Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) stated at a government press conference on Thursday that Estonia continues to face a shortage of skilled workers. According to Minister of Education Kristina Kallas, the vocational education reform should help reduce this shortage.

"Currently, we have around 1,200 young people aged 16 to 18 each year who do not continue their studies after completing basic education. They end up with only a basic education and no professional qualifications or skills. By extending compulsory schooling until the age of 18, we can ensure that these students acquire some form of skill. We have a strong network of vocational education institutions where these skills can be developed. Starting September 1, 2025, a significant number of new vocational curricula will be introduced, primarily in engineering, IT and healthcare. This will enable a substantially larger number of young people with specific skills to enter the labor market, which employers have long been requesting, citing a severe shortage of skilled young workers in Estonia," Kallas said.

The proportion of general secondary education in vocational schools has been significantly lower compared to high schools, which, according to Kallas, makes them less attractive to students.

"Vocational schools are currently unattractive because the amount of academic study is very small, and graduates with vocational secondary education lack pathways to further educational levels. While high school students study subjects like mathematics almost daily, in vocational and secondary education, mathematics may be taught only once or twice a week, yet the state exams are the same for everyone. We need to increase the proportion of general secondary education in vocational schools to make them more appealing to young people. They can receive a good high school education along with a vocational qualification in fields such as engineering, IT or healthcare," the minister explained.

Kallas emphasized that Estonians themselves can address the skilled labor shortage.

"Estonia's economy cannot grow without solving the labor problem, and we have a significant shortage of skilled labor in Estonia. We need to enhance the skills of our people so that they are not unemployed. Our unemployment rate is 7-8 percent, and it is structural, meaning people are long-term unemployed because their skills do not match the labor market's needs. When 1,200 young people leave the education system each year without any skills, this is an issue that must be addressed," Kallas stated.

In March, ERR reported that although vocational education centers train skilled workers in many fields, there is still a shortage of skilled labor in the Estonian job market, particularly in technical fields, and labor must be sourced from abroad.

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