Ministry to merge six Tallinn vocational schools into two colleges

The Ministry of Education is to merge six vocational schools in the capital into two colleges, which will provide applied secondary education.
Vocational schools exist in tandem with high schools, and students seeking a more practical education can attend once graduating from the mandatory basic school.
This merger is the first major step in a reform aimed at addressing inefficiencies in the vocational education system, the ministry says, for instance by avoiding the duplication of specialties, some of which are costly to keep cutting edge.
Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200) said: "For example, we have a commerce specialty at two different vocational schools in Tallinn. We have many mechatronics and robotics specialties, which require substantial infrastructure investments to modernize them."
"Culinary programs require equipped kitchens in multiple vocational schools, but these deteriorate over time, and we need more funds. [But] this is simply not rational," the minister went on.
"Currently, in Tallinn vocational education, we offer exactly the same specialties within a very small area. This does not foster good collaboration between schools because we are competing with each other," she continued.
Once the six existing Tallinn vocational schools are merged into two colleges, the latter will begin training students, from next autumn, and with four-year curricula.
Some of the 16 new curricula are not yet available in Estonia so the reforms will also create new options, including in drone tech and renewables tech, the minister said.

"For example, there is such a thing as a wind turbine engineering specialty, and an unmanned vehicle operator specialty. These are not yet offered in vocational schools [in Estonia], but the labor market demand for these skills is now very high," Kallas added.
As for the affected institutions, Kallas said: "Tallinna teeninduskooli and majanduskooli will form a single institution, provisionally named Tallinna äri- ja teeninduskolledž (English: Tallinn business and service college – ed.)."
Additionally, a Tallinn IT and technology college will be created by merging four existing vocational schools: Tallinna ehituskooli, polütehnikumi, tööstushariduskeskuse ja Lasnamäe mehhaanikakooli.
The merger also aims to meet labor market demands, and some employers see a significant need for change along the announced lines.
Kai Realo, board chair of the Employers' Confederation (Tööandjate keskliit) and CEO of Ragn Sells said: "For us, the most important thing is that this school produces a workforce that actually enters employment."
"Any kind of hobby education for free, at the state's expense, should clearly be stopped. /.../ We believe the national curriculum should strictly follow only the results of OSKA reports," Realo went on.
Kallas said: "Up to now, training orders were planned based on which specialties were popular during the previous year's admissions, regardless of actual labor market demand. Starting this year, we have revised this approach, and all vocational training orders are based on OSKA reports, i.e., employer assessments of which skills are needed in the labor market."
OSKA is a professional qualifications issuing body.
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Merili Nael
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera,' reporter Merilin Pärli.