Dozens of Finnish vocational training programmes suffer from lack of applicants

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This year the number of applicants to more than 60 different training programmes at Finnish vocational institutions was lower than the number of new student places.
     
The lack of applicants was troubling, particularly in the programmes specialised in automation, plastic, wood, and information technology.
      A nationwide joint application system for vocational upper secondary education and training is organised twice a year, and a total of some 500 alternative programmes were available for such training this year.
     
The intake of students to vocational training differs greatly depending on the branch, region and language. A vocational branch can be popular in general, but in a provincial unit it sometimes can be less well subscribed.
      In addition to the large technical training programmes, many small and unusual programmes exist, including those specialized in dairy technology, textile and clothing technology, forest and wood products marketing, the boatbuilding industry, environmental technology, and maritime studies.
      Moreover, some Swedish-language training programmes involving engineering, certain fields of culture, as well as the field of natural resources have been affected by a lack of applicants.
      The Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences (PIRAMK) appears to have received the highest number of applicants, with almost five applicants on average for new each student place.
      Other vocational institutes having attracted widespread support include the Jyväskylä Polytechnic, the Tampere University of Applied Sciences, and in the Greater Helsinki area the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, and the Diakonia University of Applied Sciences, while even the Lahti Polytechnic and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences have been popular.
     
The most popular training programme was the PIRAMK degree programme in nursing, with more than 15 primary applicants for each available new student place.
      On the other hand, the vocational institutions in Vaasa, Mikkeli, Central Ostrobothnia, and in the Kemi-Tornio region received less than two primary applicants for each new student place.
      Some educational institutes have already closed down several branch offices, while certain other measures are also under way in order to reduce problems caused by the low number of applicants.
      For example, the Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences as well as the Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences have cut overlapping education programmes.
     
”A particular problem is caused by the weak attraction of small training programmes in certain fields, which are simultaneously facing a shortage of skilled workers”, reports Timo Luopajärvi, the Secretary General of the Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE).
      The total number of applicants in the spring application period was 5,700, which is some 1,400 applications fewer than in the previous period.
      Only 31 out of the 151 education programmes available managed to fill all new student places, while some 20 institutes have arranged an additional autumn application period, resulting in 400 new applicants.
     
The joint autumn application period starts today, September 15th and will run until September 26th. The subsequent education will start in January 2009. The number of new student places for January is 2,500.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Construction and building trade programmes popular at Finnish vocational schools (10.4.2008)
  Vocational training seen as best guarantee of gainful employment (31.1.2007)

Links:
  The Finnish National Board of Education
  Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences
  Rectors´ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE)

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