New opportunities for Vietnamese students

Mr. Perttula, do you often come to Vietnam and what is the purpose of this business trip to Vietnam?

Tampere Adult Education Center (TAKK) sends a delegation to visit Vietnamese partners twice a year. The main purpose is to promote our programs to Vietnamese students and continue to build trust between TAKK and its partners.

Ms. Dieu Tran, what is the reason for a student to choose Finland to study abroad?

Nowadays Finland receives more attention from Vietnam. Firstly, Finland has almost no age limit for students, and therefore anyone can study any field of their interest regardless of their age. Second, there are no dead ends and rigidities in the Finnish education system, workers can study higher (to become "teachers"). In addition, Finland has a "brand" as a country of Happiness and a safe destination.

Can Mr. Perttula tell us what the goal of vocational education in Finland is and what policies this country has to attract Vietnamese students?

The goal is to provide a skilled workforce for the local labor market. For students from outside the European Union (EU) coming to Finland to study, we aim to train skills for jobs that are difficult to find enough domestic workers. Our apprenticeship program is very practical and hands-on.

Vietnam is one of the strategic countries where Finland aims to attract international talent. In addition to university degrees, we also need international students to study vocational training. Vietnam is considered a country where students work hard, can learn Finnish, and can get along with Finnish society.

Ms. Dieu Tran, can you tell us about the options for vocational training in Finland at the present time?

Vocational study abroad in Finland currently has two directions: study program in Finnish (no tuition fee) and study program in English (usually with fee).

The Finnish Vocational Study Abroad program often requires students to learn (and pass) Finnish level B1 first, then can take the entrance exam to vocational schools in Finland. Students do not pay tuition at the vocational stage when arriving in Finland.

For the Vocational Study Abroad Program in English, students do not need to reach B1 in Finnish before participating, but need to have quite good English to take the entrance exam. Students pay tuition when attending vocational training. This is an official "education export" model recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland. This information can be viewed at: https://www.oph.fi/en/education-and-qualifications/fee-based-or-commissioned-training-leading-vet-qualification

Ms. Dieu Tran recently mentioned two different vocational training directions in Finland. Can Mr. Perttula talk more deeply about this story?

If a student has sufficient Finnish language skills, they have several opportunities to learn a profession without paying tuition, which is especially feasible when the student has come to Finland for some reason. For students looking for free vocational training opportunities, learning Finnish in intensive online programs (to reach the required Finnish level) is not easy for the majority.

Therefore, our school's vocational programs are designed to allow students to start their studies in English and learn Finnish while absorbing vocational skills. At TAKK we only offer tuition-based programs for non-EU students. The tuition-based training model allows us to flexibly adjust training programs to best meet the employment needs of students.

Ms. Dieu Tran, what is your opinion on this issue of "free tuition" and "collecting tuition"?

We need to note that no program can be called completely free. For the so-called "tuition-free" program, students still have to invest time, effort, and money in learning Finnish before being able to take the entrance exam to a tuition-free vocational school.

Therefore, you need to consider whether you are suitable for this direction or not. To participate in a tuition-free vocational program, you need to have the talent to learn new languages, have good learning ability, and have the time to invest (huge) in the language. If not considered carefully, it is a waste of effort, time and money.

So according to Ms. Dieu Tran, if you choose a program with tuition fees, what should you pay attention to in choosing the program?

Important note when choosing a vocational program: Choose a program that will give you a full degree after completion. Because of that, you will be considered a "degree student" instead of a "continuing education student". This will affect your benefits when you graduate.