This is not the latest documentation of the statistics.
Transition from school to further education and work: documentation of statistics
18.11.2024 valid documentation
Basic data of the statistics
Data description
The statistics examine the employment, transition to further studies and regional placement of attainers of qualifications in the year following graduation. The activity is described at the end of a certain year according to employment, unemployment, studies, conscription service or other activity.
Statistical presentation
The statistics examine the employment, transition to further studies and regional placement of attainers of qualifications in the year following graduation.
Statistical population
The statistics on transition from school to further education and work examine the employment, transition to further studies and regional placement of attainers of post-comprehensive school qualifications in the year following graduation. The activity is described at the end of a certain year according to employment, unemployment, studies, non-military or conscription service or other activity.
Statistical unit
The statistical unit of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work is a person.
Statistics Finland's individual-based Register of Completed Education and Degrees, employment and student data as well as population data are used in the production of the statistics. The data of the employment statistics have been produced by utilising existing administrative register data. The release of the statistics is compiled from the final data of the employment statistics from the statistical year 2021 and the main type of activity variable, which describes the situation in the last week of the statistical reference year. In the past, premilinary data was used.
Statistics Finland's individual-based Register of Completed Education and Degrees, employment and student data as well as population data are used in the production of the statistics. The data of the employment statistics have been produced by utilising existing administrative register data. The release of the statistics is compiled from the final data of the employment statistics from the statistical year 2021 and the main type of activity variable, which describes the situation in the last week of the statistical reference year. In the past, premilinary data was used.
Unit of measure
The measurement unit of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work is the number of persons.
Base period
Indices are not used in the statistics.
Reference period
The reference period of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work is a calendar year.
Transition to working life is described according to the person's highest level of education so that the highest level of education is formed from the data of the same period as in the employment statistics used in the examination in question. For example, if the statistics describe the placement at the end of year t, the population is formed based on the highest level of education completed by the end of year t-1.
Transition to working life is described according to the person's highest level of education so that the highest level of education is formed from the data of the same period as in the employment statistics used in the examination in question. For example, if the statistics describe the placement at the end of year t, the population is formed based on the highest level of education completed by the end of year t-1.
Reference area
The reference area of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work is the whole of Finland. The data are produced on the regional level.
Sector coverage
The statistics cover persons who have completed the matriculation examination, the international matriculation examination (IB or DIA/Reifeprüfung examination), the Gymnasieexamen examination, a vocational qualification, a university of applied sciences degree, a higher university of applied sciences degree or a university degree by the end of the statistical reference year. Attainers of qualifications or degrees also include attainers of qualifications or degrees in the armed services, frontier guard service or abroad. In the statistics, one qualification is selected for each person: the qualification attained at the highest level of education or the qualification most recently attained of education of the same level. Of upper secondary education, the vocational qualification attained last has been selected.
Time coverage
Since the 1990s, data on the statistics on transition from school to further education and work have been produced annually. In 2006, completers of comprehensive school were removed from the population of the statistics because data on their employment are no longer available. Data on employment are based on employment pension data and young people aged 15 to 17 are not covered by employment pension insurance from 2005 onwards.
The statistics are final.
The statistics are final.
Frequency of dissemination
The statistics on transition from school to further education and work are published once a year in January on Statistics Finland's web pages.
Concepts
Education
An organised activity, the aim of which is to produce competence based on teaching.
Comment:
Education can be divided into education and training leading to a qualification or degree and non-qualification studies.
Comment:
Education can be divided into education and training leading to a qualification or degree and non-qualification studies.
Educational institution
An educational institution refers to an administrative unit with a principal or other head, which has teachers and other personnel in its service (role of employers), and which is liable to keep books and compile other documentation, in which students are registered, whose activities are regulated by a legal act or decree, which follows a national curriculum, and which is financed and controlled by a public authority. An educational institution does not refer to a school building or facility. A new educational institution is established, an educational institution is abolished or merged with another educational institution at the decision of the organiser of education (maintainer of the educational institution) or a public authority.
Statistics Finland has assigned an individualised educational institution ID to each educational institution. Educational institutions are classified according to a classification of types of educational institutions.
Statistics Finland has assigned an individualised educational institution ID to each educational institution. Educational institutions are classified according to a classification of types of educational institutions.
Educational system
The Finnish educational system is comprised of the following:
Pre-primary education is provided in Finland to 6-year-old children, usually at children's day care homes. Some 6-year-old children receive pre-primary education in comprehensive schools. Attendance of pre-primary education has been compulsory since 2015.
