Written by Maija Tuomola, Teacher, Lounais-Hämeen koulutuskuntayhtymä
Lounais-Hämeen koulutuskuntayhtymä’s BGBiVET Erasmus+ project worker Maija Tuomola will begin publishing a monthly article related to the themes of the Erasmus+ BGBiVET project. Each month, one aspect of promoting gender equality in vocational education and training will be highlighted and brought into discussion. The project aims to increase awareness among teachers and other school staff and to share good practices for advancing gender equality in everyday actions, routines, and attitudes. Promoting equality and non-discrimination has been shown to improve learning outcomes, reduce gender segregation across fields and professions, and ensure everyone’s skills are effectively utilized. Meaningful, isn’t it?
January’s Theme: Individual Encounters
Gender equality is one of the core principles of Finnish vocational education. Legislation— such as the Equality Act, the Non-Discrimination Act, and the Act on Vocational Education— obligates education providers to promote equality and prevent discrimination. Yet traditional gendered structures still appear in education and transitions into working life. Effective equality work requires genuine recognition of the individual, flexible study paths, and removing learning barriers early on.
Gendered Study Choices and Individual Encounters
In vocational education, gender distribution across study fields remains uneven. Care and social services continue to attract mainly women, while technical fields draw mostly men. These traditional choices do not always reflect a person’s true interests or abilities—often they are shaped by societal norms, role expectations, or guidance received.
Promoting equality means ensuring that every student has the right to choose a field based on motivation and competence—not on what supposedly “fits” their assumed gender. Recognizing individuality means providing guidance that strengthens each learner’s own interests and aspirations.
Individual Encounters at the Heart of Learning
The reform of vocational education placed strong emphasis on individual learning. Each student must have a personal competence development plan (HOKS) that considers prior competence, personal goals, and any need for learning support. The plan must be updated whenever the student’s situation requires it. At its best, it is career planning, personal study guidance, support, and future planning. However, individual encounters go far beyond documentation. They are part of the everyday work of every professional in the learning community.
The essential elements of true individual encounters include:
Enhancing the feeling of being heard
Students experience equality when their thoughts, concerns, and goals are taken seriously. This reduces feelings of exclusion and strengthens motivation.
Ensuring a safe learning environment
The learning environment must be free from discrimination. This applies to all genders— including non-binary and transgender students, who often face increased vulnerability.
Recognizing individual learning styles
A practical teaching tip for vocational teachers: How to support individuality during group learning and competence demonstrations
How to put this into practice?
- Choose one core task for the lesson
For example: “Design a customer interaction scenario” or “Carry out an equipment installation process.” The objective is what matters—not the format. - Offer students three different ways to complete the task
- By doing: practical exercise, workplace task, simulation
- By explaining: oral or written description, video creation
- By visualizing: diagram, image, plan, workflow, mind map
- Let students choose the method that suits their learning style best
This supports individuality without disrupting group instruction or increasing workload excessively. - Assess competence using the same criteria for all
Competence-based assessment ensures equality: how the student demonstrates competence doesn’t matter—as long as they demonstrate it.
Why does this work?
- Reduces stress for learners who struggle with traditional learning methods
- Supports students with diverse learning needs
- Breaks down gender stereotypes (“boys do, girls write”)
- Boosts motivation and sense of belonging
- Enables genuine individuality within group-based teaching