Education beyond the age of 16 is voluntary, taking the form of either a three-year course in upper secondary school or a 2 to 5 year course at a vocational school. Last century Finland embarked on the road to industrialisation by harnessing its forest resources. Today, forests are still Finland's most crucial raw material resource, although the metal and engineering industry has long been Finland's leading branch of manufacturing both in terms of value added and as an employer. The net wealth of Finnish households is close to the average for the European Union. In 1994 Finland's GDP per capita was USD 18,845 while the average for EU countries was USD 19,529.
Unemployment is the most serious problem burdening the Finnish economy.
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