Lucy Volosatova 1 Development of an Education and Training Guarantee System for Turku and Salo Regions Matti Mäkelä, Project Manager Turku Vocational Institute Development Unit Turku, Finland

Lucy Volosatova 2 Structure of the presentation 1.The Education System of Finland 2.Challenges for the Future 3.CASE: VaSkooli-project

Lucy Volosatova 3 Educational and cultural equality -Ideals of equal opportunities in society are fundamental principles in Finnish system -The public sector is largely seen responsible for promoting and ensuring the well-being and equality of Finns -Education is free in Finland at all levels from pre- school education to universities

Lucy Volosatova 4 The Education System of Finland

Lucy Volosatova 5 Challenges for the Future 1.Making Training Guarantee reality (how to ensure a place of study for every young person finishing basic education?) 2.How to ensure sufficiency of skilled labour in the future? 3.How to make life-long learning possible and make people see it as a possibility rather than a threat?

Lucy Volosatova 6 Challenges for the Future Current situation: -Every year youngsters won’t get a place of study after comprehensive school -10 % of vocational school students drop-out every year -Population is aging and new skillful work force is needed

Lucy Volosatova 7 CASE: VaSkooli-project and Regional Model for Training Guarantee

Lucy Volosatova 8 The VaSkooli project was implemented in Turku and Salo regions in Southwest Finland from 1 November 2004 – 31 January The project was part of the EQUAL programme.

Lucy Volosatova 9 To develop a regional model of education and training guarantee to assure a place of study for every young person finishing his/her basic education. Main Objective of the project

Lucy Volosatova 10 Main target group of the project was young people at high risk of being excluded from the education, labour market and/or society. More over, the target groups included parents and teachers of the young people, other public sector officers working with young people, as well as representatives of companies and employer and employee organisations. Target group of the project

Lucy Volosatova 11 VaSkooli - results members of the target group were involved in the project activities -After the project 884 (80,8 %) of the participants were either at school (63,6 %) or at work (17,2) participated in trainings for teachers and other public sector officers working with young people

Lucy Volosatova 12 Training guarantee: before and after Youngsters without a place of study after basic education: Turku6,2 %5,3 % Salo5,4 %3,0 % ALL6,1 %4,9 %

Lucy Volosatova 13 How to Make It Happen (1) To make Training Guarantee reality you need these… 1. Enough places of study in secondary education 2. New methods of issuing and receiving information 3. Intensive co-operation between educational organisations and other actors 4. “Easy to reach” -guidance centers 5. New Guidance and support practices 6. Flexible routes through education 7. New models and good practices for transition from school to work

Lucy Volosatova 14 How to make it happen? (2) 1.Co-operation (transition phases, multi-vocational actors) 2.Flexibility (”customer first”, flexible routes through education) 3.Creativity (new models for guidance and support) 4.Lobbying (enough places of study in secondary education)

Lucy Volosatova 15 Final Overall Question: WHY? Training Guarantee is good business: It is estimated that every youngster excluded permanently from education and working life will cost at least euros for the Finnish society