Pilvi Torsti takes Finnish Youth Guarantee to countries neighbouring EU
A few years ago, Pilvi Torsti was still promoting Finnish labour policy in Helsinki as State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. However, formerly a researcher focusing on education and training in the Western Balkans, she could not resist returning to her academic roots when an opportunity arose to influence important matters in an area that means a lot to her.
“It is often said that young people are the future. However, I challenge this by saying that they are the present,” Pilvi says.
Cooperation to reform education, training and employment
Last year, the European Training Foundation (ETF) had its 30th anniversary. It is the European Union's agency supporting the EU’s neighbouring countries in reforming their education, training and labour market systems.
“The organisation’s role in developing human capital is increasingly topical in the current global situation,” Pilvi says.
ETF's special feature is its joint geographical and thematic perspective, which helps it focus on bringing education, training and employment together.
According to Pilvi, boundaries often form between education and training services and the supply of employment because the services have been created for needs of a very different type. ETF's strength is that it combines these two fields, especially through vocational education and training.
ETF is an international centre of excellence, and its strengths are its long history in the countries where it operates as well as its approach based on partnerships. Thanks to this, ETF can offer expert knowledge, good practices and policy recommendations from the EU for the partner countries to use in the development of education, training and employment.
Finland’s Youth Guarantee paves the way
Finland has been a pioneer in combining education, training and employment. The Youth Guarantee is a particularly good example of this, and it is now being introduced in the Western Balkan countries and Ukraine. Pilvi Torsti was involved in launching the model in Finland.
She explains that the model was built on two key principles: a strong knowledge base regarding young people’s situation and wide-ranging cooperation between stakeholders were required. Among other things, these elements have helped to develop the Finnish concept of One-Stop Guidance Centers, which has also later inspired the EU's Youth Guarantee model.
“In many of ETF’s partner countries, labour policy is still developing and the resources may be scarce. In spite of this, the areas are dynamic and there is a great need for new operating models.”
According to Pilvi, Finland also has other internationally recognised operating models.
“The Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE) is an example of fast employment and training solutions that can offer effective models for other countries, too,” Pilvi says.
1+1 is often more than two in international encounters
Pilvi Torsti emphasises that international competence is important for guidance professionals, as well. Operating in the world of education, training and employment requires constant learning and development of one’s competence.
“If you can share matters related to your own field of expertise with a person from another context, two-way learning usually always takes place.”
International experiences help to see one’s own field and system through new eyes and to provide better solutions in the field of guidance, education and training.”
“When the world is changing and new challenges emerge, strong cooperation, a knowledge base and innovative solutions are required. Known as a solution-oriented country, Finland can also offer valuable expertise in these matters,” Pilvi Torsti says.