the initiative implemented?
    National
    Starting period
    TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
    The information and knowledge used for the cards have been produced from 2016 and onwards.
    Perspective
    PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
    Yes, the cards are created based on foresight activities. Even tough there are several cards, most of these show data on the future working life (e.g., the most important skills and job openings in 2035).
    Policy area
    To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
    Funding
    How it is funded?
    Funded by national government

    Skill mismatch

    Skill mismatch target
    What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
    Skill gaps (worker's skills are below the level of proficiency required by their employers and jobs)
    Skills matching focus
    How does  the initiative address skills mismatches?
    The cards address sectoral/occupational skill shortages by anticipating the needs of the future working life.
    Skills delivered
    What types of skill  does the initiative deliver?
    The cards does not deliver these types of skills but provide an overview of which ones of these are needed in the future
    Basic literacy and numeracy skills
    Basic digital skills
    General employability skills (team working, communication, etc.)

    Methods

    Methods
    What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
    Skills foresight
    The cards are based on skill foresight (qualitative and quantitative foresight). For example, surveys have been conducted to help creating this knowledge.
    Use of skills intelligence
    How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
    The information regarding the needs of education, skills and working life in the future can be used, for example, to support the development and orientation of education. The cards might, therefore, benefit VET-institutions.

    Stakeholders

    Main responsible body
    Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
    National agency
    Finish National Agency for Education
    Other involved organisations
    Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
    National ministry
    Ministry of Education and Culture has appointed those in charge of creating the cards (i.e. the National Board of Education)
    National agency
    The National Board of Education is involved in creating the cards.
    Other
    Expert body: The Competence Foresight Forum (OEF): They help produce the training cards and promotes a dialogue between education and working life together with the Ministry of Education and Culture and the National Board of Education.

    Sustainability

    Success factors
    SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
    Although there are no explicit stated success criteria, the purpose of the initiative is to inform about the skills needed in the future. Therefore, a success criteria could be, whether employment rates increase in these areas.
    Barriers
    BARRIERS in the implementation
    No implementation barriers are explicitly stated. However, it could be argued that a barrier could be to ensure the relevant people use the cards in order to adjust skills to the future labour market.
    Monitoring and evaluation
    MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
    There are no evaluations conducted. Since the OEF is responsible for the cards, and the OEF have a term running from 2021-2024, it is unlikely that an evaluation will take place before the current OEF term is over.
    Updates
    UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
    No
    The cards are concerned with skills needed in different sectors in 2025, which means that an update is not yet necessary.
    Effectiveness
    EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
    Since there are no explicitly stated success criteria or evaluation, the effectiveness of the initiative is difficult to assess.
    Sustainability
    SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
    The instrument seems pretty sustainable since the cards are produced for several sectors and regions and contain sets of future skills and competences. Furthermore, it's a pretty new initiative (2016) and it produces foresights of the needs of future working life for 2035, which is a long-term prospect.
  • Description

    Focus area
    The Government Foresight Group lends support to national skills foresight work, joint foresight processes and the development of national foresight activities. Its key objective is to help foresight activities and foresight-based information forge a connection with decision-making processes.
    Implementation level
    At what level is the initiative implemented?
    National
    Starting period
    TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
    It is not possible to find the year that the Network commenced.
    Perspective
    PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
    Yes, the National Foresight Network creates and uses foresight activities to inform decision-making.
    Policy area
    To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
    The National Foresight Network is situated in the Prime Ministry, and its task is to inform decisions regarding many aspects, which occasionally may include the above-mentioned policy areas. 'Other' is found as a better category because the main purpose is informing decision-making about challenges in the Finnish society.
    Funding
    How it is funded?
    Funded by national government

    Skill mismatch

    Skill mismatch target
    What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
    Other
    The National Foresight Network does not explicitly aim to address skills mismatch, but it can be used to inform policy areas regarding mismatch. Therefore, 'Other' is the most appropriate category.
    Skills matching focus
    How does  the initiative address skills mismatches?
    It informs decision-making in many policy areas, including, but not limited to, skills mismatch. Therefore, 'Other' is the most appropriate category.

    Methods

    Methods
    What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
    Skills forecasting
    The main task for the National Foresight Network is to engage in foresight activities.
    Skills foresight
    The main task for the National Foresight Network is to engage in foresight activities.
    Use of skills intelligence
    How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
    The National Foresight Network and its foresight work is used to inform decision-making.

    Stakeholders

    Main responsible body
    Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
    National ministry
    Other involved organisations
    Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
    Other
    The Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra

    Sustainability

    Success factors
    SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
    The National Foresight Network has not explicitly stated any success criteria. However, due to its purpose being to inform governmental decisions about education and employment, a success criteria that the National Foresight Network is able to deliver is information that helps decision-making in these areas.
    Barriers
    BARRIERS in the implementation
    The National Foresight Network has not explicitly stated any barriers. Despite this, it is likely that an implementation barrier could be to ensure the network's information is used in decision-making in a systematic way.
    Monitoring and evaluation
    MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
    Due to the absence of explicit success criteria, there has been no evaluations of the initiative. Furthermore, the National Foresight Network's term is from 2020-2023, which means that it will first be evaluated after the term has ended.
    Updates
    UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
    No
    Effectiveness
    EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
    Due to the absence of success criteria, there has been no evaluation of the effectiveness of the initiative.
    Sustainability
    SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
    There seems to be demand for foresight in decision-making, so it seems likely that the National Foresight Network continues.
  • Description

