Anticipating skills needs in Finland

1. Anticipating skills needs in Finland Riitta Juvonen Chemical Industry Federation of Finland Riitta Juvonen

2. Content • Urgent need for anticipating future skills and employment • Work of National Education and Training Committees • European sector council on employment and skills needs for the chemical sector Riitta Juvonen

3. Number of people retiring vs. entering the work market New workforce 2008 Source: Confederation of Finnish Industries Retirement

4. National Education and Training Committees Riitta Juvonen

5. Labour market needs as basis for education and training • Finland has long traditions in tripartite collaboration in developing the national education system. • Labour market organisations are involved in • Building the structure of the VET system • Planning the contents of VET curricula • Anticipating employment and skills needs in co-operation with education authorities • Government program 2011: • ”Links between education and labour market will be strengthened on all levels of education.” Riitta Juvonen

6. National Education and Training Committees (NETC) • Several decades of NETC collaboration between government and labour market • System revised every three years • Different structures and assignments during the years • The System of NETCs is based on legislation • Currently: Decree of the Council of State 882/2010 (October 14, 2010) • NETCs are nominated by the Ministry of Education and Culture for 3 year periods Riitta Juvonen

7. National Education and Training Committee System NETC Steering group - 14 members Members: Education sector, central labour market organisations Secretariat: Ministry of Education and Culture + National Board of Education • National Education and Training Committees • for 26 Sectors • Tripartite composition: • Employers, Trade unions, Education and training sector • (VET institutions, polytechnics, universities) • Max. 16 members + 16 deputy members Ad hoc expert groups Riitta Juvonen

8. NETCs * • Automotive and transport • Food industry • Energy • Aviation • Beauty care • Trade, entrepreneurship, business, administration and finance • Chemical, paper and wood sector • Mechanical engineering, machine work • Property and building maintenance, domestic services • Sports and rehabilitation • Visual arts • Agriculture and environment • Tourism, catering • Navigation • Forestry • Music, theatre, dance • Education, pedagogy • Construction, building • Social work • Electrical and automation engineering • Industrial art, design • Textiles and clothing • Health care • Data processing • Security • Communication *Translations by the speaker Riitta Juvonen

9. Tasks of the NETCs • In general • To act as an expert body for the Ministry of Education and Culture and the National Board of Education • To promote collaboration between education sector and working life • NETCs’ assignment during the current period 2011 – 2013 is • To follow, evaluate, anticipate and analyse the development of skills needs on the labour market • To make suggestions and take initiatives for the qualitative development of vocational education and training and curricula. • To take initiatives for integrating labour market skills needs into higher education programs • To carry out other assignments given by the Ministry of E&C or the National Board of Education Riitta Juvonen

10. Chemical, paper and wood sector NETC (2011-2013) • 15+15 members • Committee meetings 3 meetings / year • Working committee (chairmen+ secretariat+ 1-2 members) • Preparatory work for the meetings • Communication with the Ministry of Education and Culture and National Board of Education • Results in 2011-2012 • Analysis of existing anticipation and foresight reports made for chemical sector or paper & wood sector – Consultant report available in April 2012 • Pending application for funding for anticipating skills needs and competence profiles for manufacturing professions Riitta Juvonen

11. Strengths Weaknesses • Commitment by the Government • All relevant stakeholders involved • National authorities listen to the labour market • In-built tripartite collaboration in the VET programmes • Resources for the NETC work diminshing • Too broad scopes of some NETC’s • Lack of liaison between NETCs • Not enough emphasis on higher education Riitta Juvonen

12. Challenges getting information for decision making Riitta Juvonen

13. Challenges & Opportunities - European sector council on employment and skills needs for the chemical sector • Challenges • Getting reliable data (previous slide) is a challenge on the national level, let alone on European level • How to find effective ways to disseminate and deploy the results in practice? • Opportunities • Raising awareness of industry skills and employment needs is indispensable for competitiveness • Social dialogue and tripartite collaboration builds trust • Awareness of the industry needs could speed up mobility in the chemical sector • Education and training based on anticipated needs could strengthen employability • European sector council could build on success already achieved: • Framework agreement on competence profiles 2011 Riitta Juvonen

14. Thank you! For more information: riitta.juvonen@chemind.fi http://www.oph.fi/english Riitta Juvonen