The importance of general studies as part of vocational education and training (VET) has been recognised since the 1900s. When VET was incorporated as part of the overall education system in the Nordic countries, the role of more generic studies in study programmes was redefined. In Finland, there has been a transition from the bureaucratic education model towards a more individualised organisation of VET. The aim of this article is to explore how the role of general and work-based studies has been redefined in Finnish VET since the 1990s. The study is based on a secondary analysis of previous research and governmental documents. It aims to increase the understanding of the challenges and discrepancies of developing VET as part of the education system when interests, such as the promotion of civic education, individual progress through open educational pathways, continuous learning and employability, are confluent.
Maarit Virolainen (Sat,) studied this question.