    Focus area
    The Occupational Barometer is provied by the employment offices to understand the development prospects in key occupations in the near future. The occupational barometer is carried out twice a year. It aims to increase the balance between job seekers and vacancies and promote occupational and regional mobility.
    Implementation level
    At what level is the initiative implemented?
    National
    Starting period
    TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
    It appears to have been launched in 2010.
    Policy area
    To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
    Funding
    How it is funded?
    Funded by national government

    Skill mismatch

    Skill mismatch target
    What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
    Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
    Other
    Regional mobility of skills to ensure the utilization of workers' skills
    Skills matching focus
    How does  the initiative address skills mismatches?
    The Occupational Barometer delivers information about the skill shortage/surplus in different sectors and regions of Finland
    The Occupational Barometer delivers information about the skill shortage/surplus in different sectors and regions of Finland

    Methods

    Methods
    What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
    Skills forecasting
    The Occupational Barometer uses labour market prospects of professions to make assessments of skills needed within the near future
    Employer surveys
    The Occupational Barometer uses company interviews to make assessments of skills needed within the near future
    Skills foresight
    The Occupational Barometer uses labour market prospects of professions to make assessments of skills needed within the near future
    Real-time labour market information (e.g. big data analysis of job advertisements, CVs)
    The Occupational Barometer uses information from employer- and jobseeker interfaces to make assessments of skills needed within the near future
    Use of skills intelligence
    How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
    Because the Occupational Barometer visualizes regional and sectoral skill shortage/surplus, jobseekers can enhance the likelihood of getting a job by being strategic according to the information in the Occupational Barometer.

    Stakeholders

    Main responsible body
    Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
    National PES
    Employment office
    Other involved organisations
    Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
    National ministry
    Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Deliver statistics for the assessments.

    Sustainability

    Success factors
    SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
    The Occupational Barometer aims to increase the balance between job seeking and job vacancies, and promote occupational and regional mobility. However, these criterias are not being evaluated.
    Barriers
    BARRIERS in the implementation
    The education level of the public can be a barrier, the same goes for reluctancy to move to another region. https://www.finnwards.com/working-in-finland/what-type-of-workers-finla…
    Monitoring and evaluation
    MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
    There is no evaluation of the Occupational Barometer.
    Updates
    UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
    No
    Effectiveness
    EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
    Since there is no evaluation of the Occupational Barometer, it is not possible to assess the effectiveness of it.
    Sustainability
    SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
    The Occupational Barometer was introduced ten years ago. It is a well-used barometer among several actors and it is referred to among the governmental institutions - especially during the covid-19 pandemic.
  • Description

    Focus area
    The purpose of the OEF is to promote dialogue between the education sector and working life. The OEF produces foresights/skills anticipation and educational needs. These skills anticipations are the starting point for the dialogue between education and working life partners. The OEF has 9 foresight groups that specializes in different sectors, and these groups consist of experts in the area and they make the skills anticipation analyses.
    Implementation level
    At what level is the initiative implemented?
    National
    Starting period
    TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
    The OEF is temporary and its term of office is 1/1-21 to 31/12-24 (4 years)
    Perspective
    PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
    No, the OEF supplies these skills foresights to enable an informed dialogue between ministries and other actors that concern themselves with education and working life.
    Policy area
    To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
    Funding
    How it is funded?
    Funded by national government

    Skill mismatch

    Skill mismatch target
    What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
    Other
    The OEF addresses skills mismatch in general by informing the dialogue between work life and education. This means that the type of skills mismatch depends on, which tasks the OEF is addressing. The OEF's task is to come up with recommendations, initiatives and proposals based on foresight analyses that national authorities can use when administrating and developing policies related to education and work life.
    Skills matching focus
    How does  the initiative address skills mismatches?
    The OEF has 9 foresight groups that each inform education and work life policies and dialogues in different sectors. How they do so depend on the sector, the groups' tasks from the Ministry of Education and Culture etc.

    Methods

    Methods
    What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
    Skills forecasting
    The OEF's tasks in this matter are to anticipate skills and training needs, analyse the changing and emerging skills needs in the Finnish work life. To do so, they use both qualitative and quantitative data.
    Skills foresight
    The OEF's tasks in this matter are to anticipate skills and training needs, analyse the changing and emerging skills needs in the Finnish work life. To do so, they use both qualitative and quantitative data.
    Use of skills intelligence
    How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
    The knowledge obtained in the skills foresights of the OEF are used to inform national authorities' decisions regarding policies concerned with education, work life and the coherence between the two.

    Stakeholders

    Main responsible body
    Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
    National ministry
    Ministry of Education and Culture
    Other involved organisations
    Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
    National agency
    National Board of Education. Its role is to organize the activities of the foresight groups and making the foresight plan for the OEF.

    Sustainability

    Success factors
    SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
    The foresight groups in the OEF have identified areas for development on the basis of skills anticipation and they have made recommendations etc.
    Barriers
    BARRIERS in the implementation
    Lack of clarity and direction provided to the foresight groups by the steering group in the OEF.
    Monitoring and evaluation
    MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
    There is no available information about monitoring and indicators. An evaluation of the previous OEF has been carried out, and that is based on whether or not the OEF follows the plan set out by the National Board of Education.
    Updates
    UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
    No
    The current OEF has only been operating since 1/1-21, so it is too new to have been updated.
    Effectiveness
    EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
    There is no evidence of the effectiveness of the current OEF.
    Sustainability
    SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
    The OEF has a term of 4 years, and it has a predecessor that ran from 2017-2020. Therefore, it is expected that the initiative will continue.