Vocational upper secondary qualifications
A vocational upper secondary qualification consists of 180 competence points (cp), composed by vocational units (145 cp) and common units (35 cp). Vocational upper secondary education provides a broad professional basic knowledge for various tasks within the industry. In addition, students acquire more specialised skills and the professional knowledge required by the profession in at least one area.
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Upper secondary qualification in social and health care
Education for practical nurses is provided through vocational training by completing a vocational upper secondary qualification in social and health care. In practical nurse training, one acquires the competence and profession that provides good employment opportunities. The competence of a practical nurse enables a flexible transition to various tasks within the industry when needed.
A practical nurse works in the social, health, education, and pedagogical sectors in various tasks of care, support, education and guidance tasks. Practical nurses work close to people.
The competence area of elderly care and rehabilitation provides skills in promoting the social inclusion of the elderly and enhancing the clients’ functional capacity. The main skills provided by the qualification unit on working in home care include planning, carrying out, and assessing a home care client’s services, treatment and rehabilitation, and honouring their right of self-determination.
The competence area of children’s and youth education and care focuses, in its professional competence requirements, on the promotion of children’s growth, well-being and learning, as well as the promotion of children’s, young people’s, and families’ health in different environments, both in early childhood education and care, and health care.
The competence area of mental health and substance abuse work provides skills for working with mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as with clients and networks in this field. The professional competence requirements include the acquisition of knowledge on mental health and substance abuse work, care methods, and pharmacological treatment.
The competence area of nursing care is the most common one for finding employment in specialised medical care. The skills provided by this competence area are required in all medical care, regardless of the patients’ age.
The competence area of oral health care provides skills in working with oral health care, and promoting oral health, and client well-being. The students learn to use the working methods, equipment, materials, and products of oral health care.
The competence area of care for the disabled provides skills in promoting the social inclusion of disabled individuals and their functional capacity. Practical nurses who have completed the competence area of care for the disabled primarly work at clients’ homes, in housing services, and daytime activities, and as personal assistants.
The competence area of Basic Life Support (BLS) is one of the competence areas of the vocational qualification in social and health care. An emergency practical nurse is a qualification
title that describes the skills provided by this competence area. An emergency practical nurse can work e.g. in an ambulance or acute care, but not in early childhood education and care.
Practical nurse is a professional title that is protected by law within social and healthcare services. This protection means that only a practical nurse who has completed a vocational upper secondary qualification in social and healthcare is allowed to use the professional title. Read more about the protection of the title here (in Finnish).
Upper secondary qualification in education and guidance
Vocational qualification in education and guidance consists of three areas of competence: early childhood education and family activities (qualification title: children’s instructor), youth and community guidance (qualification title: youth and community instructor), and communication and sign language guidance (qualification title communication and sign language instructor). The children’s instructors and communication and sign language instructors are qualified to work as child carers in early childhood education and care.
A children’s instructor works in early childhood education and preschool teaching, for example in daycare and open early childhood education and care. A children’s instructor can also work with school children and with families. Pedagogical work is collaborative between the municipality, parishes and non-profit organizations, with the aim of promoting the child’s balanced growth, development and learning.
Work of a youth and community instructor involves instructing, teaching, and supporting with a focus on increasing participation, equality, and civic engagement.
A communication and sign language instructor promotes the use of speech-supporting, complementary, and alternative communication methods, as well as monitors the application of linguistic rights for sign language users.
Upper secondary qualification in pharmaceutical industry
The professional title for completing an upper secondary degree in pharmaceutical industry is pharmaceutical technician. This work requires good interpersonal skills, accuracy, and precision. A pharmaceutical technician can work, for example, with logistical tasks in pharmaceutical supply, office and IT tasks, prescription management, and as an assistant in pharmaceutical handling and manufacturing processes.
The qualification also provides the competence to work as an assistant in clinical research, drug manufacturing, drug marketing and communications, as well as with various storage tasks within the pharmaceutical supply.
Upper secondary qualification in instrument care
The qualification title for the upper secondary qualification in instrument care is instrument technician. An instrument technician who has completed the qualification can work in various workplaces that produce services and activities related to infection control, cleaning, disinfection, packaging, and sterilisation.
Through optional courses competence can be expanded to include logistical services in healthcare or cover operational environments for instrument care in various social and healthcare units, research institutes, clinical service units, industry, operational environments for dental care, or animal care.