Comprehensive school education is general knowledge education provided for entire age cohorts. All children permanently resident in Finland must attend compulsory education. Compulsory education starts in the year of the child's seventh birthday.
Compulsory education finishes when the syllabus of comprehensives school education has been completed (9-year comprehensive school), or 10 years from the start of compulsory education. In exceptional cases compulsory education may start already at the age of six and last 11 years due to a disability or illness. A student who has received a leaving certificate from comprehensive school in the same year or in the year before it may continue to attend optional additional education (10th grade).
Post-comprehensive school education, or upper secondary general education and vocational education represent secondary level of education. Upper secondary general school education is education leading to a matriculation examination. Its scope is three years and it gives general eligibility to further education. Vocational education can be either educational institution-based or apprenticeship training. In apprenticeship training, most of the studying is comprised of learning through practical work tasks at a workplace. The qualifications are initial vocational qualifications attained in three years, which also give general eligibility to further polytechnic or university studies.
Further and specialist vocational qualifications represent further vocational education. They, as well as initial vocational qualifications can be attained in a skills examination that can be taken irrespective of the way of acquisition of professional skills, and in which skills can be proven on the basis of preparatory education for a skills examination or work experience.
Attainment of university of applied sciences degrees takes 3.5 to 4.5 years and higher university of applied sciences degrees requiring work practice 1-1.5 years. Attainment of lower university degrees takes three years while higher university degrees take two years longer. Attainers of higher level university degrees may continue their studies to licentiate and doctorate level degrees.
Pre-primary education is provided in Finland to 6-year-old children, usually at children's day care homes. Some 6-year-old children receive pre-primary education in comprehensive schools. Attendance of pre-primary education has been compulsory since 2015.
Comprehensive school education is general knowledge education provided for entire age cohorts. All children permanently resident in Finland must attend compulsory education. Compulsory education starts in the year of the child's seventh birthday.
Compulsory education finishes when the syllabus of comprehensives school education has been completed (9-year comprehensive school), or 10 years from the start of compulsory education. In exceptional cases compulsory education may start already at the age of six and last 11 years due to a disability or illness. A student who has received a leaving certificate from comprehensive school in the same year or in the year before it may continue to attend optional additional education (10th grade).
Post-comprehensive school education, or upper secondary general education and vocational education represent secondary level of education. Upper secondary general school education is education leading to a matriculation examination. Its scope is three years and it gives general eligibility to further education. Vocational education can be either educational institution-based or apprenticeship training. In apprenticeship training, most of the studying is comprised of learning through practical work tasks at a workplace. The qualifications are initial vocational qualifications attained in three years, which also give general eligibility to further polytechnic or university studies.
Further and specialist vocational qualifications represent further vocational education. They, as well as initial vocational qualifications can be attained in a skills examination that can be taken irrespective of the way of acquisition of professional skills, and in which skills can be proven on the basis of preparatory education for a skills examination or work experience.
Attainment of university of applied sciences degrees takes 3.5 to 4.5 years and higher university of applied sciences degrees requiring work practice 1-1.5 years. Attainment of lower university degrees takes three years while higher university degrees take two years longer. Attainers of higher level university degrees may continue their studies to licentiate and doctorate level degrees.
Employer sector
The classification of employer sectors describes the ownership and corporate form of the workplace. It can be used for distinguishing between the public and private sector.
The classification used is as follows:
- Public sector
- state
- municipality
- State-controlled companies
- Private sector
- Other or unknown.
The information on the employer sector is based on data from Statistics Finland's Business Register on the type of owner and juridical (legal) form. The classifications relating to these are presented in the publication 'Classification of sectors'.
The classification used is as follows:
- Public sector
- state
- municipality
- State-controlled companies
- Private sector
- Other or unknown.
The information on the employer sector is based on data from Statistics Finland's Business Register on the type of owner and juridical (legal) form. The classifications relating to these are presented in the publication 'Classification of sectors'.
Level of education
Category into which programmes leading to a qualification or degree are divided on the basis of the requirement level.
Comment:
Selection to education on a particular level of education often requires completion of a lower level of education.
The level of education is measured on the basis of both the overall duration or target time of the education and the requirement level.
