Steering and funding related to educational policy cannot solely focus on the completion of basic qualifications. Further and continuing education and training, which take a shorter time to complete than degrees, are increasingly important in vocational
education and higher education. Liberal adult education
also addresses the needs of the aging population and
people outside employment.
The division of administration, funding and steering systems according to the administrative sector and educational level emphasises activities in line with present structures, which is an obstacle for the required reform. The needs of individuals and workplaces can be met by lowering the thresholds of education, employment and economic administration.
The reform of regional administration enables education to react more rapidly to change. Benefiting from the resources of further and continuing adult education and labour market training will be intensified by increAdult education is designed to provide study opportunities for adults. It encompasses self-motivated education, staff training and labour market training. The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for self-motivated education, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy for labour market training and employers for staff training.
Some 800 educational institutions provide further and continuing education of varying duration, non-degree studies, as well as education leading to a qualification. Learning mostly takes place in working life and through informal studies using networks, libraries and other learning environments.
More than 1.7 million citizens participate in different types of adult education each year. More than half of this number is made up of the working age population, and this figure is high also in international terms. The aim is for the annual share of the working age population participating in education to reach 60 per cent by 2012. To achieve this figure, the participation base needs to be expanded and the study opportunities of the population groups who participate the least must be improved. The goal is to increase the study opportunities of people with no vocational education and training or whose education is outdated, entrepreneurs, the staff of small and medium-sized enterprises, immigrants and people aged over 55.
An average of 12 per cent of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s main title of expenditure is allocated to adult education. Of this total, about 40 per cent is allocated to vocational adult education and training and apprenticeship training, one fourth goes to adult education provided by higher education institutions, a fifth to liberal adult education, and about 5 per cent to developing adult education and continuing education for teaching staff.
asing synergy and cooperation on a national
and regional level.