The document discusses strategies to prevent dropouts in vocational education in Finland. It analyzes data from a national monitoring program that tracks dropout rates. Some key findings are that interruptions are most common in the first half year of studies, and the percentage of special needs students is higher among dropouts. Case studies from the Turku region show that increasing support and guidance can improve graduation rates and save costs by reducing the number of students who drop out of education and training. Using social media and new teaching methods can help keep students engaged and motivated to complete their studies.

1. For learning and competenceFor learning and competence
IAEVG conference
Montpellier 26.9.2013
How to prevent Drop-outs in Vocational
Education in Finland
Results of Quantitative Monitoring
And the practical projects
Juhani Pirttiniemi/Matti Mäkelä/Tarja Koskinen
Montpellier 24.-27.9. 2013

2. For learning and competence
In Finland the effectiveness of vocational education is included
in the Quarantee of Employment for Young People in the
Governement Programme (2011-2015).
The purpose of the programme is to reduce dropouts and
support students so they are able to complete their studies on
schedule. The programme is also designed to develop
national monitoring.
The monitoring includes almost all the education providers
(90% of students).
The results are based on the data gathered by the National
Board of Education in the summer and autumn of 2012

3. For learning and competence
A term ”drop-out student” refers to students who have
discontinued their vocational upper secondary education and
training, either by their own announcement or by decision of
an educational institution
The monitoring includes all vocational upper secondary
qualification students enrolled in the educational institutions
regardless of the year they started their studies
The data is collected from student administration systems and
the criteria is the date of resignation which is between
20.9.2011 – 20.6.2012. Prior resignations were not included in
the monitoring.

4. For learning and competence
Drop-out percentages of education providers

5. For learning and competence
Interruptions of studies in the ten largest
vocational upper secondary qualifications

6. For learning and competence
Interruptions according to the birth year of
students
Almost half of all drop-outs are over the age of twenty which
deviates from the average age distribution of students.

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Study duration before interruption
The interruptions are most frequent during the first half year of
studies

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Interruption of special needs students

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The percentage of special needs students of
all drop-out students
The percentage of special needs students of all
students is 13,1 % and of drop-out students 19,6 %

10. For learning and competence
Why it is wise to
decrease the number of
drop-outs?

11. For learning and competence
Case Study: Turku region in South-
West Finland
About money
and ethics and…

12. For learning and competence
…how you do it?

13. For learning and competence
…face the facts
”Our task is to teach those children we have. Not those we used to
have, not those we’d like to have nor those who are only in our
dreams. That means we have to offer learning enviroment which
is as wide range as humanhood is”.
Chris Pense, Head of Education Department , Toronto

14. For learning and competence
…other key issues
• Support and guidance
• Flexible learning paths in different levels of education
• Cooperation
• Transfer of information
• Clear responsibilities
• Focus on transition phases
• Team work
• Customer first -thinking (incl. empowerment and
inclusion)
• Focus on the most vulnerable groups
• Challenges are there to be solved -attitude

15. For learning and competence
Why bother?

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First of all…
Education is one of the most effective means to prevent exclusion
of the young people. In Finland it has been estimated that every
youngster dropping permanently out of the education and working
life will cost society at least one million euros before reaching the
retirement age. On one-year basis, every drop-out costs society at
least 28 000 euros.

17. For learning and competence
…and that means this
An increased share of young people has received a study place in
secondary education. Training guarantee rate in Turku raised from
93,9% in 2004 to 98,1% in 2012.
Savings per year for the Finnish society at least:
55 (increase in number of youngsters receiving a study place)
x 28 000 € (yearly cost for a youngster dropping out from education
or working life)
x 0,35 (minimum outside of labour marker % among youngsters with
only basic education diploma)
= 539 000 euros.

18. For learning and competence
…and this
By increasing support, guidance and co-operation together with new
pedagogical solutions, Turku Vocational Institute was able to raise
its’ graduation percentage from 63,0 (2004) to 75,0 (2010).
Savings per year for the Finnish society at least:
156 (increase in number of students graduating in three years)
x 28 000 € (yearly cost for a youngster dropping out from education
or working life)
x 0,15 (difference in labour market involvement % between
youngsters with or without secondary education diploma)
= 655 200 euros.

19. For learning and competence
From society to organisational level:
Turku Vocational Institute

20. For learning and competence
These results show that organizations offering educational
and/or guidance services can actually save money by
spending more. Positive economical consequences of
measures described can be counted by the following
formula:
(A – B) x C – D = E
A = Number of drop-outs in a chosen year (here: 2009)
counted by the drop-out % of 2003
B = Actual number of drop-outs in a chosen year (2009)
C = Average funding per student from the state to the
educational organization
D = Wage and other extra costs for support and guidance
(year 2009 compared to 2003 with a 2009 wage level)
E = Savings

21. For learning and competence
Savings 2009:
(177 – 139) x 8 880,98 € – 150 651 € = 186 826,24 €
Using our prime year’s (2008) – so far – figures amount of
money saved would be even higher:
(172 – 102) x 8 880,98 € – 150 651 € = 471 017,60 €

22. For learning and competence
Moreover, Turku Vocational Institute has due to its’ low drop-out
percentage and high number of graduated students received so
called efficiency funding from the state (surveys made by the
National Board of Education show that Turku Vocational Institute
has been in that sense most successful among the big, over 1 000
students, vocational schools and training centers) as follows:
2008: 1 488 750 €
2009: 1 091 858 €
In conclusion: by giving enough resources for guidance, support,
teaching and development of new tools, methods and good
practices Turku Vocational Institute profited over two million euros
in 2008 and almost 1,25 million in 2009.

23. For learning and competence
”The training guarantee provides equal opportunities for all
individuals to realise their desired career path. It is an individual's
basic right in a democratic society.”
Pasi Kankare, Director of Vocational Education,
National Board of Education
”True success cannot be measured in money. It's about life and
unique opportunities.”
Rauno Saari, Governor of the Province of Western Finland
You can’t measure everything in money:

24. For learning and competence
Case Study:
How to use social media in pedagogical ways
to prevent dropping out
•5000 students
•500 teachers
•coordinating

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Basic ideas and goals
Students graduate when they
1. are motivated >
– expanding learning environment
– deversifying learning- and teachingmethods
1. attend school >
– right kind of support and guidance to studies when needed
– online and face to face interaction
Teach students netiquetti for working life

26. For learning and competence
Benefits
• Tutorteacher and students
connecting online
• On-the-job training guidance
• Co-operation:
• teachers and students learn
simultaneously
• among professionals
• School assignments > accessibility
of learning material
• Visiblize students learningprocess
and outcomes
• Individual ways and baths of learning
• Social media, new kind of book –
notebook – pencil and bulletin
board

27. For learning and competence
Students – how to graduate; tests and guidance
Parents – encouragement to support graduating
Schools – ways of support graduating
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