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Finland

6. Education and Training

6.4 Validation of non-formal and informal learning

Last update: 18 August 2025
On this page
  1. Arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning
  2. Information and guidance
  3. Quality assurance
On this page
  1. Arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning
  2. Information and guidance
  3. Quality assurance

Arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning

Current arrangements for validation are outlined in the Cedefop report European inventory of validation of informal and non-formal learning 2023. According to the report, Finland has;  

  • Developed national skills strategies    
  • Adopted legislation (Act on Liberal Adult Education, in Finnish, also available in Swedish)  
  • Implemented campaigns, such as Reveal Your Skills campaign (Osaaminen näkyviin), which provide inclusive approaches to validation    
  • Planned outreach pilots, which are realized in 1200 companies  

For general information about the validation of prior learning, and the legislative basis regarding the recognition of non-formal and informal learning, see Eurydice database/Finland 7.2 Developments and Current Policy Priorities , Eurydice database/Finland 5.4 Organisation of vocational upper secondary education and training and Eurydice database/Finland 7.5 Validation of non-formal and informal learning.

Recognition methods and the validation process

According to the Cedefop 2023 report, Finland’s National Qualification Framework (NQF) ensures that ‘even the highest qualification levels can be acquired through validation’. From general education to vocational education and higher education, adult learning and third sector, the standards for validation are equivalent to the standards in formal education. Standardised tools and templates for validation are implemented in IVET, CVET, higher education, adult learning, the labour market and in the third sector, but not in general education. Various actors offer digital tools for validation, but there is no interaction between the different systems.   

The validation process is partly covered by the applicant. Financial support may be received from the government, employer or public employment service. The lack of financial resources as well as guidance for skills recognition have been recognized as possible obstacles for validation of skills. The report also states that there is a lack of systems that would collect information of the costs of the validation services.   

Information and guidance

The Finnish National Agency for Education’s KOSKI service (in Finnish) is a national service for gathering information regarding study rights and completed studies. The service was established in 2018, in connection with the Act on the National Registers of Education Records, Qualifications and Degrees. Since August 2021, adult education centres have been able, for example, to register liberal adult education study rights and completed studies on the KOSKI service. Information on National Skills Badges (KAPOS-merkit) can also be registered. Study rights and completed studies, funded by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE), can also be registered on the KOSKI service. 

Quality assurance

Quality assurance measures are reported in the Cedefop 2023 report. In Finland, there exists general quality assurance frameworks within IVET, CVET and higher education. General frameworks do not exist in adult learning or the third sector. Instead, institutions awarding the certificates are reponsible for quality assurance.   

Standardised monitoring systems for service quality, usage trends or used outcomes do not exist.