Who Is to Be Positioned as Employable? Adult Graduates’ Educational and Working Life Pathways

Abstract

Finnish higher education is closely related to the goals of the Finnish welfare state (e.g. Välimaa 2012). Everyone has a chance to educate themselves and to get ahead in life through education. Education, in general, particularly higher education, has also traditionally had a very high status in Finland. The aim of the free-educational system, including higher education, has been to cultivate knowledge and skills that creates good citizens and provides equal educational opportunities to all regardless of gender, social class or other social distinctions (e.g. Kivinen and Kaipainen 2012).