Levels of education: early childhood education and care and pre-primary education (duration varies), primary education (6 years), lower secondary education (3 years, in total 9 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), upper secondary education (3 years, in total 12 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), post-secondary non-tertiary education (1-2 years, in total 13-14 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), lowest tertiary education (2-3 years, in total 14-15 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), bachelor's or equivalent level (3-4 years, in total 15-16 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), master's or equivalent level (5-6 years, in total 17-18 years from the beginning of comprehensive education) and second stage of tertiary education (2-4 years, in total 19-22 years from the beginning of comprehensive education).
The level of education indicator cannot be calculated directly on the basis of the duration presented in this concept.
Comment:
Selection to education on a particular level of education often requires completion of a lower level of education.
The level of education is measured on the basis of both the overall duration or target time of the education and the requirement level.
Levels of education: early childhood education and care and pre-primary education (duration varies), primary education (6 years), lower secondary education (3 years, in total 9 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), upper secondary education (3 years, in total 12 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), post-secondary non-tertiary education (1-2 years, in total 13-14 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), lowest tertiary education (2-3 years, in total 14-15 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), bachelor's or equivalent level (3-4 years, in total 15-16 years from the beginning of comprehensive education), master's or equivalent level (5-6 years, in total 17-18 years from the beginning of comprehensive education) and second stage of tertiary education (2-4 years, in total 19-22 years from the beginning of comprehensive education).
The level of education indicator cannot be calculated directly on the basis of the duration presented in this concept.
Main type of activity
The concept of main type of activity describes the nature of a person's economic activity. The population is divided into people in the labour force and those outside the labour force. These categories can further be divided into subgroups. The classification is based on data on a person's main type of activity during the last week of the year.
The following classification is used:
Labour force
- employed labour force
- unemployed
Persons outside the labour force
- 0-14-year-olds
- students, pupils
- pensioners
- conscripts, conscientious objectors
- others outside the labour force.
Information on the main type of activity is based on data obtained from various registers. Where the data conflict as to whether a person is in the labour force or outside it, priority is given to the former. If, within the labour force, the data conflict as to whether a person is unemployed or employed, priority is given to the former.
The group "others outside the labour force" consists of persons who are not in the labour force and do not belong to the following groups: 0-14-year-olds, students, conscripts, conscientous objectors or pensioners.
The following classification is used:
Labour force
- employed labour force
- unemployed
Persons outside the labour force
- 0-14-year-olds
- students, pupils
- pensioners
- conscripts, conscientious objectors
- others outside the labour force.
Information on the main type of activity is based on data obtained from various registers. Where the data conflict as to whether a person is in the labour force or outside it, priority is given to the former. If, within the labour force, the data conflict as to whether a person is unemployed or employed, priority is given to the former.
The group "others outside the labour force" consists of persons who are not in the labour force and do not belong to the following groups: 0-14-year-olds, students, conscripts, conscientous objectors or pensioners.
Matriculation examination
Matriculation examination refers to a final examination of upper secondary general school which is set by the matriculation examination board and which a student studying the full upper secondary general school syllabus can take. Satisfactory pass of the matriculation examination leads to a matriculation examination certificate.
Qualification/Degree
In statistics on the educational structure of the population, transition form school to further education and work and progress of studies attainers of qualifications or degrees refer to completers of matriculation examination, international matriculation examinations (IB, Reifeprüfung or Gymnasieexamen examination), and attainers of vocational qualifications, university of applied sciences degrees, higher university of applied sciences degrees or university degrees by the end of the statistical reference year. Attainers of qualifications or degrees also include attainers of qualifications or degrees in the armed services, frontier guard service or abroad. One qualification or degree per person is included in statistics: vocational qualification attained at the highest level of education/most recently attained.
The data are obtained from Statistics Finland's Register of Completed Education and Degrees. Data can only be entered into the Register for persons who have a Finnish personal ID number. For this reason data on the qualifications or degrees of persons without a personal ID number, e.g. many foreign persons, are missing from the Register.
The data are obtained from Statistics Finland's Register of Completed Education and Degrees. Data can only be entered into the Register for persons who have a Finnish personal ID number. For this reason data on the qualifications or degrees of persons without a personal ID number, e.g. many foreign persons, are missing from the Register.
Sector of education
Comprehensive education, general upper secondary education, vocational education, university of applied sciences education, university education.
