Sustainable Growth Programme for Higher Education in Finland

Goals and results

The aim of the programme is to prepare proposals that, in line with the Government’s Sustainability Roadmap, will increase the supply of skilled labour and promote sustainable growth in Finland. The actions will be prepared jointly by the Ministry of Education and Culture and Finnish higher education institutes.

The preparatory work is divided under four categories, which are
- reform of the educational responsibility system,
- increasing the supply of skilled labour,
- increasing education and work-based immigration,
- supporting growth through strong RDI activities.

The first three are separate preparatory working groups of the programme. Supporting growth through strong RDI activities will be implemented in the structures of the Roadmap for RDI. Higher education institutions will participate in updating the Roadmap for RDI. The Research and Innovation Council will steer the update, the contents of which will be decided by the Ministerial working group on competence, education, culture, and innovation.

Starting points

In its mid-term policy review, Prime Minister Marin’s Government decided on significant measures to boost employment and the economy, and to promote citizens’ wellbeing in Finland after the coronavirus pandemic. The measures have been adapted to the General government fiscal plan for 2022–2025, which the Government outlined in its mid-term review. The measures are based on the policies and objectives already decided, or under preparation, in the Vision for Higher Education and Research, the Education Policy Report, the Reform of Continuous learning, the Roadmap for Education and Work-based Immigration, and the Integration Report. According to the Government’s decision, the more detailed implementation of the actions concerning higher education and research will be agreed upon in cooperation with the higher education institutes, and in consultation with stakeholders, by the end of 2021. The actions decided within this programme will lay the foundation for potential new policy measures. The preparatory work is guided by a steering group. An Analysis and Impact Group has also been set up to support the steering group and the preparatory groups.