Funding shortfall leaves vocational colleges struggling to modernise

Estonia’s vocational colleges lack the money to update ageing equipment and technology, putting the long-term sustainability of training at risk, ERR reports.

Raini Jõks, director of Tartu Applied College, said students need access to modern robots, drones and simulators to develop skills required in the labour market. He said the aim was not to build factories at schools, but to ensure students were ready for work and could begin internships with relevant skills.

The college has cut classroom hours and increased independent study to manage its teacher salary budget. Jõks said the college was trying to ensure that students received adequate guidance during independent learning.

Some students have complained that they had to pay for part of the clothing or learning materials required for school. Jõks said the college was trying to ensure that all secondary education, both general and vocational, was free.

Jõks said vocational education in Estonia was approaching a critical point, despite its current quality. He said vocational students receive the lowest level of funding in the country’s education system, leaving colleges unable to take the next steps in their development without additional investment. He called for political decisions and funding to support the vocational education reform.

Tartu Applied College currently has its highest student enrolment in a decade, Jõks said, but he warned that the quality of education may not be sustainable in the longer term without more investment.

Ott Pärna, head of Tallinn Technology College, said artificial intelligence was changing occupations and affecting the learning preferences of young people and adults. He said colleges needed to develop their training facilities and hire more teachers in science and technology, while also teaching students to use AI across different industries.

Pärna said most young people should study technology-related fields. About 70 percent of Estonia’s basic school graduates go on to gymnasium, he said, while too few choose vocational education focused on practical and technological skills. He argued that the share of students in applied education should increase towards levels in the Nordic countries and other wealthy European states.