Student
In the statistics on students and qualifications of educational institutions, on progress of studies, on employment of students and on transition from school to further education and work, students refer to the students attending upper secondary general, vocational, university of applied sciences education and university education leading to a qualification or degree and registered at educational institutions on 20 September and, since 2004, in respect of preparatory education for a skills examination and apprenticeship training, between 1 January and 31 December of the statistical reference year. In the statistics on students and qualifications of educational institutions, students also include comprehensive school students according to the situation on 20 September. Up to 2001, data on students in university education describe the situation on 31 December and include attainers of a degree in autumn.
University education
Tertiary education provided by universities.
Comment:
The objective of the education is a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a scientific postgraduate degree, which are licentiate's and doctoral degrees.
Education not leading to a qualification or degree can also be completed.
Comment:
The objective of the education is a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a scientific postgraduate degree, which are licentiate's and doctoral degrees.
Education not leading to a qualification or degree can also be completed.
Vocational education and training
Education and training completed after the comprehensive education syllabus, aimed at producing vocational competence.
Comment:
Initial, further and specialist vocational qualifications can be obtained in vocational education and training.
In addition to completing a qualification, parts of a qualification can also be completed in vocational education and training.
Comment:
Initial, further and specialist vocational qualifications can be obtained in vocational education and training.
In addition to completing a qualification, parts of a qualification can also be completed in vocational education and training.
Accuracy, reliability and timeliness
Overall accuracy
Qualifications and degrees, which have not been reported in the data collections, possibly missing from the population of the statistics.
Accuracy and reliability
The data are total data. The quality of the data is impacted by the quality of the registers used.
Timeliness and punctuality
The data are released at a lag of around one month from the completion of preliminary data on main type of activity.
Timeliness
The data of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work are released 12 months after the year when the qualification was attained. The data are released as soon as the preliminary data on main type of activity have been completed in the employment statistics.
The data of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work are final, but the data on transition are produced from preliminary data on main type of activity.
The data of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work are final, but the data on transition are produced from preliminary data on main type of activity.
Time lag - first results / TP1
The data of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work are final, but the data on transition are produced from preliminary data on main type of activity.
Time lag - final results (user) / TP2
The data are released approximately one month from the completion of the data.
Time lag - final results (producer) / TP2
The data are released approximately one month from the completion of the data.
Punctuality
There is no delay between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Punctuality - delivery and publication (user) / TP3
There is no delay between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Punctuality - delivery and publication (producer) / TP3
There is no delay between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Completeness
Total data are used for compiling the statistics. Statistics Finland's Register of Completed Education and Degrees contains data on all qualifications and degrees attained in Finland.
Data revision
The data are not revised later.
Sampling error
The statistics use total data, whereby there is no sampling error.
Non-sampling error
Errors in register data or unreported qualifications and degrees in data collections.
Processing error
Errors are corrected and the users are informed about them as quickly as possible. Statistics Finland informs about significant errors to the same extent and through the same channels as in the releasing of the original data.
Notations about corrections and their points of time are added to the corrected releases. If possible, the original, erroneous data are also left visible.
Typographical and other form errors in statistics are corrected as fast and flexibly as possible and no separate notifications are made of them on the web pages.
Information about changes made to statistical databases is posted on the Changes in the database page. Only the latest data are updated in databases.
Deviations from timetables are also regarded as errors. If the release of statistical data is significantly delayed from the announced point of time, information about the delay is posted on Statistics Finland's home page.
Notations about corrections and their points of time are added to the corrected releases. If possible, the original, erroneous data are also left visible.
Typographical and other form errors in statistics are corrected as fast and flexibly as possible and no separate notifications are made of them on the web pages.
Information about changes made to statistical databases is posted on the Changes in the database page. Only the latest data are updated in databases.
Deviations from timetables are also regarded as errors. If the release of statistical data is significantly delayed from the announced point of time, information about the delay is posted on Statistics Finland's home page.
Comparability
Coherence and comparability
The register-based data of education statistics are mutually comparable.
Comparability - geographical
The education statistics are geographically comparable. The data are total data.
Comparability - over time
The statistics have been compiled annually since the early 1990s. The time series is comparable starting from 2005. From 2005 to 2016, persons aged 18 to 67 were covered by employment pension insurance. Before 2005, people were covered by employment pension insurance from the age of 14. In connection with the pension reform of 2017, the lower age limit for employment pension insurance was lowered to the age of 17. The lower age limit for self-employed persons’ pension insurance remained at 18 years. The change in 2017 has not been taken into account when deducing employed persons, but the lower age limit for employed persons is still 18 years.
