The quality of education is a state of will

Vocational training means different things in different places. People interpret regulations or orders in different ways. Conditions vary in different parts of the country. Economic cycles cause big differences in the number of work-based learning places in different regions. Availability and qualifications of teachers vary. Different things are evaluated in the tests.

Differences are not a problem

The list is long, but the differences are not a problem. It is precisely because of them that the autonomy of education organizers is extensive. Local situations require local solutions. This has been realized in Finland decades ago. Our system and degrees are based precisely on the fact that the education organizer decides things. The goals are common, but the implementation may vary. It seeks flexibility and working life-orientation in education.

The challenge is understanding quality

Our challenge is to understand the quality of education and degrees. When the quality of degrees is measured only by the number of tests carried out in the workplace, it is clear that the qualitative aspect is obscured. It would be more important that when talking about quality, it should be taken into account what is evaluated on the screens and whether it meets the needs of companies locally. The same applies to the content of on-the-job learning. You don't learn plumbing by filling the shelves of a store, no matter how it is in the workplace.

Let's do it well, let's do it together

There are differences in the operation of educational institutions, but the background of good quality is always a smooth connection with the key personnel of the companies. The same thing happens the other way around, weak quality is associated with weak connection. When doing things together, the needs of both parties must be taken into account. If the other person can't do something, there's no point in demanding it. Cooperation is not dictation and compromises are needed. Quality arises from the will to do things well, and to do them together.

Talk to each other. The big church does not have a button that can be pressed to improve the quality of education throughout Finland. Quality is made locally, and with time. And by local agreement.

PS Check it out For LVI-Työleämä partner activities.

Juha-Ville Mäkinen

Specialist

juha-ville.makinen@lvi-tu.fi + 358 45 899 9388

LVI-Tekniset Urakoitsijat ry