A customer searches for jobs at an employment services office. LEHTIKUVA
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Espoo has adopted a targeted approach to employment services for highly educated immigrants, offering networking opportunities, career counselling, and company visits. The city’s Competence Centre for Highly Educated Immigrants has supported hundreds of job seekers, with nearly 200 securing employment last year despite Finland’s challenging job market.
The city, which has seen strong population growth due to international migration, operates two employment units:
one for highly skilled professionals and another for broader immigrant job and education support. The specialised service takes a proactive approach, engaging with clients almost daily compared to the general employment services’ quarterly meetings.
Lauren Jung, now a community coordinator for the City of Espoo, credits the centre’s events and networking support for helping her break into what she calls the “Finland Club” – the tight-knit professional circles where personal connections are key.
Career advisors say Finland’s workplace culture can be unfamiliar to many immigrants. Hiring managers expect direct phone calls from applicants, and a flat hierarchy means job seekers can approach company directors without formal barriers. Business coordinator Iita Turkka notes that excessive formality can sometimes work against applicants in Finnish workplaces.
Language skills remain a hurdle, with the Competence Centre requiring at least a B1 level in Finnish. Customer manager Olga Silfver, who oversees the service, argues that rigid language requirements in workplaces should be relaxed, as on-the-job experience is often the best way to improve fluency.
For Andreas Grzegorski, a German engineer who was laid off from Volta Trucks, the support from career counsellors was crucial. He recently secured a position at VTT Technical Research Centre, leading a team focused on sustainable vehicle technology. He described finding work as a major relief, allowing him to contribute to Finnish society rather than rely on unemployment benefits.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
