Reader’s Opinion | Secondary vocational education needs renovation

Central Chamber of Commerce in a recent survey, companies’ shortage of professional talent emerges. More than 50 percent of the companies that responded to the survey need employees who have completed vocational training the most.

Speeding up immigration alone is not enough, a renovation is needed to raise the value and attractiveness of vocational education.

The problems caused by the reform a few years ago will not be solved by changing the curricula every couple of years. Trimming the administration is necessary in terms of the sufficiency of resources. The builders of the management systems of educational organizations are apparently unable or even unwilling to dismantle the creations they have built. Decisions must be made at a higher level.

Resources must be allocated to teaching and guidance. Teachers must have time to teach and educate. The share of teachers in the total number of employees in the organization should be significantly higher than at present. In addition, there is a need for more precisely targeted degrees aimed directly at working life. Not everyone needs a degree that entitles them to further studies, for some, the knowledge and skills necessary for the job are sufficient.

With the reform, learning was transferred from educational institutions to workplaces, leaving clear roles, goals and guidance unclear. Teachers are not allocated enough time for teaching or guidance at workplaces, but an increasingly large part of the teacher’s working time is spent on ever-increasing administrative tasks and reporting. The administration has become a self-feeding and expensive machine.

Marika Räf

city ​​councilor (kok), Espoo

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