- 2021Design
- 2022Design
- 2023Design
- 2024Design
Background
Estonia's strong tradition of extracurricular (hobby) education for children and high participation rates in adult education call for a holistic approach that enables learners to shape their education, training and career paths as a lifelong process.
According to the Education Strategy 2021-35, lifelong learning and flexible learning pathways are at the core of a learning environment that enables personalisation.
The reinforced Youth guarantee is a commitment by all Member States to ensure that all young people under the age of 30 receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.
Recognition of prior learning and validation of work experience (RPL) aims to increase the permeability of the education system and to smooth transitions between levels and types of education, and to the labour market. RPL is used in initial vocational education and training (IVET), continuing vocational education and training (CVET) and higher education, and awarding professional qualifications.
Objectives
To keep pace with the rapidly changing world of labour, and to ensure equal access to high-quality education irrespective of learners' social and cultural backgrounds, age and gender, it is necessary to increase coherence between, and the flexibility of, different levels and types of education. The dividing lines that prevent permeability between formal, non-formal and informal learning, as well as between general and vocational education, need to be reduced.
To create opportunities for learners to design their learning paths according to their needs and abilities.
To add flexibility, the RPL system needs to be further developed and expanded, to cover knowledge and skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning and work experience. In general education, RPL is not yet widely used.
Description
In order to ensure flexible learning opportunities, accessibility of high-quality education and training, and supported learning with the aim of reducing drop-out and early leaving rates and exploiting every individual's potential to the fullest, the following measures are foreseen:
- developing and implementing a common standard for secondary education to integrate general and vocational secondary education;
- updating the Standard of vocational education and specifying the differences between IVET and CVET;
- supporting access to (further) education, including within the framework of the Youth guarantee action plan;
- developing opportunities for learner-centred learning and flexible learning pathways at upper secondary education level and vocational training, providing learners with the conditions and opportunities to acquire education in smaller modules (e.g. micro-qualifications, bitesize learning) tailored to learners' needs and abilities;
- contributing to the development of the principles of micro-qualifications and supporting their implementation in VET;
- developing the system of recognition of prior learning and experience (RPL, accessibility, user-friendliness, training of assessors and counsellors), and ensuring access to RPL information and counselling, user-friendly RPL assessment and skills recognition for all learners.
Regulation of micro-qualifications was designed to offer learners an opportunity to acquire competences in smaller modules. In the Estonian context, the term ´micro-qualification´ has been chosen to denote micro-credentials that can be considered as part of the formal curriculum.
To regulate the emerging field of micro-degrees offered by higher education institutions and expand the micro-qualifications system to vocational education and adult training institutions, the concept of micro-qualifications was drafted, and a regulative process was launched in 2021. Based on international practice, the possibilities for the introduction of micro-qualifications in the Estonian education and qualifications system have been explored.
In 2021, a legislative process was launched to introduce amendments to the Adult Education Act to provide the definition of micro-qualifications, establish the volume of study programmes leading to micro-credentials, principles of provision, and quality assurance mechanism.
The amendments concerned:
- requirements for the study programmes that lead to micro-qualifications;
- links between the micro-qualification programmes and the Estonian qualifications framework;
- volume of studies required to obtain a micro-qualification;
- types of institutions that can provide micro-qualifications for the acquisition of specific work-related knowledge, skills, or competences (higher education institutions, VET institutions, and private in-service training institutions that are recognised through the national quality assessment mechanism);
- types of training that can lead to micro-qualifications (parts of formal education programmes, in-service training, professional examination or independent study/work recognised by the competent authority using VNIL);
- types of certificates (micro-degree, partial qualification, partial profession, certificate or licence awarded by the competent authority);
- special conditions for private in-service training institutions offering micro-qualifications.
In 2022, updating the national curricula in upper secondary VET continued, creating prerequisites for designing flexible education paths that meet individual needs of learners, including introduction of micro-qualifications.
Adopting a regulation on micro-qualifications in the Adult education act was pending.
Adopting amendments on micro-qualifications in the Adult education act remained pending, due to the continued discussions on quality assurance mechanisms. Amendments include the definition of micro-qualifications, the volume of learning leading to micro-credentials, principles of provision, and quality assurance.
Alongside extending compulsory education, the 2023 VET reform was launched. The reform aims at better integration of VET with other education levels, bridging formal and non-formal education, as well as connecting general, vocational, and applied higher education. Stakeholder engagement seminars for updating upper secondary VET curricula started.
To offer vocational secondary education as a viable alternative to general (gymnasium) education and facilitate transitions to higher education, development of new upper secondary VET curricula started, comprising an enhanced set of general competences. The unified structure of the 3.5-4 years upper secondary VET curricula was agreed, new general education modules for these curricula were developed, and the development of curriculum specific specialty modules was launched.
The development of 17 innovative vocational upper secondary curricula started, based on proposals by VET centres. The new curricula focus on smart technology, digitalisation, sustainability, and collaboration with industry experts to meet future workforce needs.
In addition to changes in VET, the extension of compulsory education triggered establishment of a joint admission system to upper secondary education, detailing the roles of the state, local authorities, schools and parents in securing further education options to all pupils, building connections between upper secondary courses and vocational/higher education credits, enhancing career education and counselling, and development of preparatory studies for youth lacking the skills or readiness for further studies.
To prepare for the joint admission system, regulation on the (un)enrolment procedure in/from vocational education institutions was renewed.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Research
- Estonian Qualifications Authority
Target groups
Learners
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
Transparency and portability of VET skills and qualifications
European principles and tools, such as EQF, ESCO, ECTS, Europass and ECVET, provide a strong basis for transparency and portability of national and sectoral qualifications across Europe, including the issuing of digital diplomas and certificates.
This thematic category looks at how individuals are supported in transferring, accumulating, and validating skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings – including learning on the job – and in having their learning recognised towards a qualification at any point of their lives. This is only possible if qualifications are transparent and comparable and are part of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks. Availability of qualifications smaller than full and acquirable in shorter periods of time is necessary; some countries have recently worked on developing partial qualifications, microcredentials, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to the development and implementation of qualifications that are smaller than full qualifications (alternative credentials) or are acquired in a shorter learning experience. It includes microcredentials, partial qualifications, units of learning outcomes (ECVET principle), digital badges, etc. These are owned by learners and can be combined or not to get a full qualification.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Seamless transitions between levels and types of education and training, and the labour market: Estonia. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/lt/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/41131