Quality Management of VET in Finland Counsellor of Education Tarja Riihimäki

1. Quality Management of VET in Finland Counsellor of EducationTarja Riihimäki

2. Quality Management of VET Starting points: • Key principles of Quality Management of VET: • customer orientation, trust, openness and transparency, pursuit of excellence, uniform quality • Quality should be transparent to all stakeholders, e.g. • students • social partners • working life • partners in international mobility and cooperation • Quality Management is essential part of the Management System of a VET Provider • Guidelines: • The Quality Management Recommendation for Vocational Education: http://www.oph.fi/download/47655_quality_management_recommendation_for_vocatinal_education_and_training.pdf • EQAVET (European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training), http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/eqavet_en.htm

3. The National Quality Management System National Targets • The Government sets National targets for the results of VET • The Government Program (http://valtioneuvosto.fi/hallitus/hallitusohjelma/pdf/en334743.pdf) • The role of on-the-job learning and labour-intensive learning environments and teaching methods will be enhanced. • The funding of VET will be reformed to better support the provision of education for the whole age group, improve success rates, and speed up transfer to employment. • VET providers will be rewarded for the quality and improvement of the quality of education. • The reform of the qualification structure of VET will be continued in close cooperation with working life. • The Development Plan for Education and Research 2011–2016 (http://www.minedu.fi/export/sites/default/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/liitteet/okm03.pdf?lang=en ) • The Quality assurance in VET: all training providers have to establish a quality assurance system by 2015. • A systematic procedure and forms of support is developed to give incentive for training providers at different stages of quality work. • Tools and procedures for assuring the quality of learning on the job, in youth workshops and in apprentice training are developed.

4. The National Quality Management System State Budget • The Budget for 2012, VET targets: • Transition from Basic Education: 42,5 % to VET, 3 % to Preparatory VET (at the moment: VET 41 %, Preparatory VET ~3 % and Upper Secondary Schools 51 %) • Employment rate and Continuation to further studies of VET graduates 76 % (at the moment 73,5 % ) • Drop out rate of VET 7,5 % (at the moment 8,5 %) • Completetion rate 62,5 % (at the moment ~ 60 %)

5. The National Quality Management System National Steering and VET providers • National Steering: • Legislation • Performance Management by National Targets • Funding, including Performance Based Funding • Authorisation to provide VET by the Ministry of Education and Culture (VET fields, student volumes, language of instruction, special educational missions) -> forms also Basis for Funding • The National Core Curriculum (Decision by The Finnish National Board of Education) • Steering by Information • Quality Management and Evaluation by VET Providers • On the Responsibility of VET providers • Government sets National targets but the local targets and the Quality Management Methods and Procedures are chosen by the Provider • No Inspection at any level

6. The National Quality Management System Evaluation • VET institutions • obligation by law to do Self Evaluation, External Evaluation and take part in National Evaluations • the Outcomes should be published and available to all Stakeholders • The External evaluation of VET • The Evaluation Plan is approved by The Ministry of Education and Culture • The Finnish Education Evaluation Council serves as an expert body for Educational Evaluation. (http://www.edev.fi/ ) • Assessment of Learning Outcomes • The National Board of Education

7. Quality and Funding • Calculatory funding is complemented by Performance Based Funding which is 3 % of the whole funding of all Education providers (some 50 M€) • Performance Based Funding is based on the Performance Index which consists of 3 indicators: • the Outcome Indicator based on student outcomes: completion of qualifications, further studies and employment (weight 90 %) • the Teacher Competence Indicator (weight 7 %) • the Staff Development Indicator (weight 3 %) • Quality Award • yearly Quality Award Competition (EFQM) • the whole Quality Management System is evaluated, 2012 theme: Healthy Learning Environment • Quality Award is also a method of quality work = External Evaluation