From anticipation to action: the Finnish model of skills development

From September 15 to 18, Ruslan Kulikovsky, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and Prospective Development of the Zaporizhia Polytechnic National University, paid a working visit to Finland as part of the ETF Skills Lab expert network team. This community was formed by the European Training Foundation as a platform for co-creation, exchange and dissemination of labour market research to develop a culture of foresight and skills matching in EU partner countries.

The visit programme covered national, regional and local institutions that form one of the strongest “skills analytics” ecosystems in Europe – from the state level in Helsinki to practices in Turku and interaction with the business community.

The first day was dedicated to the centres that set the framework for public policies in the field of skills foresight. The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) presented the team with methods for quantitative analysis of labor market needs and mechanisms by which this data is integrated into education planning.

During the second day of the visit, the participants assessed the broad regional perspective in the city of Turku, where they got acquainted with the Foresight Academy of Southwest Finland, the work of the city’s education sector, and the Turku Vocational Institute (TAI). Using a real-life example of a maritime cluster, it was demonstrated how the joint work of analysts, employers and education providers promptly adjusts the content of personnel training, and visual “foresight radars” help to capture trends and translate them into training solutions without losing momentum.

Experts were shown how analytics is transformed into specific solutions and training offers for the adult population thanks to the Skills Needs Compass tool. The logic of work “data → policy → training” in Finnish practice ensures interaction without unnecessary gaps and delays.

On the final day, the team of experts visited institutions that strengthen the connection between foresight, economy and civil society. SITRA Innovation Foundation discussed how to embed foresight into decision-making processes and develop strategic foresight capacity at the societal level. The Helsinki Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented the example of the “Foresight Chamber” as a platform for business and education to meet. A campus visit to Omnia Education Partnerships showed how providers combine skills analytics with real-world trajectories for youth and adults. The final session was aimed at adapting the practices seen to national contexts and planning their dissemination among network members.

The Finnish model demonstrates how to turn skills prediction into an integral part of public administration, where data shapes policy, policy in turn shapes training programs, and training becomes a key factor in increasing productivity and employment.

For Ukraine, this experience is extremely relevant due to the direct investment in human capital, rapid retraining of adults, including veterans and internally displaced persons, and building sustainable regional partnerships between universities, employers, and communities.

The visit is of particular value to Zaporizhia Polytechnic University, as the university is gradually introducing skills analytics tools into the processes of designing educational programs and actively developing interaction in the triangle “university – business – local government” to promptly overcome personnel gaps in industrial clusters.

Thanks to Finnish experience and involvement in an international network of experts, we are provided with access to the latest methodologies and communities that already practice “from prediction to action” approaches. This allows us to improve the quality of management decisions, strengthen partnerships with business associations and chambers of commerce and industry, and at the same time contributes to the creation of a national skills forecasting system necessary for the restoration of Ukraine on the basis of an innovative economy.