SEPTEMBER
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MINISTRY OF EMPLOYMENT AND THE ECONOMY: NEWSLETTER OF THE MATTO AND ALPO SUPPORT STRUCTURE PROJECTS
LAURA VESA
Recruitment efforts pay off – Spanish nurses settle in Kotka. >> 4
Pilot project successful – counselling now a permanent feature TAMPERE. ALMA is a development project for regional immigration,
which is part of the ALPO project network. Now the project, which has been in operation for about three years, has yielded many good results in the Tampere region. Especially successful was the immigrants’ informati-
Learn Finnish online! ON THE WWW.KOTISUOMESSA.FI website you can study matters related to the Finnish and Swedish languages as well as Finnish culture and working life. In addition to the colloquial language needed in everyday situations, the material includes a versatile and comprehensive offering of language needed in different professions and in vocational training. There is also material for those who lack the ability to read or write. The difficulty levels of the material are based on the levels of language skills in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The aim is to offer the possibility to learn Finnish or Swedish, independent of time and place. Try it yourself! The service was produced by the Finnish National Board of Education with support from the European Social Fund. >> 4
on service in the centre of Tampere, which was developed through ALMA. ”The counselling has been seen as necessary. It has succeeded so well that the activity was established as a part of the operations of the City of Tampere”, says Project Manager Päivi Sinkkonen. >> 6
Evaluating aptitude THE TESTIPISTE project uses placement testing to help adult immigrants enter integration training at the appropriate level and with the appropriate teaching methods. The project has a uniform and reliable testing model that was developed in 2010-2013, evaluating the immigrant’s Finnish language skills, the ability to read and write in the Latin alphabet, as well as other types of aptitude for study. On the basis of the result, it is easy for officials responsible for initial counselling to help the immigrant-customer find the most appropriate training programme.
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Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects
The Ministry launch a new Centre of Expertise on Integration
EURES undergoes changes, offers more services
A CENTRE of Expertise on Integration is to be launched at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy at the beginning of 2014. The Centre of Expertise will pass on good practices of integration to employees of different professional fields with the help of the Kotouttaminen.fi website, regional training and professional networks. New information emerges as a result of follow-up and research work, in numerous projects and in practical work. Many possess integration skills, and the challenge of the Centre of Expertise is to share the information with as many of those who need it as possible.
THE EUROPEAN Job Mobility Portal EURES is undergoing changes. With the transition to the new Structural Fund period (2014-2020) it will be partly funded by the European Social Fund. At the same time EURES will expand the services that it offers at Employment and Economic Development Offices to help employers recruit skilled labour to Finland from the EU/EEA area. The EURES job-seeker service puts a special emphasis on young people aged 18 - 30.
Editorial
The opportunities of immigration STT-LEHTIKUVA/PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
IN A RELATIVELY short time Finland has turned from a country of net emigration to
a country of net immigration. Although the proportion of foreigners living in Finland remains small in comparison with the rest of Europe, for instance, the number of foreign citizens living in our country has nearly doubled in this century. At the end of 2011 Finland had more than 250 000 foreign-born residents, which is about five per cent of the population.