Length of comparable time series / CC2
The time series is comparable starting from 2005, see Section 15.2
Coherence - cross domain
The statistical data are based on the same data sources and they have been compiled in accordance with the same principles as Statistics Finland's statistics compiled by sector of education. These statistics may well be used side by side, provided the special features of the statistics are taken into account.
It should be noted that in the statistics on transition from school to further education and work, employment and unemployment are described as a share of attainers of qualifications and not as a share of the labour force (labour force = employed + unemployed). The concept of unemployment rate, which is the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, is not used in these statistics.
It should be noted that in the statistics on transition from school to further education and work, employment and unemployment are described as a share of attainers of qualifications and not as a share of the labour force (labour force = employed + unemployed). The concept of unemployment rate, which is the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, is not used in these statistics.
Coherence - sub-annual and annual statistics
The data are released for the statistical reference year, sub-annual data are not included.
Coherence -national accounts
No direct link to national accounts.
Coherence - internal
Changes in the data content of the statistics are caused by changes in legislation, Statistics Finland's data systems or changes requested by users. For example, since 2005, persons aged 15 to 17 have no longer been covered by employment pension insurance and no data on their employment are available from registers. Since then, only attainers of post-compulsory qualifications have been included in the transition statistics.
Source data and data collections
Source data
Statistics Finland's individual-based Register of Completed Education and Degrees, employment and student data as well as population data are used in the production of the statistics. The data of the employment statistics have been produced by utilising existing administrative register data. The release of the statistics is compiled from the preliminary data of the employment statistics and the main type of activity variable, which describes the situation in the last working day of the statistical reference year.
Data collection
No separate data collection is conducted for the statistics, but the statistics are compiled by combining completed statistical data.
Frequency of data collection
The statistics do not have a data collection.
Confidentiality
Statistics Finland's data protection principles are applied in the production of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work. These are described in more detail in sections 7.1 Confidentiality - policy and 7.2 Confidentiality - data treatment.
Cost and burden
The statistical data are administrative data, so they do not cause response burden.
Methods
Statistical processing
The data of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work are validated in many stages during the statistical process. During data processing, the high quality of the data is ensured by means of various statistical checking software, additional inquiries to data providers and by comparison to corresponding previous statistics and other data sources.
Data compilation
Completed data are combined and data on the placement of graduates are produced.
Data validation
During data processing, the high quality of the student and employment data on which the statistics are based is ensured by means of various statistical checking software and by comparison to corresponding previous statistics and other data sources.
Seasonal adjustment
The data of the statistics are not seasonally adjusted.
Adjustment
No adjustments are made to the data of the statistics.
Documentation on methodology
The data are total data (Register of Completed Education and Degrees and registers of employment statistics).
Principles and outlines
Contact organisation
Statistics Finland
Contact organisation unit
Social statistics
Institutional mandate
The compilation of statistics is guided by the general act of the national statistical service, the Statistics Act (280/2004, amend. 361/2013).
Legal acts and other agreements
The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
Further information: Statistical legislation
Confidentiality - policy
The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018). The data materials are protected at all stages of processing with the necessary physical and technical solutions. Statistics Finland has compiled detailed directions and instructions for confidential processing of the data. Employees have access only to the data essential for their duties. The premises where unit-level data are processed are not accessible to outsiders. Members of the personnel have signed a pledge of secrecy upon entering the service. Violation of data protection is punishable.
Further information: Data protection I Statistics Finland (stat.fi)
Further information: Data protection I Statistics Finland (stat.fi)
Confidentiality - data treatment
The central guideline in data protection activities is to avoid publishing statistical data in a form from which an individual person can be identified. The data on students and qualifications of organisers of education and educational institutions are otherwise public because the education they organise is financed or controlled by a public authority (Section 12 of the Statistics Act).
Database tables are more standardised and more detailed than publication tables in terms of data content. The background variables are typically at a more detailed level than the publication tables.
Making the classification less detailed is the data protection method used already when planning the tables; database tables are not published with the most detailed classifying variables for data protection reasons. For example, education data are made less detailed to the level and sub-level of education and the place of residence of the person who completed a qualification to the regional level, when the table contains data describing main type of activity.
