Govt increases nursing study places

The Ministry of Education and Culture on Wednesday announced an extension of a grant totalling about five million euros aimed at increasing the number of new study places in nursing education.

The grant which will see an increase of 180 new study places applies to the student selection period for the 2020 academic year, said a press release from the ministry.

Temporary funding has been granted to 15 polytechnic institutions on the basis of regional labour needs.

“The availability of skilled workforce is central to the availability and quality of social and healthcare services. In order to secure our services, we need to ensure that there are a sufficient number of students in the field in different parts of Finland. Especially elderly care services need highly skilled people. There is still need for increase in the number of training,” said Education and Culture Minister Annika Saarikko.