What STEP-koulutus does

STEP-koulutus is a Finnish non-profit vocational education consortium operating under the Kirkkopalvelut ry (Church Services Association) umbrella, with origins traceable to the mid-20th century at its Järvenpää campus where educators for child and youth work have been trained for over 100 years. The organization is structured into three core operating divisions: STEP-ammattiopisto (vocational college delivering professional basic degrees and qualifications in education and guidance, social and health, beauty, cleaning, and church services sectors), STEP-kansanopisto (folk high school offering year-long study lines, short courses, and introductory programs), and STEP-opintokeskus (continuing education study center). A Swedish-language subsidiary, STEP-utbildning, operates from Nykarleby, and the group also runs STEP-päiväkoti as an adjacent early childhood education entity. Delivery occurs across 11 Finnish locations spanning 9 regions, serving approximately 4,000 students annually through continuous admission, joint national admission, apprenticeship contracts, labor market training, and employer-sponsored programs.

The business model is anchored in public funding from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture as a licensed education provider (koulutuksen järjestäjä). Vocational basic qualifications are provided free of charge to all students, with meals free on required attendance days. Folk high school programs and short courses generate participation fees (cancellation policy: free 14+ days out, 50% within 7-13 days, full fee within 7 days), while open university studies are priced at €17.40 per credit point. B2B revenue comes from customized training contracts with municipalities, welfare areas, and private employers (e.g., Touhula leadership training, Vaalijala apprenticeship training, Vantaa municipal youth services). Ancillary revenue is generated through campus catering, accommodation, and event services. Approximately 300 Ukrainian integration students are enrolled, and the organization is implementing academic year fees for non-EU/ETA students effective August 2026.

Technology infrastructure is built on standard Finnish educational sector systems: Wilma for student records, Pinja as the learning platform, Microsoft O365 for productivity, Slice.fi for digital student card and benefits access, and Atomi for EU-compliant electronically signed certificates and transcripts. The eSTEP online learning platform enables distance delivery, while STEPcast podcast and STEPblogi serve as content channels. The organization is part of the Kirkkopalvelut consortium, providing institutional stability and values-based positioning, and operates under a 2025-2029 strategic plan emphasizing sustainability across ecological, social, economic, and cultural dimensions.

Name

STEP-koulutus

Legal name

STEP-koulutus

Website

https://step.fi

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

STEP-koulutus is a Finnish non-profit vocational education consortium under Kirkkopalvelut ry, operating three divisions (vocational college, folk high school, study center) across 11 locations serving approximately 4,000 students annually in education, social, health, and beauty sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG), Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ), Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Vocational education
• Folk high school
• Apprenticeship training
• Continuing education
• Education and guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Järvenpää

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö): Government-funded vocational education and training as a licensed education provider (koulutuksen järjestäjä). Receives public funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture for providing vocational qualifications, folk high school programs, and study center activities.
2. Course Fees - Short Courses and Folk High School: Participation fees for folk high school programs and short courses. Cancellation policy: free cancellation 14 days before course start, 50% fee 7-13 days before, full fee within 7 days.
3. B2B Training Services for Employers: Customized staff training and consulting services for companies, organizations, and public sector. Includes leadership development, workplace wellbeing, and professional certification programs.
4. Catering, Accommodation and Event Services: Campus facilities provide meeting, event, accommodation, and restaurant services to external customers. Dormitory accommodation is free for eligible students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

STEP-koulutus is a Finnish educational consortium operating three divisions: STEP-ammattiopisto (vocational college delivering basic vocational qualifications and professional/specialist qualifications in fields like healthcare, education, beauty, and cleaning), STEP-kansanopisto (folk high school offering year-long and short courses for personal development and study readiness), and STEP-opintokeskus (study center providing continuing professional education). It also delivers customized B2B staff training and apprenticeship programs in partnership with employers, municipalities, and welfare areas.

