At the end of the year the Municipal Federation of Education decided to establish
Lapland Tourism College. The Lapland Institute for Tourism Research and
Education now serves both students and business life even better than before.
Development of education in the mining sector has also risen from the needs of
the province. The Regional Council of Lapland and Lapland’s Centre for Economic
Development, Transport and the Environment granted about two million euros in
EU money for the development of learning environments in the mining sector.
The Library of the Lapland University Consortium began operation and the
opening of a joint language centre and support service centre was prepared.
Due to the negative trend in the economic development of the municipal
federation, it is necessary to plan for the coming years carefully. More attention
must be paid to financial management and planning as well as financial
monitoring. Nevertheless, the overall financial situation of the municipal
federation has remained in balance and its liquidity and solvency are good.
Project activity expanded, particularly in secondary level vocational education.
Project results equalled seven million euros and their total volume came to 47
million euros. The municipal federation’s operation grew otherwise, also. The
number of employees reached 1000, and the investments totalling nine million
euros are having a positive impact on learning environments, the attractiveness
of the schools and the region’s economy.
The Ministry of Education and Culture granted 40 additional student places
for vocational education, and the schools’ attractiveness remained high.
The number of first-choice applicants per starting place was 1.4 for Lapland
Vocational College, 2.2 for the Lapland Sports Institute and 2.6 for RAMK.
The Municipal Federation of Education placed third in the national comparison of
education arrangers receiving result funding for supplementary vocational education.
In the autumn of 2010 the Finnish Education Evaluation Council compiled
a summary of evaluations of vocational education in 2005-2010. Only a few
large arrangers of education attained results as good as those of the Rovaniemi
Municipal Federation of Education.
Arto Ylitalo
Director of the Rovaniemi Municipal Federation of Education