A National dialogue on the future of working life was held in Kotka on 27 August. The event brought together ten international experts to discuss, in English, their experiences of job-seeking. The discussion session was part of the Kareva – Enhancing International Recruitment Readiness project’s activities. The project is co-funded by the European Union (ESR+).

The aim of the event was to increase understanding, particularly from the perspective of developing services for immigrants. To summarise the discussion, it was noted that international professionals need a good command of the Finnish language, Finnish work experience and local networks in order to find employment – but building these very things is difficult unless they can first gain a foothold in the labour market. At the same time, many people’s strong educational background and extensive work experience go unnoticed if they are viewed primarily as immigrants rather than as professionals.

Employers, particularly small ones, may also have limited resources and experience of international recruitment, which makes it more appealing to hire someone they know or who comes through their networks.

As a solution, the dialogue highlighted the need to create more ‘first steps’: work placements, part-time work, work trials, thesis placements and other low-threshold opportunities that provide Finnish work experience, networks and everyday language learning – and give employers the chance to see skills in practice.

In addition to the world of work, there is a need for places where international students and professionals can meet Finns in everyday life. The clearest message was: let’s build more bridges. Building connections is key to ensuring that existing international expertise becomes visible and can be utilised.

Summary reports drawn up from the national dialogues will be made available to public administration and decision-makers, and will also be published for everyone to use freely. In addition, summaries of the discussions will be utilised in work coordinated by Sitra and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which addresses issues relating to labour migration through various participatory methods.

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