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he fast-paced increase in mobility has placed new and different challenges before Finnish society. How can we make sure that the people who settle in Finland can participate fully in the building of Finnish society and are able to build good lives for themselves? In addition to the reasons for coming to Finland, which usually involve family, work or studies, there are differences in the backgrounds of people moving here. We need to be able to understand the demands caused by the differing backgrounds and situations: although Finland now needs skilled labour with a foreign background, and will need even more in the future, we must be able to care for the immigrants who are already in the country, and to secure their possibilities to work and earn a living. PARTICIPATION in fully-fledged working life is naturally linked with a labour market that is equitable with respect to pay, occupational safety, equality and other rights. Much legislative work has been done in Finland for
the promotion of employment among immigrants and for their integration in recent years. The law defines the cooperation of various officials both on the national and local levels in greater detail than before. Officials and political decision-makers will have to think on a concrete level how, and with what kinds of measures, all residents can be guaranteed as good conditions as possible for earning a living, education and advancement at work. Attitudes toward immigration and immigrants have become increasingly negative in recent times all over Europe. The principles of ethnic equality can be seen better than before in immigration policy and in programmes related to it. That is how things should be, as they are a part of our common world, and of principles that have been mutually agreed upon in many international global forums. THE CHALLENGES posed by increased immigration call for new innovations. The development of services and activities related to labour immigration
and integration began with the help of the European Social Fund (ESF) in 2008. Nearly 100 projects have been in operation along the way. Finland is a large country in terms of surface area. Different areas and conditions, for instance the number of immigrants and their profiles, require different solutions. While not everything can be forced into the same mould, the same services must be available in every corner of the country. Different activities and services need to be available for the benefit of everyone. THE MATTO AND ALPO coordination projects operating in the Ministry of Employment and the Economy are good examples of efforts whose goals are to develop a good life and a good labour market, in which immigrants have their own positive contributions to make.
Lauri Ihalainen Minister of Labour
Life & Work in Finland is a newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects. The newsletter is produced by the Ministry of Employment
and the Economy, with the support of the European Social Fund. Editors: Hannu-Pekka Huttunen and Tapani Kojonsaari Editorial Council: Kirsi Campello, Nia Englund, Hannu-Pekka Huttunen, Hanna-Maria Hyttinen, Tapani Kojonsaari Editorial offices: Kumppania Oy, Pohjoisranta 11 D, 28100 Pori, Susanna Kallama, tel. 040 587 2445, susanna.kallama@kumppania.fi Outward appearance and layout: Kumppania Oy, Julia Hannula Also taking part: Kreetta Haaslahti, Pia Hirvonen, Susanna Korkiatupa, Nina Leppäniemi, Milla Majander Printing Edita Prima Oy Image banks IngImage
ALPO is a support structure for the early phase guidance and skill development of immigrants in Finland. ALPO, which operates throughout the country, serves as a support for guidance service and skill development projects for immigrants in their early stages of residence in Finland. ALPO compiles good practices for the development of a service model of the early stages. The aim is to strengthen the network of experts and the standardisation of services, so that integration into Finland might proceed flexibly. www.tem.fi/alpo
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MATTO is a support structure for immigration programmes. MATTO coordinates the ESF development programme for labour immigration, whose aims include the development of services linked with immigration. The mission of the MATTO support structure is to support and encourage projects by offering them a forum for the exchange of experiences, teachings, and opinions, and to make sure that the models and practices developed in the projects are distributed and seen. www.tem.fi/matto
3 PAULA MYÖHÄNEN
Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects
A person needs to be active and tenacious when looking for a job. A person with professional skills, or a willingness to learn, will certainly find work before long.
Work available for those willing to do it THE FACT that a person does not have Finnish as his or her
mother tongue can be a hindrance to getting work, but not an insurmountable obstacle. Yan Grinberg, 46, worked hard to get work and finally his tenacity was rewarded.
