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1. Policy Framework

2. Formal learning

3. Non-formal and informal learning

4. Educators support in entrepreneurship education

Policy Framework

Quite recently Finland has received positive feedback regarding the quality of entrepreneurship education. ‘Finland is the number one country in entrepreneurship education in the new global report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)’ writes the project manager Heli Vaara in her blog entitled Finland ranked number one among 50 countries in entrepreneurship education published by the Kerttu Saalasti Institute in the University of Oulu.

The Entrepreneurship Education Guidelines published in 2017 by the Ministry of Education and Culture are still accurate. The Guidelines updating process at that time (earlier version was published in 2009) was part of the contemporary Government Programme which aimed to strengthen competitiveness by improving conditions for business and entrepreneurship. 

Finland’s definitions of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education follow the guidelines set by the European Parliament and the Commission. According to these, entrepreneurship is defined as an individual’s ability to translate ideas into action. Creativity, innovation, and risk-taking are significant themes of entrepreneurship. In addition, this definition refers to anyone’s ability to plan and direct action towards the achievement of objectives. 

Formal learning

In Finland, entrepreneurship education is a part of higher education policy and it is also included in the curriculum of the nine year basic education (which in Finland includes both ISCED 1 – primary education, ISCED 2 – lower secondary education). The guidelines for entrepreneurship education provided by the Ministry of Education and Culture follow the definitions of the European Parliament and Commission Commission in that sense that entrepreneurship education also refers to wide-ranging work done within the educational administration and its goal is to enhance entrepreneurship and the necessary skills. The role of experimental learning, and the creation of a flexible and innovative operational culture are emphasised.

Since 2019 the role of entrepreneurship has been strengthened throughout the curriculum of the general upper secondary education (ISCED3). According to the General Upper Secondary Education Decree (2018) stated by the government, education aims to equip the students with entrepreneurial competences, among other valuable skills . According to the curriculum, the educational institution supports students’ entrepreneurship and working -life skills and develops needed competences. Entrepreneurial education is integrated within cross-curricular themes, such as “Personal Growth” and “Participatory Citizenship and Entrepreneurship”. Some of the thematic components of the curriculum are those of active citizenship, entrepreneurship and working life. Also, several subjects emphasise entrepreneurship skills (e.g. citizenship education, mathematics and economics). For more information, visit: the National Agency for Education - Finnish education system.

The way the entrepreneurship education in the upper vocational education is organised in Finland is very clearly described in the research paper of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Cedefop (2023) entitled ‘Entrepreneurship competence in vocational education and training: case study: Finland.’ The grounds for entrepreneurship education in vocational schools in Finland are described  in the following way: ‘Entrepreneurship competence development in VET is also steered by national legislation. The main objective of the reform of upper secondary VET triggered by the Act on Vocational Education and Training was to increase the ability of VET to respond more swiftly to changes in the economy, and to meet skill needs in an agile manner. This requires developing entrepreneurship competence for achieving one of the core objectives of the act: ‘fostering entrepreneurial skills’. Despite the various supporting and steering documents that promote the development of entrepreneurship education, according to the field study, awareness of them is still limited. Raising awareness of these steering documents and strengthening national-level coordination could benefit nurturing entrepreneurship competence, according to the research.’ For more information, the latest national evaluation has been carried out by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre in 2017–2018, the webpage of the study Entrepreneurship in vocational education and training and in higher education.

Non-formal and informal learning

The Ministry of Education and Culture promotes the recognition and acknowledgement of non-formal and informal learning through legislation, guidance, and funding. Youth organisations and local youth work emphasise the principle of supporting young people’s active citizenship, in accordance with the principles of the Youth Act. One of the most active organisations promoting informal and non-formal learning of entrepreneurship competences is Finnish 4H Organisation, which arranges leisure activities for children and young people between the ages of 6 and 28. The aim of 4H is “to raise active, responsible and entrepreneurial young people”. Entrepreneurship is taught through the experimental learning model. Young people aged 13 and older are encouraged to start their own projects. Also, 4H teaches skills, which are considered as useful in working life, and offers many young people their first working experiences. 

There are no national guidelines on how to measure the quality of non-formal and informal learning. From this viewpoint, it is not surprising that there are no national standards for the validation and recognition of competences acquired through informal and non-formal learning either. However, the competence-based learning has a long history in Finland and the starting point is that skills and competences acquired through informal and non-formal learning must be recognised as well as those gained in formal learning. For more information about the recognition of skills acquired through voluntary activities visit: Youth Wiki/Finland 2.9 Skills recognition and Youth Wiki/Finland 2.10 Current debates and reforms.

Educators support in entrepreneurship education

The National Agency for Education provides supporting materials for teachers. There is, for example, many-sided entrepreneurial education material published online entitled ‘Competences for finances, entrepreneurship and working life’ (in Finnish). 

Nowadays many teacher-training institutions in higher education offer optional courses on entrepreneurship education (30 credits), for more information see blog entry entitled ‘Teachers' entrepreneurial and working life skills play a key role in enabling entrepreneurship education’ written by Jouni Hintikka, published by the Kerttu Saalasti Institute in the University of Oulu.

In the field of educators’ support in entrepreneurship education in Finland, there is now a new significant operator since the associations ‘Economy and youth TAT’ and ‘Junior Achievement Finland’ have combined their operations on 1 June 2023. The new name of the association is JA Finland (in Finnish Nuorten yrittäjyys ja talous NYT). As mentioned on the webpage of the association, Junior Achievement Finland offers programs that provide support for learning about working life, financial skills and entrepreneurship to levels ranging from pre-primary education to higher education, some of those being available also in English. It is also said that the programs have been built in accordance with the objectives of the curriculums. 

National YES Finland is a registered organisation which offers entrepreneurship education service for teachers. It provides training in entrepreneurial education and services for developing entrepreneurship in schools and establishing school -business networks. YES organises events, seminars, and training programmes, regionally and nationally, and participates in the development of teaching plans and strategies.