Vocational Education and Training (VET) is no longer just a practical study path. Today, it is an international, forward-looking, and inspiring route to exciting future careers. Through international cooperation, students and staff gain far more than technical skills — they experience new cultures, build global networks, and grow both personally and professionally.
A strong example of this development is the Canada–Finland Network, which connects Finnish vocational education institutions with partner colleges across Canada. The network enables meaningful student and staff mobility between Finland and different Canadian provinces, opening doors to valuable international learning experiences for both learners and educators.
Cooperation with Canada brings a clear “wow factor” to vocational education. Canada is widely seen as both an attractive and slightly more exotic destination, which makes mobility periods especially appealing. These experiences are not only educational but also highly motivating, strengthening the attractiveness of vocational studies and helping to position VET as an inspiring and future-oriented choice.
Through experiences like these, vocational education becomes something much larger — a genuine gateway to the world.
Building Bridges Between Finland and Canada
The Canada–Finland Network is a collaboration between ten Finnish vocational education providers and partner colleges in Canada. It promotes mobility and cooperation that bring together different educational cultures and working life practices across the Atlantic.
Over the years, approximately 200 students and 130 staff members have participated in mobility periods to Canada through Erasmus+ funding. Participants have represented a wide range of vocational fields, including social and health care, hairdressing and beauty care, culinary arts, hospitality, automotive technology, business and administration, media production, massage therapy, as well as sports and coaching.
At the same time, mobility from Canada to Finland has steadily increased, with around 60 Canadian students completing study periods in Finnish vocational institutions.
These exchanges offer much more than international travel. Students gain confidence, language skills, professional competence, and intercultural understanding that prepare them for today’s global labour market. Staff members also benefit by exchanging pedagogical practices, developing their expertise, and strengthening their professional profiles.
A Canadian Chef Tour Across Finland
One inspiring example of this cooperation took place this spring, when Canadian chef instructor Barry Moore from Nova Scotia Community College visited Finland for a month-long Chef Tour.
Between April 13 and May 5, he travelled across Finland, bringing Canadian culinary expertise to four vocational institutions:
- Week 1: Turku – Turun ammatti-instituutti (TAI)
- Week 2: Kokemäki – Sataedu
- Week 3: Vaasa – Vamia
- Week 4: Kajaani – Kainuun ammattiopisto (KAO)
During the tour, students and teachers explored Canadian cuisine under his guidance. Together they prepared authentic Canadian menus, which were also served to customers in the schools’ training restaurants.
The chef tour created an inspiring international learning environment where students could develop their professional skills in real-life settings while working alongside an experienced international expert.
Learning Goes Both Ways
With more than 20 years of experience as a Certified Chef de Cuisine and educator, Barry Moore shared valuable professional knowledge with Finnish students and staff. However, the exchange was highly reciprocal.
During his stay in Finland, Barry experienced Finnish vocational education, local traditions, and Finnish ingredients firsthand — from fresh farm milk (“tinkimaito”) to mastering the delicate technique of crimping traditional Karelian pastries.
These shared experiences highlighted one of the greatest strengths of international cooperation: learning flows in both directions.
Showcasing the Strength of Modern VET
The Chef Tour also provided participating colleges with an opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience. Visitors to training restaurants were able to see how dynamic, international, and innovative vocational education has become.
Today’s VET institutions continuously develop their practices by investing in international cooperation, practical learning environments, modern professional skills, and motivating learning opportunities for both students and staff.
International cooperation make studies more engaging and help students understand that vocational education can open doors not only locally, but also globally.
An Attractive Pathway for the Future
The Canada–Finland cooperation demonstrates how international partnerships can significantly strengthen the attractiveness of vocational education and training. The “wow” experiences created through mobility to destinations like Canada make VET more inspiring and appealing, while also offering memorable and sometimes more exotic learning environments.
Students gain unforgettable experiences, educators expand their expertise, and institutions create new opportunities through collaboration.
The Chef Tour is a strong example of how international cooperation enriches vocational skills, fosters intercultural understanding, and creates meaningful learning experiences for everyone involved. Vocational education today is active, international, and full of possibilities — making it an increasingly attractive choice for studies and future careers.