Vocational Education

Vocational education is a very well-developed component of the Finnish education system. There are hundreds of courses of study, from catering, to metal work, to dance, and textiles. I visited vocational education institutions in Mikkeli and Espoo and saw the most amazing facilities and learning opportunities. There was a hairdressing “classroom,” actually a complex of classrooms with students learning and working on every aspect of salon services. The students learn not just how to cut and dye hair, but how to keep books and run a business. Not sure how one keeps a salon open however; since it seems that there are four or five salons on every block in Helsinki. And I am going to wait until I am in Estonia to get my haircut – I don’t have 90€ to spend on a trim.

I also observed a program that is the equivalent, I think, of a CNA training program. Students were practicing how to brush the teeth of patients who are bedridden. The metal workshop was a huge complex with dozens of machines and plenty of projects in progress. And my favorite was the dressmaking studio. Students here design and sew fabulous garments, as my photos show. They also do internships in places like Hamburg and Lyon, which are organized and supported by the faculty.

These are 2-3 year programs that students can choose after they finish basic school (after grade 9). They are also open to adults. They are all, of course, free. Teachers are experienced in the field and have training in teaching as well.

Besides the focus on academics which yields such strong results on academic assessments like PISA, the Finns take quite seriously the preparation of students for the variety of vocations that needed in their society. Vocational institutions are well-funded and well-respected as serious places for learning. I’d like to learn more about how well graduates from these programs do in the work force, and if these occupations pay a living wage. My suspicion is that students trained in the variety of vocations enjoy a more satisfying work life than their counterparts in the U.S.










How do students know what vocation they might be interested? The extensive arts and hands-on education, of course, that is provided during the nine years of compulsory basic education.