Apprenticeship training

- Apprenticeship training in Finland is is based upon temporary employment contract and on voluntarism. Some 80% of the learning takes place on the job and only the remaining 20 % in the vocational institutes under tuition of a teacher. The state of Finland finances this form of education at the secondary level with all the 340 degrees. The majority of those who are stydying by apprenticeship contract is already employed.

- Apprenticeship training refers to a system of education organised at a workplace in connection with practical work assignments and supplemented with theoretical studies.

- Apprenticeship training is open to anyone who has reached the age of 15.

- Qualification-oriented apprenticeship training takes from 1 to 3 years. Vocational further education preparing for a qualification takes from 12 to 18 months.

- An apprenticeship contract can be made between the employee
(future apprentice), employer and the apprenticeship centre.

- The employer points an on-the-job tutor/instructorwho will tutor the learning of the apprentice at the workplace.

- The apprenticeship contract also serves as a work contract of definite duration.

- The apprenticeship centre providesthe theoretical education at a relevant vocational institute. 


- The financing of apprenticeship training: Salary/wages and apprentice welfare benefits
- The employer will cover the costs of salary/wages of the apprentice according to respective collective labour agreement.
- As welfare benefits the apprentice will receive from the apprenticeship centre:
- travel allowance and accommodation remuneration
- Should the apprentice not receive any salary/wages during the theoretical training period, he/she will get:

- daily allowance
- family allowance

- The employer and the apprentice will carry out evaluation every four month.

- The board of examiners will write out a diploma on skill tests (demonstration examinations).

- The apprenticeship centre organises training of the on-the-job tutors/instructors.

Model of proceeding in your apprenticeship studies

fields of vocational education and training:

Natural resource – and environmental sector

Technology and traffic sector

Social sciences-, business economics- and administration sector

Tourism-, nutrition- and economic sector     

Social-, physics- and  physical sector

Culture sector

Humanism- and education sector