Kohesio: discover EU projects in your region

project info
Start date: 1 October 2023
End date: 31 May 2026
funding
Fund: European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
Total budget: 255 593,00 €
EU contribution: 153 356,00 € (60%)
programme
Programming period: 2021-2027
European Commission Topic
European Commission Topic

Southwest Finland Region Employs

In the project a new operating model is conceptualized for updating the skills and boosting the employment of highly educated immigrants who live in Finland. The aim is to utilize the existing skills of highly educated immigrants or immigrants who have studied in a higher education institute and want to complete their studies, to build a new operating concept for updating skills and integrate them into Finnish working life. During the project, sixty highly educated immigrants or immigrants who have studied in a higher education institute and want to complete their studies, will be selected for the project. They will study undergraduate studies in business administration or in social services and complete on-the-job training periods in sponsoring companies. The project will be implemented by using blended study method; students will study business studies two days a week at the Loimaa Evangelical Folk High School and on-the-job learning periods in sponsor companies three days a week. There has not been training for potential employees with an immigrant background that would provide them information about Finnish working life and Finnish language studies besides to higher education studies. In addition to the new operating model, it is essential to develop, in cooperation with teachers, hybrid pedagogical solutions that emphasize genuine learning environments at workplaces and solutions that utilize digitalization. As a result, this project is creating a new operating model for immigrants living in Finland who have completed their higher education abroad. The operating model is supporting the recognition of immigrants’ expertise, and accelerate the access to employment and possibly increase opportunities to apply for master’s degree and postgraduate degree. Accordingly, the participants have increased their knowledge in Finnish working life, strengthened their Finnish language skills, and their prospects for employment has increased tremendously. In addition, the sponsoring companies have increased their readiness to work with immigrant employees.

Flag of Finland  Southwest Finland, Finland