National education systems are facing extensive reforms due to changing needs of societies and businesses. Growing middle classes are demanding higher quality education for their children. There is also increasing global demand for vocational upskilling and entrepreneurship training as jobs require continuous learning. Finnish companies have opportunities in consulting, curriculum development, teacher training, vocational education, and public-private partnerships to support reforms in markets like Central/Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

1. Finpro Insight
on Education
Trends, opportunities and potential markets
for Finnish companies in the Education sector

2. Introduction TREND 1
National education systems facing
The education sector is experiencing growth in several countries extensive reforms
and regions boosted by new government initiatives aimed at im-
proving current education systems and the overall quality of the It is acknowledged worldwide that education is the driving force
state education they provide. behind individual and societal success. Citizens expect their
governments to be capable of providing a high and uniform
A number of trends are impacting the global education system. quality of education.
For three of these, Finpro has identified several potential mar-
kets in which their impact will be the most significant, offering TREND 2
Finnish education companies and educational institutions great
opportunities: Growing middle-class demands
quality education
In emerging markets, the middle class are wealthier than ever
before. They now want to invest their wealth in their children
– especially in education. Parents want better lives for their
offspring.
TREND 3
Vocational up-skilling and
entrepreneurship training in
global demand
Labor market and educational needs are changing more rapidly
than ever before. When you are competing for the best jobs in
the market, continuous learning and ongoing development of
your personal skills are essential.
Learn more about Finpro Insight on Education sector in the following pages!
© Finpro

3. TREND 1
National education systems facing extensive reforms
All over the world, the needs of societies and the business DRIVERS
sector are changing so much that current levels of education
are no longer adequate. Nowadays, people’s expectations are • In emerging economies, there is a specific need for
significantly higher, and traditional educational institutes may knowledge about how to implement sustainable educational
not be capable of meeting the demand for the types and reforms and establish educational systems that will be
quality of education required. People with excellent educational sustainable in the long term
backgrounds are needed to ensure that the society they live • Inadequate and unequal levels of performance between
in remains competitive in an increasingly-competitive global different schools and educational institutions
environment.
• The variable quality of different educational curriculums
• Political and economical drivers at national level, include
permitting the entry of foreign educational institutions
• As public sector educational institutions can not provide
sufficient education in terms of quality and places, the
education sector is opening up to organizations from the
private sector
© Finpro

4. TREND 1
National education systems facing extensive reforms
TARGET MARKETS: CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE, AND NORTH AFRICA ASIA,
LATIN AMERICA, MIDDLE EAST
EAST & SOUTHEAST • Tailor-made training-programs
• Consultation services connected with developing structures
in educational systems that reinforce existing capacity in
higher education and vocational training facilities
• Curriculum development aimed at achieving knowledge
societies
• Learning environments (physical, i.e. school architecture and
virtual educational worlds)
• Tie-ups like “multi-campus” and public-private ventures by
development consortia
• The Triple-Helix model, i.e. developing interaction between
enterprises and academia
Markets
OPPORTUNITIES Central & Eastern Europe, East & Southeast Asia (China), Latin
America (Chile, Peru), Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE) and North
For Finnish companies, opportunities lie in the productization
Africa.
and internationalization of educational concepts. There are also
a number of opportunities in school construction and providing
interior design services for educational establishments. Finns are
Interesting examples
also experts on how the world’s education and learning systems • As education is widely considered to be essential for
can be developed – from both the knowledge management and modernization and growth, the educational sector has
become an important focus area for governments in
technological perspectives.
the Middle East region: http://www.alpencapital.com/
includes/GCCEducationIndustry-Report-September-2010.
• Providing consulting services in educational and learning pdf
contexts, including the integration of different players’ http://www.booz.com/media/uploads/BoozCo-Private-
solutions within large-scale public projects School-Expansion-GCC.pdf
© Finpro

