National skills anticipation groups

In 2019, the National forum for skills anticipation produced the report Competences and skills 2035. It investigated changes in the importance of competences and skills and anticipated the most important skills required for 2035. In addition, skills needs in the growth sectors were anticipated according to task structures. The report also discussed the challenges facing continuous learning. The starting point in the report was the anticipation process of the National forum for skills anticipation, in which experts in the world of work, education and training have anticipated skills and education needs and reflected on proposals for the development of education and training.

During 2019, the following skills anticipation groups made initiatives, proposals or recommendations to EDUFI and the education ministry for the development of VET in their field: natural resources, food production and the environment; transport and logistics; hospitality services; built environment; social, health and welfare services; process industry and production.

The Competence structure 2035 (Osaamisrakenne 2035) report was published. It examined the changing importance of sectoral competence needs and key competences for 2035 from the viewpoint of different sectors and looks at medium-term changes in competence needs and language proficiency requirements in different vocational fields (until 2025). The results indicated that different types of competence are to be emphasised in different sectors in the future. In the sectors covered by the anticipation group for transport and logistics, for example, particular skills that are to increase in importance were problem-solving, mastering complex entities and responsiveness. They were generic, or transversal, all-round skills. In the social and health care sector, workplace-relevant competences and basic digital skills are to become more important. The results also include education and training needs cards and skills cards by sector group and skills cards by vocational field. Some industries and sectors have been anticipated more closely, such as media and communication, water, exercise and climate change.

The Ministry of Education and Culture appointed a new National forum for skills anticipation for 2021-24.

The report Education and demand for labour by 2035 (Koulutus ja työvoiman kysyntä 2035) was published. It examined the need for labour and the education and training required for the labour force by 2035: of the staff who will be recruited, the proportion with a higher education degree will be 56%; the proportion with a vocational qualification will be 42%. The proportion of jobs in which skills below the level of a vocational upper secondary qualification were sufficient will be significantly under 5%.