YAN GRINBERG, who ended up settling in Finland, has a long and colourful journey behind him. He was born in Ukraine in the 1960s. On the basis of his Jewish background, he immigrated to Israel, where all of his relatives live. After spending 12 years in his former home country, Yan arrived in Finland, where he found a completely new kind of exotic environment. ”I came to Finland in 2008. I have been very happy here”, Yan Grinberg says. Yan and his family have settled in Mikkeli. His wife has worked in Finland as a music teacher for more than ten years. His wife’s work eventually brought Yan to Eastern Finland as well. Qualified car mechanic If someone knows how to do something, the competence functions on a universal level. Yan studied to be a car mechanic in his home country Ukraine, and worked in the field there. After moving to Israel he got work performing authorised maintenance for Subaru and Mitsubishi cars. His career path continued in Israel, where he performed authorised maintenance for Ford and Mazda. After arriving in Finland, he took part in the POINTTI project aimed at promoting employment among immigrants in South Savo. ”I tried to find work through the POINTTI project, but I was not successful”,
Yan says. He looked for work in his own field in many different places, but he always ran into the problem that employers were reluctant to hire an employee who does not speak Finnish. But Yan did not give up. He started to study Finnish at the Mikkeli Adult Education Centre. The centre also arranged an apprenticeship for him at the VauhtiVaunu used car dealership. His skills as a car mechanic were recognised during the apprenticeship phase and now he has a permanent job. Own initiative - the key factor Having settled in Mikkeli, Yan has managed to establish a happy life in Finnish society. His everyday life comprises his daily work and his activities as the father of his family. Yan emphasises that someone who wants to find a job must work at it tirelessly and actively. A job seeker needs to take the initiative. ”Job seekers, be they of a foreign background, or Finnish, need to seek work all the time. You have to go to every possible place and offer yourself everywhere. You can’t just wait for the employment office to get in touch”, Yan says. The car mechanic’s tenacity was rewarded. A cheerful attitude toward life is beneficial at work as well, even though the road might be rocky at times.
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Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects
Immigrants make a company more international THE TAMPERE Region Economic Development Agency Tredea is intensely promoting work-related immigration. The needs of companies are the starting point of the Services for International Skills project. ”The Services for International Skills project offers versatile training and advisory services for employers, supervisors and personnel. We organise various tailored services, such as multicultural training and Finnish language teaching, using various methods. For a company that seeks growth and greater internationalisation, the skills of immigrants should be utilised. They have expertise in their own culture and language as
well as knowledge of local practices. In addition, a different way of thinking promotes innovation. Our goal is to help skilled individuals and companies find each other”, says Marjukka Hourunranta, the head of the project. There are examples of success in Tredea, in which an immigrant has been of assistance when a company has sought new international markets. In addition to Tredea, the ESF project also includes Tampere Adult Education Centre, which is responsible for the development of training that is based on working life, including the virtual teaching of the Finnish language.
Skilled find wo easily Language learning online and at the workplace VERSATILE MATERIAL for online learning is an option worth considering for
the independent study of Finnish. In addition, teaching is being brought to the workplace.
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n Southwest Finland, Finnish language studies of immigrants who have come to Finland to work are promoted by taking the teaching to the workplace. This makes for easy participation and efficient studies. The education includes, as much as possible, vocabulary and phrases that the employee needs to know in his or her work, and working hours are taken into consideration in making practical arrangements. ”Workplace Finnish and workplace Swedish are key tools in support for international recruitment. Both Finnish and Swedish have been taught at workplaces in Southwest Finland. The courses are organised by the Spurtti project, and the costs are met by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, and by the employer, whose contribution is slightly smaller than that of the employment authorities”, says Kirsi-Maria Nikander of the Spurtti project. Games and recordings help Studying a language online requires good motivation. The AIKIS project of the Finnish National Board of Education has produced online teaching material for immigrants studying Finnish and Swedish. The aim is to produce educational material for all aptitude levels in language learning. Most of the material is designed for the basic and medium levels of language learning. ”With the help of online teaching material we support the integration of immigrants by creating a possibility to study Finnish and Swedish that is independent of time and place. The material has been available for use from June 2013”, says Counsellor of Education Ulla Rönnberg. The material includes all areas of linguistic skills, and the possibilities offered by multimedia have been utilised.
