Continuous Learning in Working Life in Finland
Finland’s skill development system is one of the most successful in the OECD. The
country’s 15-year old students have been amongst the top performers of all the countries
participating in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) since its
first edition in 2000. Its adult population has some of the highest levels of literacy
and numeracy in the OECD, according to the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), surpassed
only by Japan. To maintain these remarkable performances, the skill development system
needs to adapt to a rapidly changing labour market. Globalisation, technological change
and population ageing are affecting the types of jobs that are and will be available
in Finland and how they are carried out. Today, the vast majority of new jobs created
require high levels of skills, while meta-cognitive and digital skills are becoming
more important in working life. Skill shortages in the Finnish labour market are increasingly
apparent and there are growing concerns about the supply of higher-level skills, given
demographic change and stagnating educational attainment levels. Finland’s skill development
system must get future-ready. This report analyses the status quo of the Finnish continuous
learning system for adults, highlights its key challenges and makes actionable policy
recommendations.
Published on February 19, 2020
In series:Getting Skills Rightview more titles