I want to strengthen my competence

Through an education trial, you can learn about an educational institution that interests you and the content of the studies. The trial provides you with an idea of the content and requirements of the education. You get to witness the actual education and discuss matters related to the studies, so that you can determine your interest and suitability for the field.

The content of the education trial is planned to suit your specific situation. You can choose the educational institution in which the trial will take place. Not all educational institutions arrange education trials. The duration of the education trial is determined for each individual separately. The duration varies; normally, an education trial takes 3–5 days (a maximum of 10 days).

If you are a jobseeker, agree on the education trial with your employment expert. The expert will then agree on the arrangement of the education trial with the relevant educational institution.

Education trial content in brief:

• carried out in an educational institution
• involves discussions with teachers and student instructors
• learning about the studies and viewing lessons
• an assessment of work and functional capacity in relation to the chosen field of study and the preconditions of professional activity in the field
• no more than 10 days at a time; can be arranged more than once according to your needs

The service is free of charge. Unemployment jobseekers can receive a higher unemployment benefit for the duration of the education trial.

If you intend to switch fields and want to update your competence, you can learn about the study options on the Studyinfo website.

The site provides easy access to information on various current education programmes. You can browse the offering or find studies by using search terms. In connection to the study and training programmes, you will find application forms and more detailed information on the organiser. The pages list the admission criteria and more information on the content of the studies. The site also includes information on studying abroad.

The website features information on studies for immigrants and study opportunities immigrants in Finland. Additional information is also available on the recognition of studies completed abroad.

Labour market training helps you develop and supplement your competence to meet the needs of the labour market. The aim of the training is to improve your possibilities of re-entering working life or remaining employed.

Labour market training aimed at foreign-language speakers emphasises learning the Finnish language, alongside vocational studies.

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

Through vocational labour market training, you can obtain a vocational upper secondary qualification, vocational qualification or special vocational qualification, or part thereof. Many fields also organise further and continuing education. Free-of-charge vocational labour market training is organised at vocational adult education centre, higher education institutions and private educational institutions.  You will receive unemployment benefit and cost compensation when you take part in labour market training.

Through the joint application process, you can apply to upper secondary schools, vocational institutions or higher education institutions. For specifics on the timing of the joint application process, please see the Studyinfo website or the web pages of the study organiser.

Please note that some institutions require an entrance exam or aptitude test. If you are invited to a separate entrance exam or aptitude test, you must attend. You cannot be admitted to the education or training if you do not attend. If the institution to which you are applying does not require an exam or test, you can wait for the results.

The rolling admission process enables you to apply for education when you are in need of it.  You can apply flexible at any time of the year, but each educational institution decides the specifics of the application periods, application practices and admission criteria.

Educational institutions offer application guidance and advice for applicants. An educational institution can work with you in the application phase to determine the right studies for you. Your competence is taken into account in selecting the suitable studies. You may have accumulated competence through working life, hobbies, third-sector activities or volunteer work.

The rolling admission process provides you with the opportunity to apply for vocational upper secondary qualifications, vocational and special vocational qualifications, competence areas of qualifications, or smaller parts. The rolling admission process can also cover preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA). Upper secondary schools may organise their own admission processes for places that are left unfilled in the joint application. You can also apply for liberal adult education and adult basic education through the rolling admission process.

Rolling admission may be suitable application path for you if

• you have previously completed an upper secondary qualification or higher education degree,
• you have competence accumulated through working life,
• you want to apply for a vocational qualification or part thereof,
• you have been unable to secure a study place through the joint application process. 

If you apply for further studies directly from primary school, your main application path is the joint application process.

The websites of the various educational institutions and Studyinfo provide information on the specific application periods of rolling admission.

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. 

Generally speaking, unemployment benefits are not intended to provide income during full-time studies. The student financial aid system exists for this purpose. Unemployment benefit can only be paid for the duration of studies that support fast employment.

