Continuous learning in academic adult education – diversity and new solutions

Texti minna maunula english translation marko saajanaho

In a rapidly changing and complex environment, continuous adult learning springs up as a core factor of improving Finland’s competitiveness, human wellbeing, and human capital. International comparisons see the share of highly educated young adults falling behind when compared to other countries. However, adult competence in international Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) comparisons is still at a fairly high level.

Based on these observations, we can make the argument that the importance of adult education and continuous learning will increase even more in the upcoming decades.

Several needs for change to the Finnish education system have been identified. The higher education and research vision for 2040 proposes, for example, traditional goals related to sivistys, internationality, and social renewal. In addition, it highlights increasing competition, utilising corporate structures, and concerns over weakening democracy.

According to Unifi, any measures meant to improve the level of education and competence must commence immediately, with the goal of high quality by international standards and pioneering. Sitra (2026) also highlights the need of a comprehensive education system reform and calls for systematic review.

Alongside the long-standing neoliberal education talk, OECD (2025) proposes a broader, even refreshing goal: flourishing individuals, communities, and societies. Education is not a mere tool. It is an essential building block of social core values such as democracy and equality.

Education is not a mere tool. It is an essential building block of social core values such as democracy and equality.

Instrumentally, a high level of education strengthens the position of individuals on the job marker, improves socioeconomic status, and boosts wellbeing in many ways. The sustainability of democracy and competent, innovative people capable of perceiving the big picture form the foundation of Finland’s future and economic growth. Increasing the level of education is both an individual and social investment, with extensive cumulative benefits.

Accessibility of adult education

Organisers of academic adult education have already spent years utilising research and systematically developing accessible training suited for adults, which makes use of digitisation and is closely linked with working life. In order for education opportunities to be equally accessible, a shared strong will to create genuinely accessible and flexible education paths for adults.

The uncertainty of continued funding for training programmes hurts the predictability of these activities and makes long-term development work more difficult. Limited financial resources not only restrict activities but also encourage re-evaluation and bold, collaborative innovation.

Adults seeking academic education come from diverse social, pedagogic, and professional backgrounds. They often possess extensive work experience, a strong outlook on their field, and high study motivation. Often, studying also evokes a reflective relationship with their work and a desire to develop it. Many employers do use their studying workers to develop the work community in a strategic and purposeful manner. Studying while working, and often also raising a family, is demanding. Despite the fact adult education programmes have been made more diverse and accessible, realising equality as opportunities to access these programmes remains challenging.

The many contexts of continuous learning

In Finland, society highly respects education. In addition to formal education, continuous learning happens informally and formally in various contexts, such as hobbies, everyday practices, and workplaces. For example, early career mentorship is a long-standing approach.

Work itself serves as a significant learning environment, especially when considered from digitalisation, interaction, and expertise development perspectives. Opportunities for the unemployed to access continuous learning and education must not be forgotten. Proving one’s competence is often based on formal certificates, which is why obstacles to accessible education must be identified and removed.

For adults, the path to university studies often starts from the open university, which has patiently developed adult pedagogy while building flexible study paths. The importance of university adult education paths is evident, and their accessibility should be improved.

Continuous learning is a cornerstone of development for individuals, organisations, and society alike. Merely organising education for adults is not enough. We need a learning ecosystem to enable learning in diverse ways, in which power and responsibility are split between different actors. Now, we are talking about a research-based, flexible, and developing high-quality education culture.

Obvious structural gaps can be seen in the current system, leading to individuals carrying major responsibility for improving their competence. At the individual level, this may boost well-being and agency, but on the other hand, it can increase stress and feelings of inequality.

Examples of new adult education models

To make up for the abolished adult education subsidy, the new Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE) has been created and is managed by two ministries. SECLE provides government subsidies for education programmes supporting continuous learning. This funding is not allocated to organising such programmes but, for example, partially covering the costs of participating organisations.

With new education funding models comes a requirement for universities to update their practices and improve financial competence. While the new funding models are welcome, their project-based nature and rapid rate of changes hurt long-term development and predictability of education programmes. SECLE funding is especially important in fields with a critical need of updated competence but low resources available for education. This is the case with municipal teaching staff, for example.

Focusing education towards fields with talent shortages is a sound strategy. The amendment to the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care required a larger portion of staff to possess a higher level of education than before – a bachelor’s degree. To accomplish this goal, the Ministry of Education and Culture resourced a thousand new ECEC teacher training places for universities as a one-off. This training was carried out via diverse studies alongside work, organised jointly by seven universities. At the same time, this facilitated co-development of education programmes. As a result of this training, the level of education among the workforce has often risen from childcare provider to bachelor of pedagogy and ECEC teacher.

In order for education opportunities to be equally accessible, a shared strong will to create genuinely accessible and flexible education paths for adults.

Another obvious field with a talent shortage is special education, with universities devising new pilot education solutions. A special education teacher’s qualification can now be obtained by completing separate special education teacher’s studies in addition to regular teacher’s studies. For instance, the University of Jyväskylä’s Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius has offered teachers supplementary education to specialise as special education teachers for decades thanks to individual funding. In the most recent purchasing service training, the City of Vantaa secured training for 60 of their teachers.

The upcoming training will be a joint programme with multiple municipalities, and the funding model combines SECLE aid with investments from client organisations. The new special education teacher training models boost the inclusivity of the education system while securing the right of students to receive quality education and learning support.

Doctoral training also strengthens the continuous adult education continuum. The ongoing three-year pilot project seeks to train a thousand new doctors in three years. This project focuses especially on developing guidance practices and the structural quality and fluency of doctoral training. However, it should be noted that doctoral researchers in different fields of science carry out their researcher studies in different contexts and realities, including while working. Very few of them directly work on their thesis in paid employment immediately following their master’s degree. Two out of three doctors work outside academia. It is important for qualified researchers to work in research, development, and innovation positions to ensure such activities have an impact and are research-based.

Academic adult education at the heart of continuous learning

Traditional university tasks gain new nuances in everyday work. Quick intersecting changes, the digitalisation of education, AI, questions of sustainability, and efficiency requirements also demand a more proactive approach from those working in academia. The bold adult education reform has helped blaze the trail, and the operational models have been extended to daytime implementations for young people. However, this does not mean the development of academic adult education is finished.

In research-based development of academic adult education pedagogy, awareness of several matters is emphasised. This training is based upon scientific content, a strong connection to working life, and the experiences and individual baselines of each adult student. Adults need to share their experiences and reflect on them. These elements should be integrated into the pedagogic script of the training. Personalised studies are a strong trend, improving equality, agency, and completing one’s studies.

The objective is for both instructors and students to feel well and develop sustainable wellbeing practices. Expert work requires skills for setting work boundaries, cooperation and interaction skills, and broad generative capabilities. Building a sustainable working life already begins during studies.

Continuous learning plays an important role in updating the competence of Finnish adults. A shared innovative will between continuous learning and academic education exists. Realising it requires active dialogue and commitment to cooperation from funders, training organisers, work representatives, and individuals alike.

The opportunity for continuous learning deepens mutual trust, democracy, and the nation’s trust in the future.

The opportunity for continuous learning deepens mutual trust, democracy, and the nation’s trust in the future. The conflict between work, participating in education, and obligations of adult life must be resolved in a sustainable manner. Working life should yield, training should be more diverse, and participating in training should be financially viable. At the same time, daily responsibilities must be split equally. The level of education increases when the premise is striving for higher competence than the current degree level. The traditional equality of education must be retained as an essential guarantee for the future.