Information services based on the statistics on transition from school to further education and work follow the principles of the document on data protection guidelines in basic publications of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work. However, when preparing information service assignments, it must be taken into account that assignments are case-specific and what effect especially small numbers of observations and (possibly) more accurate background variables have on data protection. If the information service table contains variables defined as sensitive, e.g. nationality or main type of activity, less detailed classifications of other variables, e.g. regional data, have been used. Alternatively, data by educational institution on the nationality of foreign citizens are released at the accuracy of continent and data on native languages with the division Finnish-Swedish-other. If there is no need to make the variables less detailed, the threshold value rule can be used.
Database tables are more standardised and more detailed than publication tables in terms of data content. The background variables are typically at a more detailed level than the publication tables.
Making the classification less detailed is the data protection method used already when planning the tables; database tables are not published with the most detailed classifying variables for data protection reasons. For example, education data are made less detailed to the level and sub-level of education and the place of residence of the person who completed a qualification to the regional level, when the table contains data describing main type of activity.
Information services based on the statistics on transition from school to further education and work follow the principles of the document on data protection guidelines in basic publications of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work. However, when preparing information service assignments, it must be taken into account that assignments are case-specific and what effect especially small numbers of observations and (possibly) more accurate background variables have on data protection. If the information service table contains variables defined as sensitive, e.g. nationality or main type of activity, less detailed classifications of other variables, e.g. regional data, have been used. Alternatively, data by educational institution on the nationality of foreign citizens are released at the accuracy of continent and data on native languages with the division Finnish-Swedish-other. If there is no need to make the variables less detailed, the threshold value rule can be used.
Release policy
Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data are public after they have been updated in the web service.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland
Data sharing
The data of the statistics are reported to UNESCO, the OECD and Eurostat in the UOE data collection and related separate inquiries.
The data of the statistics are submitted to the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education in accordance with the H9098-OKM-OPH information service agreement.
The data of the statistics are submitted to the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education in accordance with the H9098-OKM-OPH information service agreement.
Other
Chargeable special compilations can be made based on the data.
Accessibility and clarity
Statistical data are published as database tables in the StatFin database. The database is the primary publishing site of data, and new data are updated first there. When releasing statistical data, existing database tables can be updated with new data or completely new database tables can be published.
In addition to statistical data published in the StatFin database, a release on the key data is usually published in the web service. If the release contains data concerning several reference periods (e.g. monthly and annual data), a review bringing together these data is published in the web service. Database tables updated at the time of publication are listed both in the release and in the review. In some cases, statistical data can also be published as mere database releases in the StatFin database. No release or review is published in connection with these database releases.
Releases and database tables are published in three languages, in Finnish, Swedish and English. The language versions of releases may have more limited content than in Finnish.
Information about changes in the publication schedules of releases and database tables and about corrections are given as change releases in the web service.
Micro-data access
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Data revision - policy
Revisions – i.e. improvements in the accuracy of statistical data already published – are a normal feature of statistical production and result in improved quality of statistics. The principle is that statistical data are based on the best available data and information concerning the statistical phenomenon. On the other hand, the revisions are communicated as transparently as possible in advance. Advance communication ensures that the users can prepare for the data revisions.
The reason why data in statistical releases become revised is often caused by the data becoming supplemented. Then the new, revised statistical figure is based on a wider information basis and describes the phenomenon more accurately than before.
Revisions of statistical data may also be caused by the calculation method used, such as annual benchmarking or updating of weight structures. Changes of base years and used classifications may also cause revisions to data.
Relevance
National and international information needs are taken into account in the production of the statistics if they can be produced from the source data.
User needs
The data are used in planning, examining and evaluating education. The data of the statistics are delivered to the education administration in accordance with the information service agreement with the Finnish National Agency for Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The education administration publishes more detailed data based on the data set in its statistical service Vipunen.
User satisfaction
The contents of the information service agreement data are negotiated yearly with the education administration.
Quality documentation
The quality reporting of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work follows the quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland (OSF) and the European Statistics Code of practice.
Quality management
The quality reporting of the statistics on transition from school to further education and work follows the quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland (OSF) and the European Statistics Code of practice.
Quality assessment
During data processing, the high quality of the student and employment data on which the statistics are based is ensured by means of various statistical checking software and by comparison to corresponding previous statistics and other data sources.
Quality assurance
Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The quality management framework of the field of statistics is the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Further information: Quality management I Statistics Finland (stat.fi)
User access
Data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may only be handled at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics
Unless otherwise separately stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer of the data and the owner of the copyright. The terms of use for statistical data.