Vocational education prepares students for careers that are based in manual or practical activities, and related to a specific occupation or vocation. On-the-job learning is an important part of vocational education.
Vocational education consists of vocational upper secondary education and training and of vocational further education and training.
Vocational qualifications comprise
- Vocational upper secondary qualifications targeted to both young people and adults
- Further vocational qualifications and specialist vocational qualifications targeted especially to adults.
Some, though only a few, vocational upper secondary qualifications are offered in English. The scope of a vocational upper secondary qualification is 120 credits, which can usually be completed in three years. No tuition fee is charged, but students usually have to pay for some of their study materials and tools. Students who have completed a vocational upper secondary qualification can apply for admission to a polytechnic or university.