- 2016Approved/Agreed
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Completed
Background
Vocational education programme is one of the nine (eight since 2019) programmes implementing the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020.
Objectives
The aim of the programme was to create high-quality, flexible and diverse vocational training opportunities for the Estonian population that meet their needs and abilities and the development needs of the labour market.
Description
The programme was adopted in 2015. It is implemented through a single measure (Correspondence between lifelong learning opportunities and the needs of the labour market and increased participation in learning). Its main activities are:
- developing the quality and organisation of vocational education;
- planning of volumes of studies, provision of study places and students´ support measures;
- regional distribution of curriculum groups in vocational education institutions and modernisation of the learning environment;
- developing international cooperation (including coherence with ECVET and EQAVET).
The programme budget for 2015-20 is EUR 326 million from the EU (ESIF) and the State budget.
Following the 2016 amendments, the programme offered analyses on how to improve the quality and efficiency of the general education component of VET (Estonian language, mathematics and foreign languages), to prepare for upper secondary exams and to support progression of upper secondary VET graduates to tertiary education.
In 2018, the IT Academy for VET was launched in cooperation with the Information Technology Foundation for Education HITSA, employers, higher education institutions and vocational schools. The aim of the programme is to bring IT studies more in line with the needs of employers and to create flexible opportunities in vocational secondary education curricula (software developer and IT systems specialist) to continue studies in higher education and produce more IT graduates.
In 2019/20, the decrease in the number of VET students has turned to growth. The share of adults (25+) in VET rose rapidly to 41.7% by 2019 (compared to 32% in 2015). According to surveys, satisfaction with their studies and work among learners and teachers is very high.
In 2019, under IT Academy for VET, the first students were accepted to the 4-year software developer curriculum at EQF level 4; the development of the IT specialist curriculum has been started.
Other developments included: improving the quality of VET, including modernisation of the general education component, the analysis of opportunities for applied higher education in VET institutions and the development and implementation of respective module-based curricula; planning of State-financed training places in cooperation with school councils and the introduction of operating support in financing; development of in-service training, including cooperation with the Unemployment Insurance Fund; planning the participation of VET institutions in education consortia; and developing the cross-use of practice facilities between schools.
In 2020, the IT Academy VET programme continued, aiming to bring the ICT curricula in VET in line with the needs of employers and to create more flexible opportunities for graduates of ICT curricula to continue their studies in higher education.
Despite the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, VET institutions were able to reorganise their activities and VET students completed their studies by autumn 2020. Flexible learning arrangements included a significant expansion of the use of distance learning environments, digital tools and study materials. The successful transition to distance learning built on the long-term development of digital learning and on education institutions having sufficient autonomy for organising their activities.
Compared to 2020/21, the number of VET students decreased most in services and health and wellbeing, and increased most in engineering, manufacturing and construction, and agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary medicine. The share of early leavers from VET has remained high (19.2% in 2020, 20.3% in 2021). A VET learner satisfaction survey showed that the impact of distance learning due to the COVID pandemic depended on the extent to which learners were able to reshape their learning habits. The negative effects of distance learning on learners' mental health were confirmed.
For progress as of 2022, see related policy developments.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Research
- Information Technology Foundation for Education (HITSA) (until 2020)
- Education and Youth Board
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
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.
The learning-outcomes-based approaches focus on what a learner is expected to know, to be able to do and understand at the end of a learning process (Cedefop, 2016). Learning outcomes can be defined at the system level as in national qualification frameworks (NQFs), most of which are currently based on learning outcomes. Learning outcomes can be defined in qualification standards, curricula, learning programmes and assessment, although the last one is still uncommon. This thematic sub-category refers to the use of learning outcomes in these contexts and to development and use of modules or units of learning outcomes in VET curricula and programmes.
This thematic sub-category is about the way learners learn, how the learning is delivered to them, and by what means. Programmes become more accessible through a combination of adaptable and flexible formats (e.g. face-to-face, digital and/or blended learning), through digital learning platforms that allow better outreach, especially for vulnerable groups and for learners in geographically remote or rural areas.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Vocational education programme 2015-21: Estonia. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28173