”Drawings and illustrations support the learning of vocabulary and the understanding of the matter. Games bring variety to exercises and are motivational factors. Videos and sound recordings are key in practising interaction and the spoken language. With their help the student grows accustomed to learning and understanding many different kinds of spoken language. The student can also record his or her own voice and compare it with the pronunciation of a native speaker of the language”, Ulla Rönnberg says. Finnish for the needs of working life The ”Welcome to Work” material for the study of the Finnish language, Finnish working life and Finnish work culture has been produced by Amiedu, which offers adult education. The teaching material has been planned for the needs of immigrant labour and can be used both in independent study as well as in the support of face-toface teaching or a combination of the two. ”The goal is to offer the immigrant a clear package for the everyday recurring communications needs, with the help of concrete situations and easy-to-understand dialogues. It is not tied down to any professional field, level of education, or residential area”, says trainer Anni Piikki of Amiedu. The contents have been tested at the drafting stage on student groups at different levels. ”The material offers useful phrases for early-stage communications at workplaces. It offers tools for coping linguistically, and for practising the use of the language”, Anni Piikki says. Links to the educational material on the internet: www.elearning.fi/matsku www.kotisuomessa.fi
FIFTEEN NURSES from Spain are working in Kotka
at present. Their arrival in Finland was preceded by language studies in their own country, and the orientation continued intensely at the new workplace.
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he Minfo3 project has helped work-based immigrants by providing guidance for the early stages and by helping in activities linked with immigration. The recruitment process has been set up as cooperation of a number of parties, and the development for streamlining the process continues. ”Success requires that people should be treated fairly and as equals regardless of nationality. Efforts need to be made to promote enjoyment at work as a way of further building society. We may not be able to compete with pay on the international level, but we are able to compete in well-being at work, the welfare society, and a functioning recruitment process”, says the project’s coordinator Pekka Kivilahti, who is organising the recruitment. Learning to make the process work There is a need in Finland to get professionals to work in the health care sector as a way of making up for the prevailing shortage of nurses in the country. Kivilahti notes that skilled professionals cannot simply be picked from a store shelf. ”Previously scattered individuals have come to work in the field of nursing from nearby areas Estonia and Russia. The arrival of larger groups at once is new for us. Recruitment has required great
efforts in learning, and the receiving work communities have played a significant role in orientation, which has naturally required resources from personnel as well.” In addition to the employers, the recruitment process in the Kymenlaakso region also involved the City of Kotka, the Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences, the University of Helsinki’s Palmenia Centre for Continuing Education and KymenRekry. Kivilahti praises the strength of the cooperation among the different organisations. ”The process has functioned well when each party has known its role. It brings strength to the whole.” In the future, the work will be taken over by Innovi ry, an organisation that was set up in 2012. The aim is to learn the processes in such a way that those coming to work will be served as well as possible in the future. Practices which have proven to be effective are applicable to other areas as well, Kivilahti observes. Good orientation The Spanish nurses arrived in Finland in early December, and nine of them started work at the Kymenlaakso Central Hospital, owned by Carea - Kymenlaakso Social and Health Services. A relatively large proportion of Carea’s employees have an immigrant background. At one stage more than 20 per cent of doctors had
Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects
Welcome to Finland
Service points in demand
WELCOME TO Finland is an information package for people moving to Finland. One guide offers immigrants basic information about living and working in Finland, the service system, Finnish culture and society and information on how to contact officials and tips on where to find more information. The guide is given to all who immigrate to Finland in connection with a decision on a residence permit or with registration. The guide was published in the autumn of 2011 when new integration legislation took effect. The guide is available online in 11 languages at www.lifeinfinland.fi. The guide is published by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
hands rk
MORE THAN 10,000 people had business at immigrants’ service points from January through June 2013. The greatest need for assistance was for clarification of decisions or processes. Second were issues related to permits, registration and citizenship. Help in filling out forms came in third. A third of the customers had lived in Finland for 1-3 years, while 25% had lived in Finland for more than 5 years. More than 79% of the customers were served in their own mother tongues. Source: The ALPO registry of service points for immigrants
CAREA
The orientation set up for the Spanish nurses who arrived at the end of last year had been planned successfully. There were two support persons in the working community in addition to a mentor. The mentors were trained before the arrival of the Spanish nurses.
