TaitajaPLUS

We want everyone to have the opportunity to participate in Taitaja. In TaitajaPLUS skills, aimed at students in need of special support, the competition length is slightly shorter and the competitor's special needs are taken into account.

Students who need special support have three opportunities to participate in the Taitaja competition:

• A student aged 22 or under during the year of the competition may participate in the Taitaja skills category for their vocational field by participating in the semifinal and thus aiming to reach the final.
• In addition to Taitaja skills categories, competitions are also organised for PLUS skills categories targeted at students in need of special support. In these, competitors compete for national-level medals just as in the other Taitaja skills categories. There are 3–5 competition skills categories, and they vary annually. There is no upper age limit for TaitajaPLUS skills categories, but the participants must be studying for a profession. As with other Taitaja skills categories, semifinals are organised for TaitajaPLUS skills categories.
• If there is no TaitajaPLUS skills category for the vocational field of a student in need of special support, they can compete in Taitaja as a +1 competitor, provided that they are aged 21 or less in the year of the competition. In such cases, they are not competing for a national medal, but for the experience of taking part and excelling themselves. The skills categories in which it is possible to participate as a +1 competitor vary from year to year.

At International Abilympics

The International Abilympics are held every four years. The previous Abilympics Competition took place in Metz, France, in 2023. The next Competition will be in 2027. In the competitions for people with special needs, there are over 30 skills categories and hundreds of participants from dozens of countries. Skills Finland will send Team Finland to Abilympics Competitions.