Information package: Vocational rehabilitation for young persons
Vocational rehabilitation for young persons is one of the types of rehabilitation provided by Kela. This information package presents research findings and statistical data about vocational rehabilitation services for young persons. At the end of the text, there are links to publications and writings related to vocational rehabilitation for young persons.
Kela evaluates on an ongoing basis the ability of young persons to access vocational rehabilitation and investigates the impact of various changes made in the rehabilitation system.
A a legislative amendment enacted on 1 January 2019 has improved access for young people to vocational rehabilitation services. Under the amendment, young persons between 16 and 29 whose functional status is significantly decreased and who are found to need rehabilitation can get vocational rehabilitation without a formal diagnosis.
This brief overview focuses on young persons who received vocational rehabilitation services and rehabilitation allowance payments under a provision of the 2019 legislative amendment that lifted the requirement of having a formal diagnosis to qualify for rehabilitation.
Vocational rehabilitation can help young persons move forward with their lives
Vocational rehabilitation services for young persons are aimed at supporting and promoting their ability to function, cope with life events, study and find employment. A cash rehabilitation allowance provides economic security for the duration of rehabilitation.
More information on the content of the rehabilitation services for young persons is available at kela.fi. The rehabilitation services for young persons comprise the following:
- NUOTTI coaching
- vocational rehabilitation assessment
- vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work
- training try-out
Recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons in 2019– 2023
The number of recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons has risen considerably since the beginning of 2019. It grew nearly fourfold from 2019 to 2022, from a little over 2,600 to nearly 10,000.
In 2023, the number of recipients dipped for the first time since the law amendment came into effect. There were a total of 9,059 recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons in that year.
The decline could be attributed partly to the plans outlined in the programme of the Orpo Government to withdraw the proposed amendment of the law governing the vocational rehabilitation for young persons. The target group for NUOTTI coaching was redefined in autumn 2023, which can be seen in the month-to-month trend in the number of recipients.
Table: Recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons, 2019–2023
| Year | Number of recipients |
| 2019 | 2 619 |
| 2020 | 5 186 |
| 2021 | 8 406 |
| 2022 | 9 990 |
| 2023 | 9 059 |
The share of men among the recipients has decreased. In 2019 and 2020, there were slightly more men than women among the recipients, while the reverse was true in 2021 and after.
Table: Share of men among recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons, 2019–2023
| Year | Share of men among recipients |
| 2019 | 54% |
| 2020 | 52.4% |
| 2021 | 49.3% |
| 2022 | 46.9% |
| 2023 | 48.6% |
NUOTTI coaching is by far the most common type of vocational rehabilitation service for young persons. The number of young persons who received NUOTTI coaching grew from a little less than 2,200 to more than 9,200 between 2019 and 2022. In 2023, the number of NUOTTI recipients declined by about a thousand. NUOTTI coaching was followed by vocational rehabilitation assessments (611 recipients in 2023) and vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work (a little under 544 recipients in 2022). Eighteen young persons participated in a training try-out in 2023.
From the beginning of 2019 to January 2024, more than 20,500 young persons received vocational rehabilitation services. The most common form of rehabilitation by far was NUOTTI coaching, with more than 19,000 recipients between January 2019 and January 2024. A total of more than 2,900 young persons underwent a vocational rehabilitation assessment, vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work, or a training try-out.
The number of young rehabilitation allowance recipients has increased alongside participation in vocational rehabilitation
The number of young persons who received rehabilitation allowance for vocational rehabilitation more than tripled between 2019 and 2022. From 2022 to 2023, the number of recipients dropped from about 8,300 to about 7,500. Over 80% of the recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons also receive rehabilitation allowance.
In 2023, receiving rehabilitation allowance on account of vocational rehabilitation for young persons was most common in the 20-24 age group and slightly more common among women than men.
TABLE: Share of rehabilitation allowance recipients among recipients of rehabilitation services for young persons
| Year | Number of recipients | Share of recipients of vocational services for young persons |
| 2019 | 2 342 | 84.0% |
| 2020 | 4 309 | 82.9% |
| 2021 | 6 966 | 82.7% |
| 2022 | 8 317 | 83.1% |
| 2023 | 7 550 | 83.3% |
From the beginning of 2019 to the end of January 2024, a total of EUR 130.6 million was spent on rehabilitation allowance payments to recipients of vocational rehabilitation services for young persons, divided among over 18,000 persons. The expenditure has continued to increase from one year to the next, but the rate of increase slowed down in 2022.
TABLE: Rehabilitation allowances paid on account of rehabilitation services for young persons
| Year | EUR |
| 2019 | 5.56 mill. € |
| 2020 | 17.92 mill. € |
| 2021 | 31.3 mill. € |
| 2022 | 35.8 mill. € |
| 2023 | 35.5 mill. € |
NUOTTI coaching was the largest category of rehabilitation allowance expenditure, totalling over EUR 30.4 million in 2023. It was followed by vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work (EUR 1.4 million), vocational rehabilitation assessments (about EUR 910,000) and training try-outs (about EUR 7,400). Some recipients have received two types of rehabilitation services at the same time.
Besides the expenditure on rehabilitation allowances, we can look at the cost of delivering rehabilitation services to clients. A total amount of EUR 26.6 million was spent in 2023 on vocational rehabilitation services for young persons. A total of EUR 23.7 million was spent on NUOTTI coaching, EUR 14.5 million on vocational rehabilitation assessments, EUR 15.1 million on vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work, and EUR 8,750 on training try-outs.
Service utilisation differs according to region and age group
The utilisation of vocational rehabilitation services differs according to region. In 2023, the recipients accounted for about one percent of the entire Finnish population aged 16-29.
The largest share of recipients relative to the population of the same age was seen in Etelä-Pohjanmaa (2.1%), Etelä-Savo (1.7%) and Pohjois-Karjala (1.6%). In mainland Finland, Keski-Pohjanmaa, Pohjanmaa and Uusimaa (0.6%) had the smallest shares of vocational rehabilitation recipients among young people.
Vocational rehabilitation services for young people are available to 16– 29-year-olds. The participation rate is highest in the age group 20 to 24, where NUOTTI coaching is the most common form of rehabilitation. Among those aged 25 and over, vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work and rehabilitation assessments are more common than in other age groups.
Kela also conducts longitudinal research related to vocational rehabilitation for young persons. The longitudinal research looks at the type of young people referred to vocational rehabilitation and how improved access to vocational rehabilitation is reflected in the take-up of various income security benefits and in the transition to benefits.
