Collaboration between Education and Work in Finland: Vocational Education and Training Actors from Supporting Students' Learning to Serving Companies?
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| Title: | Collaboration between Education and Work in Finland: Vocational Education and Training Actors from Supporting Students' Learning to Serving Companies? |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Heta Rintala, Katja Vähäsantanen, Mika Tammilehto |
| Source: | International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training. 2026 13(3):344-368. |
| Availability: | European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Education Work Relationship, Career and Technical Education, Secondary School Curriculum, Labor Force Development, Partnerships in Education, Educational Cooperation, Career and Technical Education Teachers, Experiential Learning, School Business Relationship, Work Based Learning |
| Geographic Terms: | Finland |
| ISSN: | 2197-8638 2197-8646 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) in Finland is largely work-based, with increasing collaboration between VET institutions and workplaces. There is a need for an updated and comprehensive understanding of this collaboration. Therefore, this study investigates how workplace representatives discuss collaboration between Finnish VET actors (i.e., VET institutions and teachers) and workplaces. Methods: Interviews with workplace representatives were analysed using the principles of discourse analysis. The data were examined to reveal how they talked about the forms and activities of collaboration between education and work. From the talk, the positions of the VET actors and the workplace actors were identified on a time continuum: Current positions and desired future positions. Findings: Four discourses on collaboration were identified: (i) Organising work-based learning, (ii) ensuring a skilled workforce, (iii) supporting the development of workplaces, and (iv) promoting the vitality of vocational sectors. The current positions given to VET actors varied from supporters of student learning and organisers of education to company-oriented trainer of staff competences. In the future, VET actors are expected to play an emerging role as business consultants and innovators, and promoters of the attractiveness of vocational sectors and education. In addition to the traditional positions, the findings were thus characterised by the positions of VET actors at the service of companies. Conclusions: Theoretically, the study suggests that there is a need for a multi-level and multi-faceted model of collaboration in VET that covers individual and institutional (including both VET institutions and workplaces) as well as sectoral and regional perspectives, as they can all manifest simultaneously in collaboration. From a practical perspective, the study highlights the organisation, management and resourcing of teachers' work to enable them to work with companies in a way that is not based solely on service, but on sustainable and meaningful collaboration for them, the students and the companies. Collaboration should not only be based on individual teachers and their networks, but the organisational culture should support multi-faceted, mutual, and long-term partnerships. Vocational teacher education and teachers' working conditions need to support the continuous development of teachers' comprehensive competences and lay the foundations for a broad identity orientation as opposed to a narrow teacher identity position. The development of teachers' competences, not just pedagogical competence, should be a strong strategic goal and function in VET institutions. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1506126 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1506126 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Collaboration between Education and Work in Finland: Vocational Education and Training Actors from Supporting Students' Learning to Serving Companies? – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heta+Rintala%22">Heta Rintala</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katja+Vähäsantanen%22">Katja Vähäsantanen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mika+Tammilehto%22">Mika Tammilehto</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+for+Research+in+Vocational+Education+and+Training%22"><i>International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training</i></searchLink>. 2026 13(3):344-368. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 25 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+Work+Relationship%22">Education Work Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education%22">Career and Technical Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Curriculum%22">Secondary School Curriculum</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+Force+Development%22">Labor Force Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Partnerships+in+Education%22">Partnerships in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Cooperation%22">Educational Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education+Teachers%22">Career and Technical Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+Learning%22">Experiential Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Business+Relationship%22">School Business Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+Based+Learning%22">Work Based Learning</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink> – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 2197-8638<br />2197-8646 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Purpose: Upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) in Finland is largely work-based, with increasing collaboration between VET institutions and workplaces. There is a need for an updated and comprehensive understanding of this collaboration. Therefore, this study investigates how workplace representatives discuss collaboration between Finnish VET actors (i.e., VET institutions and teachers) and workplaces. Methods: Interviews with workplace representatives were analysed using the principles of discourse analysis. The data were examined to reveal how they talked about the forms and activities of collaboration between education and work. From the talk, the positions of the VET actors and the workplace actors were identified on a time continuum: Current positions and desired future positions. Findings: Four discourses on collaboration were identified: (i) Organising work-based learning, (ii) ensuring a skilled workforce, (iii) supporting the development of workplaces, and (iv) promoting the vitality of vocational sectors. The current positions given to VET actors varied from supporters of student learning and organisers of education to company-oriented trainer of staff competences. In the future, VET actors are expected to play an emerging role as business consultants and innovators, and promoters of the attractiveness of vocational sectors and education. In addition to the traditional positions, the findings were thus characterised by the positions of VET actors at the service of companies. Conclusions: Theoretically, the study suggests that there is a need for a multi-level and multi-faceted model of collaboration in VET that covers individual and institutional (including both VET institutions and workplaces) as well as sectoral and regional perspectives, as they can all manifest simultaneously in collaboration. From a practical perspective, the study highlights the organisation, management and resourcing of teachers' work to enable them to work with companies in a way that is not based solely on service, but on sustainable and meaningful collaboration for them, the students and the companies. Collaboration should not only be based on individual teachers and their networks, but the organisational culture should support multi-faceted, mutual, and long-term partnerships. Vocational teacher education and teachers' working conditions need to support the continuous development of teachers' comprehensive competences and lay the foundations for a broad identity orientation as opposed to a narrow teacher identity position. The development of teachers' competences, not just pedagogical competence, should be a strong strategic goal and function in VET institutions. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1506126 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1506126 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 25 StartPage: 344 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Education Work Relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Secondary School Curriculum Type: general – SubjectFull: Labor Force Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Partnerships in Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Cooperation Type: general – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education Teachers Type: general – SubjectFull: Experiential Learning Type: general – SubjectFull: School Business Relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Work Based Learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Finland Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Collaboration between Education and Work in Finland: Vocational Education and Training Actors from Supporting Students' Learning to Serving Companies? Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Heta Rintala – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Katja Vähäsantanen – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mika Tammilehto IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 2197-8638 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 2197-8646 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 13 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training Type: main |
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