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1. Forecasting system(s)

2. Skills development

Forecasting system(s)

There are mainly two skills forecasting mechanisms in Estonia, namely OSKA and Labour Demand Barometer. 

OSKA is a system of labour market monitoring and future skills forecasting, established in 2015. The initiative is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Research and the implementing agency is the Estonian Qualifications Authority.

OSKA provides accurate and clear information on society’s labour market opportunities and needs as well as on the existing skills at the level of individuals for developing educational choices and policies in the key sectors of Estonian society. OSKA analyses the needs for labour and skills necessary for Estonia’s economic development over the next 10 years. The aims of the action are:

• to build platforms of cooperation between employers and education providers;
• to analyse the development opportunities and needs of different sectors of the Estonian economy;
• to prepare labour market training requirements based on various activities or professions to facilitate the planning of education provision at different levels of education and by types of school as well as in the fields of retraining and in-service training.

The implementation of OSKA is overseen by the OSKA Coordination Council, which consists of the representatives of the Ministry of Education and Research, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Finance, the Estonian Employers’ Confederation, the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Estonian Service Unions’ Confederation, the Estonian Trade Union Confederation and the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. The implementation of OSKA is funded by the European Social Fund.

In addition, the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund launched in 2016 an initiative entitled “Labour Demand Barometer”. The labour demand barometer is a qualitative method of forecasting short-term labour demand by occupation. The estimates are compiled by the regional departments of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, which involve external experts wherever possible. Labour demand forecasts look at two indicators. Firstly, an evaluation is made of how employers' demand for labour force will change in the next 12 months, and especially how employers' demand for specific occupations will change. Secondly, the balance between labour supply and demand after the next 12 months is evaluated. 

There is a web map available that shows either changes in labour force demand within or balance between labour supply and demand after the next 12 months amongst different occupations. The results are shown on a map showing the changes or balance in different counties of Estonia.

Skills development

Bringing labour qualification into conformity with the needs of the contemporary labour market and increasing the share of people with professional education at the vocational or higher educational level, is one of the aims outlined in the Economic Growth Plan 2025 (Majanduskasvu kava 2025), which focuses on strengthening Estonia's competitiveness with particular attention to industry.

In order to cater this need and to ensure that the education system has relevant input to develop the offer and content of the formal and adult education, the coordination system OSKA was established in 2015. The implementation of the coordination system of monitoring labour needs and developing skills will facilitate the planning of the structure, volume and content of formal education, adult education system and in-service training, the development of curricula and career planning and will help employers in their efforts to develop the skills of their employees. OSKA contributes to skills development by providing information not only to advise on educational policy (both vocational, higher VET and higher general education), but also to provide an information base for career counselling services and qualification design. The Economic Growth Plan 2025 emphasizes that currently OSKA reports' recommendations regarding training volumes have not been implemented to the necessary extent, resulting in both oversupply and undersupply.

In addition, the labour demand barometer launched in 2016 by the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund helps to raise awareness about the real links of the labour market demand and skills.