The document discusses ways to improve coordination between education and employment in Estonia. It notes that while Estonia's basic education system is highly ranked, challenges remain in ensuring lifelong learning opportunities align with labor market needs. It outlines several initiatives to better connect education and employment, including OSKA to monitor labor market forecasts and inform curriculum development, increasing workplace-based learning opportunities through partnerships between vocational schools and companies, and programs to support applied research and industrial PhDs to encourage knowledge transfer between academia and businesses. The goal is to continue strengthening collaboration between educational institutions and employers to help meet the needs of both.

1. Education and employment - how
to meet the needs of each other?
Mart Laidmets
Deputy Secretary General for General and
Vocational Education

2. Strategic aim
According to the OECD studies, the Estonian
basic education system is among the best in
the world.
BUT - there are still some challenges to
overcome:
- Concordance of lifelong learning
opportunities with the needs of labour market
- Research and development (R&D) functions
in the interests of the Estonian society and
economy

3. Statistics
25000 VET students
55000 HE students
More and more +25 people in both
systems

4. OSKA – needs of labour market
We are building up a coordination system for
the monitoring and forecasting of the labour
market needs and the development of skills
– OSKA.
The results of OSKA analysis and forecasts
will be used as:
• input to the qualification and career
counselling system
• curriculum development
• financing of educational institutions

5. Basic cooperation platforms
● Governance boards or council boards of
educational institutions
● Curriculum development
● Quality assesment
● New curricula and learning outcome based
teaching
● Practical training at companies
● Industrial PhD programmes
What else can we do?

6. Workplace based studies
2/3 of the curriculum is undertaken in companies
or institutions and about 1/3 at VET institutions
Trilateral agreement: VET institution, student and
employee
Funding is given to VET institutions who have
to share the budget with companies and
institutions
VET
institutions
Companies or
institutions

7. Workplace based studies
 In September 2016 - 1120 students (4%)
 20 MEUR - to get 8000 students by 2020
● Most popular fields: health care and
social services; trade; tourism, catering
and housing services; mechanics and
metal industry

8. Who can apply?
• The leading partner of the programme is a
VET institution. Companies should
contact the nearest VET institution
teaching the respective speciality.
• There are possibilities to finance different
training courses for study mentors
from private sector who start with taking
in trainees, apprentices, etc.
More information: Piret Lilover,
piret.lilover@innove.ee, www.innove.ee

9. Programme for applied research
in the field of smart specialization
Growth areas:
- ICT
- Health technologies and services
- Resource efficient management
The aim is to support applied research
project within public R&D centers in
the interest of entrepreneurs and to
encourage knowledge transfer between
these two parties.

10. Who can apply?
• Applicant must be registered in Estonia, and
can be small, medium or large enterprise.
• Maximum support is 2 MEUR per project,
minimum 20 000 EUR per project.
Supported activities
- Grants for applied research
- Grants for product development
More information: Tea Tassa,
tea.tassa@archimedes.ee,www.archimedes.ee

11. Industrial PhD
• Estonia continues to support industrial
PhD scheme using SF. Budget for 2016-
2023 is ~3,25 MEUR.
• We expect to support ~160 doctoral
students who’s doctoral theses are made
in at least one of the Smart
Specialisation growth areas and at least
half of them are related with the
businesses (enterprises, companies).

12. Who can apply?
• Trilateral contract between university,
student and company.
• Certain requirements for companies
(employment contract with the doctoral
student; mentor; infrastructure, etc)
• This period we also open the possibilities
for cooperation with foreign
companies.
More information: Raul Ranne,
raul.ranne@archimedes.ee,
www.archimedes.ee

13. Tack!
Mart Laidmets
mart.laidmets@hm.ee