ALVAR I

Finnish education system is very good. Even education of adults. In Finland is one quality system for the adults vocation educations ALVAR.
We hope that this travel bug remind you this Finnish system

Competence-based qualifications

Finland has been developing competence-based qualifications since 1994. This system is intended to enable working-age adults to gain qualifications without necessarily attending formal training. It is possible to take competence-based vocational qualifications, further vocational qualifications and special vocational qualifications or only parts of them through the competence test system, within which competence acquired through various ways is recognised and validated. The competence test is completed by demonstrating competence required in the profession. Although taking part in competence tests does not require formal preparation, about 95% of candidates attend some training, in which they are provided with individual learning programmes. Upper secondary vocational education and training provides preparation for upper secondary vocational qualifications and additional vocational training prepares for further and specialist vocational qualifications.

In 2007, nearly 64 000 people participated in the competence test; some 32 000 obtained their vocational qualification (all three levels of vocational upper secondary qualifications, further vocational qualifications, and specialist vocational qualifications included) through the competence-based qualifications system and nearly 15 000 a part of it.

There 53 vocational upper secondary qualifications (qualifying for jobs in the relevant field) and some 300 further vocational qualifications (providing vocational skills required of professionals in the field) and specialist vocational qualifications (those who obtain these are competent in the most demanding tasks in the field) on offer.

The requirements are outlined in the official requirements for competence-based qualification defined by the Finnish National Board of Education. The main principles regarding competence tests are as follows:

* cooperation between employers, workers, and education sector when the qualifications framework and requirements of competence-based qualification are defined and competence tests are organised and assessed;
* the independence of a qualification regardless of the way competence has been acquired;
* completing a qualification or a module demonstrating competence in a test;
* individualisation of learning and the completing of the qualification.

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