I want to strengthen my competence

If you are about to change your profession and want to update your competence, you can learn about different study options on the StudyInfo website.

On the StudyInfo website, you can easily find information about current education options. You can browse the education selection or search using key words. In connection with the education options, you will find the application forms and more detailed information about how to apply for education and the education provider. The pages contain selection criteria and further information about the content of the education. The website also offers information about studying abroad.  

On the website, you can find information about education for immigrants and study opportunities in Finland. Further information is also available on the recognition of studies completed abroad.
You can try studying in a training try-out

In a training try-out, you can learn more about the educational institution and the content of the education that interests you. During the training try-out, you will get an idea of the content and requirements of the education. You will be able to follow along with instruction and discuss matters related to studying, so that you can assess your interest and suitability for the field.

The content of the training try-out is tailored to your situation. You choose the educational institution where the try-out will be carried out. Not all educational institutions arrange training try-outs. The duration of the training try-out is determined on a case-by-case basis. The duration varies, usually taking 3–5 days (up to 10 days).

If you are a job seeker, please agree on the training try-out with your employment specialist. Your employment specialist will agree on arranging your training try-out with the educational institution.

Content of the training try-out in brief:

• carried out at an educational institution
• includes discussions with teachers and student advisors
• familiarization with studying and following along with lessons
• assessment of ability to work and function in relation to the choice of education and the conditions for working in the profession
• up to 10 days at a time, can be arranged several times according to your needs
   

The service is free of charge. Unemployed job seekers can be paid an increased unemployment benefit for the duration of the training try-out.

Labor market training

With labor market training, you develop and supplement your own skills to meet the needs of the labor market. The aim of labor market training is to improve your chances of getting back into working life, or to keep you in the labor market.

Labor market training aimed at foreign-language speakers emphasizes learning Finnish in addition to vocational studies.

You can apply for labor market training if you are unemployed or at risk of becoming unemployed. Labor market training is primarily intended for job seekers over the age of 20 who are unemployed or at risk of becoming unemployed and who have completed their compulsory education.

In vocational labor market training, you can complete a basic degree, vocational qualification or specialist qualification, or some part of these qualifications. In addition, many fields organize further or extension studies. Free vocational labor market training is organized at vocational adult education centers, higher education institutions and private educational institutions. You will be paid an unemployment benefit and a reimbursement of expenses when you take part in labor market training.

Applying for labor market training

You can easily apply for labor market training online. All open training courses can be found on Job Market Finland.

You can apply for training regardless of where in Finland it is being organized. You can filter the training options by, for example, setting “Uusimaa” as a search criterion, in which case you will only see training courses organized in Uusimaa.

When you find a training course that interests you, click on the name of the training and read the call for applications carefully. If the training seems appropriate for you, you can apply for it directly via the "Fill in application” button. Applying for labor market training on Job Market Finland requires strong identification.

Tips for a good application:

• Set aside enough time for writing the application and write the application carefully.
• Explain why this particular training would support your employment.
• Highlight your own motivation and interest in the field.
• Explain your situation, background and goals openly.

A well-justified and carefully prepared application will improve your chances of being accepted into the training.  
The selection process for labor market training usually involves an interview organized by the training provider, to which suitable candidates are invited as the application process progresses. An assessment period or aptitude test may also be organized to support the selection.

Please note that applying for labor market training is always binding. By submitting an application, you commit to participating in a possible selection event and starting the training if you are selected. If you cancel your application or do not attend the selection event without an acceptable reason, your situation may need to be investigated with regard to your unemployment benefits. 

Varia offers customers of Vantaa Employment Services the opportunity to develop their competence and promote their employment through vocational training.

The training courses have been planned in cooperation with companies and employers. The aim of the training is employment in the open labor market, hidden jobs or the partner companies of the City of Vantaa.

Participants will receive support for employment and developing their competence from Varia's extensive network as well as guidance from experts. You can get into the training through the initial assessment carried out by Varia’s working life specialist.

Through the joint application, you can apply to study at an upper secondary school, vocational institution or higher education institution. Check the specific joint application periods on the StudyInfo website or the education provider’s own website.  

Please note that applying to some places will also involve an entrance exam or aptitude test. If you are invited to take a separate entrance exam or aptitude test, you must take it. If you do not take the test, you cannot be selected for the training. If a test is not required, you can simply wait for the application results.

In rolling admissions, you can apply for education when you need it.  You can apply for education in a flexible way throughout the year, but the educational institutions decide on the more detailed application periods, application procedures and selection criteria.

Educational institutions offer guidance and advice for applicants. The educational institution can look into what kind of education is suitable for you already during the application phase. When selecting the appropriate education, your skills are taken into account. You may have gained skills from, for example, working life, hobbies, organization activities or volunteering.

