Unpaid Educational leave

• Introduction
• Legal framework
• Objectives
• Types of training
• Training providers
• Target sector(s)
• Target group(s)
• Eligibility criteria
• Stipulations for participants
• Duration of training
• Status of participants
• Application procedure
• Regulation, control and monitoring procedures
• Funding mechanisms
• Payment to persons on leave
• Statistics

Finnish adult education has traditionally been divided into two main areas: general adult education and vocational adult education and training. Earlier, adult education was primarily general or leisure-oriented, and the general adult education expanded strongly until the 1970's. Since then, the emphasis in the development of adult education has shifted to vocational adult education, although general adult education also plays an important role with respect to citizens' working life skills and use of spare time.

The increase in the provision of adult education has been influenced by the changes that have taken place in society, such as a rise in the standards required in work assignments, a change in the economic structure and migration from rural to urban areas. Adult education has been used as a means to improve job placement.

Paragraph 5 of the Civil Service Act (750/1994), paragraph 5 concerning leave of absence, stipulates that a state employee may stop working if the authority in question grants him/her leave of absence or if s/he is directly entitled to be granted leave of absence on the basis of law.

Under law, employees are entitled to one or two periods of childcare leave, but additional periods are possible with the employer's consent. Parents can choose to take partial childcare leave, i.e. to reduce their working time until the end of the year in which their child starts school. This reduction is not financially compensated. The minimum length of the part-time childcare leave is six months, the specific arrangements being subject to agreement between the employee and employer. Only one of the parents at a time can be on partial childcare leave. The parent taking a partial childcare leave is required to have worked outside the home for at least one year before taking the leave, with regular working hours totalling at least 30 a week.

Act 273/1979; Decree 864/1979; Act 365/1995; Act 632/1998

The purpose of the Act governing educational leave (273/1979) is to improve the opportunities for training and study available to the working population. Adult liberal education, which is based on the principle of lifelong learning, is to support the development of individuals and the realisation of democracy and equality.

The purpose of the Civil Service Act (750/1994) is to ensure that the duties of the government are discharged effectively and appropriately and in a way which safeguards citizens' legal rights, and to ensure a fair position for the civil servant vis-à-vis the employer.

The spectrum of the instruction provided by various institutions, as adult education is broad. Adults are offered education leading to initial qualifications, open studies which form a part of certificate-oriented programmes (e.g., open university), and preparatory training for competence-based examinations. An important sector of adult education is additional and supplementary training to update, diversify and consolidate vocational competence. Regardless of the strong ties to working life and the labour market, not all education is directly connected with work and vocational skills. There are plenty of other studies on offer, such as various skill-oriented and social studies. Adult education may also be a purely recreational accumulation of knowledge and skills (adult liberal education).

Same as for PEL.

All sectors

All citizens beyond the age of compulsory education

Same as for PEL

Same as for PEL

Same as for PEL

Same as for PEL

Same as for PEL

Same as for PEL