National Qualification Requirements for Vocational Education and Training

National qualification requirements are drawn up by the Finnish National Board of Education in co-operation with employers' organisations, trade unions, the Trade Union of Education and student unions. They are dealt with by National Education and Training Committees, which are tripartite bodies established for each occupational field by the Ministry of Education for a term of three years at a time to plan and develop vocational education and training. Local tripartite bodies as well as other representatives of working life take part in the curriculum work as advisers and consultants. Local curricula are approved by the boards of education providers.

National qualification requirements constitute a legal norm for educational institutions. Their purpose is to reflect the objectives of education policy, to determine the requirements for nationally uniform vocational competence and the capabilities for learning to learn and functioning as a citizen. In addition, qualification requirements must also function as the basis for the evaluation of national learning outcomes. Qualification requirements for upper secondary vocational qualifications and requirements for competence-based qualifications are common to education and training for young and adult students. The scope of the qualifications is 120 credits (40 credits per year and 1 credit is equivalent to 40 hours of study).

The Finnish National Board of Education has revised all national requirements of vocational qualifications which have been taken into use in August 2010. There are 52 upper secondary vocational qualifications including a total of 120 different study programmes. The revision includes the structure of the requirements, the organisation of studies, the requirements of skills as well as the targets and criteria of assessment. The revised requirements stress, for example, that students should acquire skills which can be utilised in different fields and transferred from profession to profession; skills should serve labour market needs but also promote lifelong learning; and study modules should be flexible and there should be a possibility for various combinations. The revision takes immigrants and students with disabilities into account, and is relevant for adults as it revises also competence-based qualifications.

The Finnish National Board of Education has had most of the National Qualification Requirements for Vocational Education and Training translated into English. You can find the translations below.