5. TREND 2
Growing middle-class demands quality education
The combination of a growing middle class and parents’ DRIVERS
increased willingness to invest in the education of their
children will lead to a transfor mation of educational systems. • Demographic growth is leading to increased competition for
Many governments are looking for solutions which can meet limited study opportunities
this challenge, including the new solutions required to provide • The increased willingness of parents to invest in educating
high-quality education for everyone on demand. Technology is their children
a an excellent enabler, as soon as solutions which address the
required learning needs have been created. Online platforms • Limited offering of alternative education providers
may also constitute a viable alternative to traditional educational • The perception of inadequacies in mainstream schooling
institutions. In addition to formal education, informal education constitutes a major driver for the provision of private
and self-study courses are popular. tutoring services
• Increased presence of the private sector as a result of the
public sector’s inability to improve educational standards
OPPORTUNITIES
The education of middle-class offspring offers companies or
organizations that can deliver Finnish know-how a number
of opportunities. Demand for ICT solutions and applications
that enable self development regardless of time and place
is especially high. Both pedagogically and technically, golden
opportunities beckon for solutions that are well designed, and
the best can be localized for use all over the world.
© Finpro

6. TREND 2
Growing middle-class demands quality education
Markets
East & Southeast Asia (China, Vietnam), India, Latin America
(Brazil, Chile, Mexico), Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE), North
Africa and Russia.
Interesting examples
• New middle-class parents are ready to invest in
improving their offspring’s educationand language skills
from kindergarten age. The Maple Bear Kindergarten from
Canada, for example, is currently operating two Maple
Bear Schools in Vietnam. http://www.maplebear.vn/index.
• Self-learning solutions (ICT) php?page
• Teacher training e.g. in K-12 and vocational education • In 2010 the Danish Niels Brock Business College established
• Technical and vocational educationtraining (TVET) a new bachelorprogram jointly with the Foreign Trade
• Creation of new public-private partnerships (e.g. cooperation University in Hanoi - ten years after opening up its first
with national development agencies) joint Asian program with Shanghai Finance University.
• The construction of new learning environments (physical, i.e. http://eng.brock.dk/niels-brock-international/niels-brock-
school architecture and virtual educational worlds) international-activities/niels-brock-in-vietnam/
• Finnish know-how in special education,learning processes
and learning environments (“learning for all”)
© Finpro

7. TREND 3
Vocational up-skilling and entrepreneurship
training in global demand
Society’s needs and people’s working environments are changing OPPORTUNITIES
at an increasing rate. Governments want their citizens to keep
pace with this change, especially in nations where the proportion Finnish educational know-how in vocational up-skilling is
of younger people in the population is high. highly regarded. For example, models for co-operation between
companies and educational institutions have been developed In
As not all young people have the opportunity to study at Finland. Professional education center concepts are also based
university, vocational up-skilling and education in different types on the benefits that flow from good co-operation between
of professional skill are essential. High-quality education which companies and academia.
supports the acquisition of professional skills helps ensure
that everyone can gain the skills and knowledge required to • Customized training for company employees to develop and
obtain well-paid jobs. Vocational up-skilling of this type can be upgrade their practical and technical skills
organized in co-operation with private companies. • Cooperation between industry and training providers in
foreign markets to develop up-skilling programs
• Training in entrepreneurship (consultancy, business
incubators, hubs)
• Public-private partnership concepts
• Migrating multinationals in a global economy: up-skilling of
the local labour force
© Finpro

8. TREND 3
Vocational up-skilling and entrepreneurship
training in global demand
CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE, EAST & SOUTHEAST ASIA,
INDIA, LATIN AMERICA, MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, RUSSIA
Interesting examples
AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
• The Middle East region suffers from very-high levels of
youth unemployment, with resulting demand for “Education
for Employment”. The main opportunities in this sector
consist of the following three sub-areas; 1. Vocational
education and training 2. University education and 3. Work-
readiness skills. http://e4earabyouth.com/report.php
• Tunisia is suffering from high levels of youth unemployment
(35.5% in 2011). As youth employability is closely linked to
achieving smooth national economic and social transition,
there is pressure to develop the quality of tertiary education
DRIVERS and workforce development systems. Source: MIC GRANT:
Support for youth employment in Tunisia: an introduction to
• Employing young people is a positive factor in achieving the Finnish Model linking education/training institutions to
stable societies the socioeconomic environment
• Focus on lifelong learning • 50% of the Indian population is aged 25 years or less. India’s
• The lack of skilled labor in emerging economies approximately 300 universities and over 22,000 affiliate
colleges of education and skills development produce more
Markets than two million graduates each year. http://www.nsdcindia.
org/about-us/organization-profile.aspx
Central & Eastern Europe, East & Southeast Asia, India, Latin
America (Chile), Middle East, North Africa (Tunisia), Russia and
Sub-Saharan Africa.
© Finpro

9. www.finpro.fi