Product overview

STEP-koulutus is an educational consortium combining three core divisions: STEP-ammattiopisto (vocational college), STEP-kansanopisto (people's college), and STEP-opintokeskus (study center). The organization offers professional basic degrees, professional qualifications, adult education, and continuing education across multiple campuses in Finland. Supporting digital products include eSTEP for online learning, STEPcast podcast series, and STEPblogi collaborative writing platform. The consortium serves approximately 4000 students annually across fields including healthcare, education and guidance, beauty services, and cleaning services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STEP-ammattiopisto (Vocational College) Vocational college offering professional basic degrees (ammatilliset perustutkinnot), professional qualifications (ammattitutkinnot), and specialized professional qualifications (erikoisammattitutkinnot) across fields including social and healthcare, education and guidance, hair and beauty, and cleaning and property services. Serves young students, adults, and immigrants seeking employment-ready qualifications.
• STEP-kansanopisto (Folk High School) Folk high school offering year-long lines (kansanopistolinjat) in special education, educational sciences, theology and religious studies, music, and teacher preparation, plus short courses (lyhytkurssit), study readiness year (opistovuosi), and basic education for adults (aikuisten perusopetus). Serves individuals seeking personal development, gap year experiences, and preparatory education.
• STEP-opintokeskus (Study Center) Study center providing continuing education, professional development courses, and custom training for organizations and individuals. Delivers sustainability courses for Kirkkopalvelut staff and other organizational training programs.
• B2B Staff Training (Henkilöstökoulutus) Customized staff training, leadership development, workplace wellbeing programs, and professional certification services for companies, municipalities, welfare areas, and public sector organizations. Includes first-level supervisor certifications, leadership training, and apprenticeship-based qualification programs for partner employers.
• eSTEP Online Learning Platform Online and distance learning platform enabling flexible digital education delivery for students who cannot attend on-campus instruction. Supports remote and hybrid study across vocational and continuing education programs.
• STEP-utbildning (Swedish-language Education) Swedish-language vocational education division operating from Nykarleby (Uusikaarlepyy) campus, offering bilingual vocational qualifications for Swedish-speaking students in Finland.
• Integration Training for Immigrants (Koulutukset maahanmuuttaneille) Integration and vocational preparation programs for immigrants and multilingual students, including Finnish language courses, vocational preparation, and study readiness programs. Serves approximately 300 Ukrainian students and other immigrant populations across campuses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of graduating students agreed teachers were interested in their wellbeing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Etelä-Savon ammattiopisto EseduminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2026Joint first-level supervisor professional qualification training. Esedu handles apprenticeship contracts while STEP delivers training days.
• Outward Bound FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024NuoRTO project partner - developing resilience, agency, and participation skills for children and youth through hobby and free-time activities. Laurea AMK is main implementer, STEP and OBF are co-implementers.
• Live-säätiöminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Main implementer of Me osataan! (ESR+) project for entrepreneurial skills training. Project partners include STEP-koulutus, Invalidiliitto, and Ammattiopisto Spesia.
• InvalidiliittominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Me osataan! project partner - entrepreneurial skills training for students with disabilities or special needs.
• Ammattiopisto SpesiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Me osataan! project partner - entrepreneurial skills training for students with special needs.
• Vantaan kaupungin nuorisopalvelutmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023VANSTEP cooperation - youth and community instructor training at city facilities. Students work full-time at youth centers while studying. Two first students graduated and were employed by the city.
• Touhula päiväkoditcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Training partnership for early childhood education. Touhula is Finland's second largest private kindergarten chain. Cooperation includes leadership training, first-level supervisor certifications, and ongoing professional development for daycare managers.
• Ammatillisten Perhekotien Liitto ryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Training cooperation for mental health and substance abuse work in child welfare sector. Delivered through apprenticeship qualifications.
• Viadia Keski-Uusimaa ryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Staff development through education and specialist qualification programs in education and guidance sector. Focus on professional competence building.
• Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu (Diak)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Pathway cooperation allowing STEP students to complete university-level studies at Diak's Helsinki location. Diakonia University of Applied Sciences originated from STEP's Järvenpää campus.
• Vaalijalan osaamis- ja tukikeskuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Multi-year apprenticeship training partnership for practical nurse education. 50-100 students at a time. Vaalijala provides demanding rehabilitation services nationally. Cooperation includes flexible afternoon study options and 20 paid study days per year.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu (Diak): Finnish University of Applied Sciences that actually originated from STEP's Järvenpää campus. Provides higher education in social services, health, and education - directly overlapping with STEP's pathway programs and serving as a natural progression route for STEP vocational graduates.

Direct peers

• Riveria: North Karelia-based Finnish VET consortium. Comparable multi-sector VET offering, apprenticeship training, and adult education; competitor in overlapping Eastern Finland catchment.
• Omnian ammattiopisto: Espoo-based Finnish VET provider offering vocational qualifications, apprenticeship training, and continuing education across multiple sectors. Comparable multi-campus model and direct competitor in the capital region (where STEP also operates Helsinki facilities).
• Ammattiopisto Spesia: Finnish VET provider specializing in special needs and vocational education. STEP has formal partnership with Spesia through the Me osataan! project; comparable in VET model, government funding, and adult education offerings.
• Koulutuskuntayhtymä Tavastia (Kktavastia): Finnish municipal vocational education consortium providing VET across multiple sectors including social/healthcare, education, and cleaning. Comparable to STEP as a multi-sector VET provider serving secondary-level students with apprenticeship and workplace learning options.
• Kainuun ammattiopisto (KAO): Finnish regional vocational college offering VET, folk high school programs, and continuing education across similar sectors to STEP. Comparable multi-campus, multi-sector VET institution with government funding model.
• Seinäjoen koulutuskuntayhtymä (Sedu): One of Finland's largest VET providers, located in South Ostrobothnia (same region as STEP's Lapua campus). Directly comparable VET model with broad sector coverage, apprenticeship training, and adult education.
• Turun ammattiopistosäätiö (Tuas): Southwest Finland VET foundation offering vocational qualifications across similar sectors to STEP (healthcare, education, beauty, cleaning). Comparable governance model (foundation-owned, multi-campus) and program mix.

Regional players

• Vaasan ammattiopisto (Vamia): Finnish VET provider in Ostrobothnia (where STEP has its Nykarleby Swedish-language campus). Comparable vocational qualifications and apprenticeship model with strong regional overlap on Swedish-language VET.

Emerging players

• Live-säätiö: Finnish foundation delivering entrepreneurial and project-based vocational education. STEP is a project partner of Live-säätiö in the Me osataan! ESR+ project; comparable in mission-driven VET delivery and focus on inclusion/special needs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqYf-FJL10Z3HezKIDGE2VA
• Facebookfacebook.com/stepkoulutus
• Instagraminstagram.com/stepammattiopisto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stepkoulutus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STEP-koulutus