In rolling admissions, you can apply for initial vocational qualifications as well as vocational and specialist qualifications, competence areas of qualifications, or qualification units or smaller parts thereof. The rolling admission process may also cover preparatory education for programs leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA). Upper secondary schools can organize their own rolling admissions for places that were not filled during the joint application process, for example. You can also apply for liberal adult education and basic education for adults through rolling admissions.  

Rolling admissions may be the right application path for you if

• you have already completed an upper secondary or higher education qualification
• you have competence acquired in working life
• you want to apply for a vocational qualification or parts of a qualification
• you did not receive a study place during the joint application process  

If you are applying for further studies directly from comprehensive school, the joint application is your primary application path.

You can find the exact application periods for rolling admissions from the educational institutions’ websites or StudyInfo.

Independent studying means that you accept a study place at an educational institution during your unemployment period. If you are entitled to independent studies, you will receive unemployment benefits for the duration of the studies. You must be at least 25 years of age to gain the right to independent studies. The educational institutions are responsible for the studies and student admission.

You must notify your employment expert of any studies beforehand. The expert then issues a labour policy statement on your studies.

Before the studies, the employment expert assesses whether or not the education will improve your professional skills and opportunities on the labour market, and whether or not the other criteria for independent studies are met. Unemployment benefit can only be used to subsidise full-time studies. 

You can receive unemployment benefit for the duration of your studies if 

• you have registered as a jobseeker in your employment area and the registration is valid,
• you are at least 25 years of age,
• you are, in the estimation of the employment expert, in need of training and the studies will improve your professional skills and opportunities on the labour market,
• you have, in your employment plan, agreed on the studies being subsidise with unemployment benefit before the beginning of the studies.

If you are over 25 years of age, have studied before and are missing a small part of a qualification or would like to take a short supplementary course, you may be entitled to engage in short-term studies using the unemployment benefit. Short-term studies may not last longer than six months. The studies must provide you with professional capabilities or expedite your entrepreneurial plans. 

You must notify your employment expert of any studies beforehand. The expert always issues a labour policy statement on your studies.

During the short-term studies, you are still obliged to apply for and accept work, and to take part in employment-promoting services. Moreover, the studies are not an acceptable reason to refuse a job. Higher unemployment benefit will not be paid based on the studies.  

If the total length of your studies exceeds six months, they are not short-term studies. In this case, it is a good idea to determine whether or not you are entitled to independent studies or part-time studies subsidised with unemployment benefit.  

Days of the short-term studies are regard as normal payment days of unemployment allowance.

Part-time studies are studies that are minor is scope or duration. In some cases, studies leading to a qualification can be regarded as part-time studies.

Part-time studies are studies are studies that do not prevent you from engaging in or applying for full-time employment. Among other things, the studies can involve learning a new skill, completing basic studies at an open educational institution or completing a qualification or degree programme that was previously interrupted. 

If you are planning to study part-time using unemployment benefit, please contact your employment expert well in advance.

You can study using unemployment benefit if you are entitled to unemployment benefit.

Examples of part-time studies:

• studies at an open university and open university of applied sciences that last no longer than three months, regardless of the scope of the studies,
• studies at an open university or open university of applied sciences that last longer than three months and are, on average, less than five credits per month of studies in scope,
• studies leading to a vocational or special vocational qualification, the average scope of which, according to the personal competence development plan (PCDP) is, on average under 4.5 competence point per month of studies, and
• continuing vocational training that, on average, takes place less frequently than on four days per calendar week. 

Apprenticeship training may be suitable for you if:
 

• you want to study a profession
• change your field
• receive a certificate of competence
• complete previously discontinued studies
• acquire further training

With an apprenticeship, you can complete any upper secondary vocational qualification (initial vocational qualification, vocational qualification, specialist qualification). An apprenticeship can be arranged for a full qualification or part of a qualification. Apprenticeship training results in the same qualifications as education organized in educational institutions and provides the same eligibility for further studies.
 

Apprenticeship training requires that you:

• are at least 15 years old
• have completed your comprehensive education or have the corresponding prerequisites for studying
   

In addition, you must have sufficient language skills.

In apprenticeship training:

• The weekly working time is at least 25 hours.
• The employer will appoint a workplace supervisor for you, who will be your support person and advisor at the workplace. 
• The employer will pay you a salary in accordance with the collective agreement (TES). If the field does not have a collective agreement, the employer will pay a normal and reasonable salary.

The parties of an apprenticeship contract are the education provider, student and workplace. If you are an entrepreneur, it may be possible to arrange apprenticeship training in your own company, in which case the contract parties are you and the education provider. The workplace supervisor for an entrepreneur is another entrepreneur or a person who is otherwise suitable for the job, a mentor. You can look for a suitable mentor using the Oppisopimus.fi website’s Mentoripankki (mentor bank) service.

