Learning and work after post-compulsory education are organised in different forms such as educational establishments, teams and processes. Although many examples of separation can be found, these are also increasing examples models of integration, from new kinds of apprenticeships to work-based learning, work-related learning, organisational development and so on (Boud, 2005). Nowadays, the fact that knowledge and skills are also provided outside formal education and training, is gradually leading to the formulation of a European educational policy (Tessaring & Wannan, 2004). There has been an increase of interest in workplace learning among educational scholars (e.g. Billett, 2001; Fuller & Unwin, 1998; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Griffiths & Guile, 2004). One of the unifying themes in their work has been the learning context and the development of vocational competence. Guile and Griffiths (2001) introduce a typology of work experience consisting of five models which describe the relationships between these contexts: traditional, the experiential, the generic, the work process and the connective. In particular, they argue that it is necessary to take different types of context (education and work) into account. They highlight the need for new curriculum frameworks (see also Young, 2003) with which to introduce last mentioned the ‘connective model’. Such a new curriculum framework would enable students to relate formal and informal learning. Described as a continuum of the relationship between education and working life, at one end are countries such as Germany and Austria in which working life bears the main responsibility for VET, while at the other end there are countries where vocational education has been strongly school-based. For example, in Finland prior to the turn of the millennium initial vocational education was mainly organised by vocational schools with few links between education and working life. However, in recent years educational policy has emphasised the importance of creating closer relationships between education and industry in countries with as well as those without a school-based VET system. The recent enhancement of the work-related learning system in Finland and performance-based tests are developments reflecting the current process of change in the relationship between working life and vocational education. Vocational skills demonstrations represent a new form of student assessment, in which cooperation between education and working life plays a central role and which brings together representatives from working life and teachers (Räkköläinen, 2005, 21; Stenström, 2001; 2005; Stenström, Laine, & Kurvonen, 2006). The aim of this paper is to describe how work and learning are limited in Finnish vocational education and training with particular reference to skills demonstrations. First, the skills demonstration system as part of vocational programmes in Finland and are described. Second, the data of the study is described and finally the results for improving the interface between education and working life are discussed.

This paper is based on a European study the aim of which was to examine students’ practice-oriented learning as a part of vocational education provision in authentic situations in the workplaces (Stenström, Laine & Kurvonen, 2006). The context was the experimental phase of in the introduction of vocational skills demonstrations in Finland. Skills demonstrations were included in all initial vocational qualifications in autumn 2006. The data were collected by interviewing students in the fields of social welfare and health care and the construction industry (n=6), their teachers (n=8), and representatives (n=6) of enterprises operating in these fields in central and southern Finland. The interviews were analysed by means of content analysis.

In Finland, vocational skills demonstrations have been developed pedagogically to form part of vocational study programmes and to improve the relationship between education and working life. The results show that the implementation of the demonstrations of vocational skills have improved cooperation between education and working life (Stenström, Laine & Kurvonen, 2006). Skills demonstrations have also led all three parties involved – teachers, workplace instructors and students – to take their own learning-related duties more seriously as well as encouraged them to develop their occupational skills. The cooperation between educational institutions and workplaces has forced teachers to take into account the needs of working life. Furthermore, representatives from working life have taken part in the planning and implementation of the vocational skills demonstrations. The curricula of the vocational institutions have had substantially to be modified. This has led workplace instructors to a greater awareness of vocational curricula. Students have been shown to invest more time and energy in their studies in order to perform well in their vocational skills demonstrations. Skills demonstrations have also helped them to better monitor their own development. Although vocational skills demonstrations have contributed to the creation of closer links between education and work, the findings suggest that to approach close to the connective model (Griffiths & Guile, 2003) cooperation between teachers and workplace instructors should be improved. At present, cooperation seems still to be following the traditional work experience model. The reason might be that the findings presented here are based on the experimental, implementation phase of vocational skills demonstrations, when the contexts between schools and workplaces were newly established.