The 2015 evaluation of VET provision and quality improvement measures

Policy development
Practical measure/Initiative
Finland
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Timeline
  • 2015Implementation
  • 2016Implementation
  • 2017Implementation
  • 2018Implementation
  • 2019Implementation
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Completed
ID number
28202

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

An evaluation carried out in 2015 by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the National Board of Education and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) revealed that 71% of the VET providers that participated in the evaluation had a quality assurance system in place. Legislation obliged the institutions to self-assess performance and participate in external evaluation. Also, to steer quality, award-winning skills demonstrations were in place. The demonstrations also formed the basis for the national evaluation and monitoring of learning outcomes.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

Based on the results of the 2015 evaluation, the Ministry of Education and Culture supported the development of the quality assurance system for VET providers. The Quality assurance national reference point (QANRP) used Erasmus+ funding in 2016-17 to update the criteria for self-assessment and related guidelines for VET providers. It was also involved in other projects and networking with QANRPs from other countries (e.g. Austria) to strengthen the culture of quality assurance in VET and involve teachers and trainers in quality management systems. Erasmus+ funding continued in 2017-19 to ensure that the recent reform was in line with the new elements of EQAVET+, focusing on the following topics:

  1. the quality assurance of qualification design, assessment and certification in IVET;
  2. update of criteria for peer reviews in the Finnish VET;
  3. dissemination of outputs of Erasmus+ to the VET providers;
  4. organising (transnational) study visits on various topics.
2015
Implementation
2016
Implementation
2017
Implementation
2018
Implementation
2019
Implementation

In 2019, QANRP started producing (to be completed in 2021) the guidance and support materials for VET teachers related to the implementation of personal competence development plans and how to utilise the feedback data collected from students and the world of work. QANRP also organised the biannual quality network (including, in particular, teachers in VET institutions who work with quality issues) meetings twice in 2019. During those meetings the current themes related to quality assurance were discussed and good practice was shared.

2020
Implementation

In 2019-20, the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (KARVI) developed and tested an evaluation model and criteria for quality management systems.

2021
Completed

In 2021, the evaluation model became a part of the quality development in VET. The Ministry of Education and Culture has drafted a Quality strategy for vocational education and training until 2030.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of Education and Culture
  • Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
  • Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Learners

  • Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices

Education professionals

  • Teachers
  • Trainers
  • School leaders
  • Adult educators
  • Guidance practitioners

Entities providing VET

  • Companies
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
  • VET providers (all kinds)

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several 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.

Further developing national quality assurance systems

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.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET
CVET

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.
Cedefop-ReferNet news - Finland - VET provider quality management systems under review for the first time
Cedefop (2019) Vocational education and training in Finland: short description
Evaluation of the quality management systems of vocational education and training providers and developing the evaluation model and criteria, 2018-22, KARVI web page

Country

Finland

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Practical measure/Initiative
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). The 2015 evaluation of VET provision and quality improvement measures: Finland. 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/28202