The studies must promote employment. The employment services prepare an assessment on whether or not the education promotes your chances of employment, improves your professional skills and enables you to secure a job. The provision of unemployment benefit during studies is always assessed on a case-by-case basis, with due consideration to the relevant legislation.

Apprenticeship training requires that you

• are at least 15 years of age,
• have completed primary school or have corresponding study capabilities.

In addition to this, you must have the sufficient language proficiency.

Apprenticeship training procedure:  

• The weekly working hours are at least 25 hours.
• The employer appoints a workplace instructor for you.
• The employer pays you a wage according to the collective agreement (TES). If the field does not have a collective agreement, the employer must pay a normal and reasonable wage.

The parties in the apprenticeship agreement are the training organiser, the student and the workplace. If you are an entrepreneur, it may be possible to arrange apprenticeship training for you at your own company, in which case the contracting parties are you and the training organiser. The workplace instructor is another entrepreneur or another person suitable to the task (mentor). You can look for a suitable mentor through the Mentoripankki service.

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

Apprenticeship training may suit you if

• you want learn a vocation,
• change fields,
• gain a certificate on your own competence,
• finish interrupted studies,
• gain further education.

You can use an apprenticeship to complete any upper secondary vocational qualification (basic vocational qualification, vocational qualification, special vocational qualification). An apprenticeship can be established for an entire qualification or part thereof. Apprenticeships can lead to the same qualifications as studies at educational institutions and provide the same capabilities for further studies.

Each educational institution will determine the length of your apprenticeship on a case-by-case basis. The duration of the training can be affected by prior studies or previously obtained competence, for example. Completing a basic qualification through apprenticeship training usually takes roughly 2–3 years, and completing a vocational and special vocational qualification takes about 1–1.5 years.

Discuss with your employment expert, whether or not it is possible for you to gain pay subsidy for the apprenticeship period. Pay subsidy is a financial subsidy that employment services can grant to the employer to cover the pay costs of an unemployed jobseeker. Before the employer can apply for pay subsidy, the educational institution determines the duration of the apprenticeship, i.e. the period for which the aid is applied. If the employer has applied for pay subsidy, the apprenticeship training cannot begin until the decision on the pay subsidy has been provided.

You must find a suitable apprenticeship job for yourself. An apprenticeship job is applied for in the same way as a normal job. You can contact an interesting employer or one or your previous workplaces or traineeship locations directly for an apprenticeship position.

Once you have found a suitable job, contact an educational institution. To find institution, navigate to the ‘Hae lähin oppisopimuskoulutuksenjärjestäjä’ (Find the nearest apprenticeship training organiser) section of the Oppisopimus website. A representative of the educational institution confirms whether or not the criteria for apprenticeship training are met and whether or not an agreement can be made. Remember to tell representative of the educational institution if the employer intends to apply for pay subsidy.

As an apprenticeship student, you may be entitled to financial benefits. The benefits include unemployment allowance, travel cost reimbursement and accommodation reimbursement. The benefits are paid by the educational institute that arranges the apprenticeship training. During the apprenticeship training, you are in an employment relationship and therefore not entitled to the student discounts of VR or HSL or Kela’s student benefits, for example.

It is a good idea to finish an incomplete professional qualification. Study guidance is available from a variety of locations, such as educational institutions, employment services and Ohjaamo. Educational institutions are happy to help you restart interrupted studies and complete your qualification/degree or switch to another study programme.  Many educational institutions provide the opportunity to make an appointment with a student counsellor directly on their websites.
 

If your right to study is valid, the discontinuation of your studies is temporary. If you have studied full time and registered as a jobseeker after interrupting them, you may be still deemed as a full-time student. The right of students to receive unemployment benefits is limited. Ask your employment expert for advice.

You can indicate that your studies have fully ended if you have a leaving certificate from an educational institution or you studies have been interrupted for at least a year. Persons who have turned 25 are entitled to receive unemployment benefits after register as a jobseeker, if the studies can be deemed to have ended and the other criteria for the unemployment benefits are fulfilled.