The educational institution may pay training compensation to the employer, or in the case of an entrepreneur's apprenticeship, to the mentor.
 

Learn more about apprenticeship training on the Oppisopimus.fi website. If you wish to discuss apprenticeship training and the possibility of a wage subsidy during the apprenticeship, leave a contact request for your employment specialist via Job Market Finland’s E-Services.
Find an apprenticeship that suits you

First, you must find an apprenticeship that suits you. Apprenticeships are applied for in the same way as a regular job. Remember to mention the possibility of a wage subsidy to the employer if your employment specialist has told you that you have the opportunity to receive it.

When you have found an apprenticeship for yourself, contact the educational institution. You can search for the right educational institution with the Oppisopimus.fi website’s “Find your regional apprenticeship office” function by selecting the municipality where the apprenticeship employer is located. You can contact the educational institution found with the search regardless of whether the institution in question offers the qualification you want. If necessary, the educational institution will refer you to other parties. The educational institution checks that the conditions for concluding an apprenticeship contract are met and determines the duration of your apprenticeship on a case-by-case basis.

Before the employer can apply for a wage subsidy, the educational institution will determine the duration of the apprenticeship, that is, the period for which the subsidy is applied for. If your employer is applying for a wage subsidy for the apprenticeship training, the application must be submitted before concluding an employment contract.

When you have found a suitable apprenticeship and a decision on any wage subsidy applied for has been made, you will draw up an employment contract with the employer and conclude an apprenticeship contract under the direction of the educational institution. The apprenticeship period, that is, the duration of the studies, the qualification or part(s) of the qualification being completed, the applicable working hours, length of the probationary period, salary and the duties of the parties are agreed upon in the contract. A personal competence development plan (HOKS) is drawn up as an attachment to the contract. The employment contract with the employer that the apprenticeship contract is based on can be fixed term or valid for an indefinite period. In the employment contract, you agree with the employer on the conditions of the employment relationship, such as possible flexible working hours, annual leave and holiday allowances, notice period, professional secrecy, etc.

Notify Employment Services that you are starting apprenticeship training. As a job seeker, you must inform Employment Services of any changes to your situation so that your right to unemployment benefits can be reviewed.

As an apprenticeship student, you may be entitled to financial benefits. Benefits include daily allowance, family allowance, compensation for travel expenses and accommodation allowance. The benefit is paid by the educational institution that organizes the apprenticeship training. During apprenticeship training, you are in an employment relationship and are therefore not entitled to student discounts from VR or HSL or to student benefits from Kela.

It is a good idea to complete a discontinued vocational qualification. Study guidance is available in many places, such as educational institutions, Employment Services and the youth service point Ohjaamo. Educational institutions are happy to help those who have not completed their studies to resume and complete a qualification or in switching to a different field of studies.  You can make an appointment with a student counselor directly on the websites of many educational institutions.

If you are under 25 years old and have not completed vocational training leading to a qualification and professional competence after comprehensive school or upper secondary school and you discontinue your studies for no valid reason, you may be issued an obligation to work. Read more about the obligation of a person under 25 to be trained or educated in the section below.

If your right to study is valid, your discontinuation is temporary. If your studies have been full-time and you register as a job seeker after discontinuing them, you may still be considered a full-time student. Students’ rights to unemployment benefits are limited. Ask your employment specialist for advice.

You can prove that your studies have completely ended if you have a certificate of termination of studies or your studies have been discontinued for at least a year. Those who are 25 years of age or older may receive unemployment benefits after registering as a job seeker if their studies can be proven to have truly been terminated, and the other conditions of the unemployment benefits are met.

• you do not apply for education or training,
• you act so as to not be selected for the education or training,
• you refuse the study place without a valid reason,
• you do not start the studies, or
• you discontinue the studies without a valid reason.
   

• you work at a job that meets the work requirement for 21 calendar weeks
• you take part in a service that promotes employment for 21 calendar weeks, 
• you study full-time for 21 calendar weeks, or 
• you are employed as a full-time entrepreneur or are self-employed for a total of 21 calendar weeks.

• you have completed a vocational qualification or higher education degree, or
• you reach 25 years of age.

Kela may set a qualifying period for your labor market subsidy, before which you will not receive any labor market subsidy. The qualifying period is 21 weeks at most. Kela decides on the qualifying period.

If you cannot receive unemployment security because you have not applied for education or training or discontinued your education or training, you can still receive unemployment security for the time you take part in a service promoting employment. Services promoting employment include:

• job-application coaching
• career coaching
• labor market training
• independent study with the support of unemployment benefits
• immigrant’s independent study with the support of unemployment benefits
• work trial
• training try-out
• rehabilitative work activity