Based on the Government Programme, Finland will pilot a more flexible VET provision’s licensing model (called operational guidance) starting in 2026, aimed at making VET more responsive to labour market needs. Forty VET providers (out of 134) will be authorised to offer almost all Finnish qualifications during the pilot.
Operational guidance to enhance flexibility and collaboration
In Finland, authorisations to provide VET are granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture. VET providers can apply for authorisation to offer new qualifications, or request amendments to existing ones, but the process can be slow.
To make VET provision more responsive to labour market needs, the Ministry has developed a new model that grants VET providers greater flexibility in offering qualifications and strengthens collaboration between education providers, public administration, and regional actors.
Eight-year pilot with broad authorisations
Out of 85 applications, 40 VET providers have been selected to pilot the model from 2026 to 2033, ensuring a sufficiently diverse qualification offering across regions and provider types. These providers will receive experimental authorisations to offer nearly all VET qualifications, including programmes delivered in English, with only a few exceptions related to unusually high delivery costs, legally regulated or internationally bound competence requirements, or cases where broad authorisation would undermine existing specialised providers.
In spring 2026, the Ministry will agree with each participating provider on specific objectives and measures to align VET provision with labour market needs and to safeguard quality. Progress towards these goals will be monitored throughout the pilot. In addition to assessing the pilot’s outcomes, the Ministry will evaluate its potential impacts on the provider network, operational conditions for providers, and the regional availability of study places.
Evaluation and monitoring
The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC)will carry out the evaluation of the pilot. The evaluation will monitor the achievement of the pilot’s objectives, the negotiation process between the Ministry and VET providers, and the overall impact of the pilot.
Read more about the operational guidance pilot here: Toiminnanohjauksen kokeilu (in Finnish)
| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Finland, & Cedefop (2025, December 1). Finland: flexible authorisations to provide VET qualifications. National news on VET |