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EU Member States

Estonia

Apprenticeships and vocational education and training (VET) in Estonia: 1 apprenticeship scheme · 31 VET policies (6 on apprenticeship) · 80 indicators with data · 7 open datasets.

Apprenticeship schemes

Estonia has 1 mainstream apprenticeship scheme in Cedefop's European database on apprenticeship schemes.

Workplace-based learning

Töökohapõhine õpe

Any Estonian VET curriculum can be taken in workplace-based form: at least two-thirds of the study load happens at work under a tripartite contract, open to learners of all ages.

Education level
All VET levels (EQF 2–5)
Duration
3 months–2.5 yrs
Time at the workplace
Mostly at work (≥2/3) — ≥2/3 of the curriculum at the workplace
Apprentice compensation
Wage
Pay (as stated)
Wage of at least EUR 946/month (2026 regulation), employer-paid
Apprentices
1 946 learners (2025/26)
Qualification
VET certificate, EQF 2–5

Source: Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes. Cedefop's coded answers (filters and the comparison matrix) are imported directly from the 2026 fiches. The short descriptions (overview, duration, learners, pay) were condensed by hand and checked against the fiche text on 2026-10-01. The official fiches remain authoritative.

Key figures

Latest value for Estonia on the main measures of vocational education and work-based learning, with the EU-27 figure for the same year where one is published. Select an indicator for its map, ranking, trend and downloads.

IndicatorEstoniaEU-27Year
Recent VET graduates who had work-based learningEurostat · tps0021568.2%66.0%2025
Share of upper-secondary VET pupils in work-based programmesEurostat; calculation by Apprentix · educ_uoe_enrs044.4%24.7% d2024
Pupils in combined school- and work-based upper-secondary VETEurostat · educ_uoe_enrs04882 pupils2,262,565 pupils d2024
IVET students as % of all upper secondary studentsCedefop · KIVET 101037.8%49.4%2024
Employment rate of recent VET graduatesEurostat · edat_lfse_2471.3%80.1%2025
Employment premium for recent IVET graduates (over general stream) (%)Cedefop · KIVET 2090a4.4%13.3%2025
Employment rate of adults with vocational vs general upper-secondary qualifications (OECD)Vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education; From 25 to 64 yearsOECD83.4%—2025
Enterprises employing initial-VET participantsEurostat · trng_cvt_34s15.1% of enterprises32.4% of enterprises2020
IVET learners who benefitted from a learning mobility abroad (%)Cedefop · KIVET 10267.4%2.2% dV2021
Erasmus+ VET mobility projectsEuropean Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results · ErasmusPlus_KA129 projects6,890 projects2025
Early leavers from education and training (%)Cedefop · KIVET 301010.2%9.1%2025
NEET rate for 15-29 year-olds (%)Cedefop · KIVET 303011.2%11.0%2025

Sources: Eurostat (CC-BY-4.0); Eurostat; calculation by Apprentix (CC-BY-4.0); Cedefop (CC-BY-4.0); OECD (CC-BY-4.0); European Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results (CC-BY-4.0). Totals only (default breakdown). Letters after a value are the publisher's flags; hover for their meaning.

More indicators

68 further indicators have data for Estonia, each with a map, ranking, trend and downloads.

Show 68 indicators

Recent apprenticeship policies

Cedefop and ReferNet track 31 VET policies in Estonia since 2015, of which 6 concern apprenticeship or work-based learning. The most recently reported:

  1. Developing work-based learning and practical trainingPractical measure/Initiative · Implementation phase (2025)
  2. Education Strategy 2021-35Strategy/Action plan · Implementation phase (2025)
  3. VET quality assuranceRegulation/Legislation · Pilot phase (2025)
  4. Developing work-based learning / apprenticeships (until 2022)Practical measure/Initiative · Completed (2022)
  5. Labour market and education cooperation programmeStrategy/Action plan · Completed (2022)
  6. Promoting awareness and image of VET (until 2021)Practical measure/Initiative · Completed (2021)

Source: Cedefop & ReferNet — Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2025 update) (CC-BY-4.0).

Open datasets

7 open datasets on apprenticeship and VET from Estonia are listed on Europe's open-data portals.

Source: data.europa.eu — the official portal for European data (search API) (EC-reuse). Each dataset keeps its own licence.

Sources and licences

Apprenticeship schemes
Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes. Cedefop's legal notice: reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged, save where otherwise stated. Fiches also credit national ReferNet experts. Read 2026-10-01.
Key figures
Eurostat (CC-BY-4.0); Eurostat; calculation by Apprentix (CC-BY-4.0); Cedefop (CC-BY-4.0); OECD (CC-BY-4.0); European Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results (CC-BY-4.0).
Policies
Cedefop & ReferNet — Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2025 update). CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2026). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2025 update): Research dataset [Data set].
Open datasets
data.europa.eu — the official portal for European data (search API). Catalogue metadata: European Commission reuse notice (Decision 2011/833/EU). Each dataset keeps its own licence, shown per entry.
Last updated
2026-10-01

Apprentix republishes these figures and records; the publishers' own versions remain authoritative. See Data & sources for reuse conditions.

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