tietotaitoa

Tietotaitoa is a Finnish term that refers to know-how and practical expertise. It combines theoretical knowledge with the ability to apply it in practice and is used to describe the competence required to perform tasks effectively in a given field. The concept covers both tacit knowledge, such as intuition gained through experience, and explicit knowledge, such as procedures and guides.

The word is formed from tieto (knowledge or information) and taito (skill). In usage, tietotaitoa is the partitive form often appearing in phrases like "tietotaitoa kehitetään" (know-how is developed) and is common in Finnish discussions about workforce competence, vocational education, and industry development.

In practice, tietotaitoa is central to competence frameworks, training programs, and qualification standards. It emphasizes the ability to apply knowledge to real-world tasks, solve problems, make decisions, and adapt to new technologies and methods.

Organizations preserve and transfer tietotaitoa through mentoring, apprenticeships, documentation, and communities of practice, acknowledging that much of it is tacit and learned through hands-on work rather than formal instruction.

In Finnish policy and business discourse, tietotaitoa is linked to economic competitiveness and digitalization, underscoring the value of practical expertise alongside formal education.