Vocational Education

Students in vocational upper secondary education and training are mainly between ages 16 and 25. The school-based education system means full-time studies for three years at a vocational institution. Compulsory studies are primarily organised in year classes. With other studies, students follow their individual study plans.

In the apprenticeship system, training is not based on age groups. The minimum age is 15 and there is no maximum age.

Vocational upper secondary education and training is based on the basic education syllabus. The scope of upper secondary level vocational qualifications taken after basic education is 3 years.

Even if the education and training mostly takes place in institutions, all qualifications include approximately six months of instruction at the workplace (on-the-job learning). Vocational qualifications may also be completed as apprenticeship training, which also contain courses arranged in the institutions.

The objective of upper secondary vocational education and training is to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to acquire vocational competence and to provide them with the potential for self-employment as well as further studies.