Nobody wants to give up Rinne has been told that the work itself has been different from what the nurses were used to in their home country. ”The amount of basic care came as a surprise to them. They were also surprised that there was no great hurry at work, which might run counter to prevailing views in Finland.” In Rinne’s opinion, the employer’s side should be involved in the recruitment process from the very beginning. ”It is in the interests of a small community that the cooperation with the various parties has worked well.” The employer, colleagues and patients are very satisfied with the Spanish nurses who have come to alleviate the nursing shortage. ”Half a year has now passed and we are in a confident mood. Nobody would want to give them up any more”, Rinne says cheerfully. CAREA
an immigrant background. Head nurse Riitta Rinne says that the orientation set up for the Spanish nurses who arrived at the end of last year had been planned successfully. There were two support persons in the working community in addition to a mentor. The mentors were trained before the arrival of the Spanish nurses. ”The supervisors have also told their employees how to interact with a colleague of an immigrant background. Treatment must naturally be equal and fair. Language skills were a key issue at the beginning, although each nurse had moderate knowledge of the language on arrival. After the four-month probationary period, they all wanted to continue in their jobs”, Rinne points out. In addition, the Spanish nurses have had two mentors outside the wards; half of the working hours of one of them were devoted to guidance and integration. The same person continues to do mentor work for three hours a week.
The employer, colleagues and patients are very satisfied with the Spanish nurses who have come to alleviate the nursing shortage, says the head nurse Riitta Rinne.
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Spanish nurses Katarina Kevin (left) and Beatriz Garcia are working at the Kymenlaakso Central Hospital, owned by Carea. A relatively large proportion of Carea’s employees have an immigrant background.
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Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects
Students step into companies in South Savo tacts with working life. Companies in the region were able to utilise the skills, linguistic abilities and cultural knowledge of international students in various development projects, tasks of marketing and sales, and in surveys of products and countries. The companies, for their part, utilised networks and good practices that were established in connection with the project and learned to operate in a multicultural working community”, says project manager Anna Kähkönen from the Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. In the project, 30 foreign students completed traineeships of an
New, efficient immigration counselling in Tampere
average duration of three months in a company located in South Savo. The number of theses and project assignments increased, and a few students found jobs in the area after graduation. ”The students and local families have given positive feedback on Friend Family Activity, which is why it will be continued after the conclusion of the project. The awareness among companies concerning international students has increased, and opportunities for traineeships in the area have improved”, Kähkönen says, outlining the benefits of the project.
Immigrant counselling in Tampere is free and open to all regardless of background or reason for immigration. The information centre operates on a walk-in basis: no appointments are required.
IN VARIOUS projects, operational models are often introduced as pilots in the
search for new and more effective ways to operate. It is unfortunately common for new courses of action not to turn into established practices once a project is over. This time things went differently in Tampere.
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LMA, the regional development project for migration, is a project administered by the City of Tampere, involving 12 municipalities in the Tampere area, as well as the Council of Tampere Region. ALMA is a partnership project of ALPO. A system of early-stage reception and services for new immigrants in the Tampere region is being developed as part of the project. The municipalities have been very active participants in the project. Project Manager Päivi Sinkkonen believes that the enthusiasm of the municipalities stems from the fact that the activities in the project are concrete and that resources for offering various services have been sufficient. ”We are developing counselling to immigrants in the municipalities by offering training to employees and services to the immigrants. Early-stage services for immigrants work very well under this principle. There is no point in individual municipalities acquiring
the services on their own – it would not be efficient to do so”, she says. Initial interviews in the immigrant’s own language Conducting initial interviews has been combined with immigrant counselling. Counsellors have been trained to conduct the initial interviews, including a survey of linguistic ability and other skills, if necessary. ”This is the best possible model for an initial assessment.” It is always conducted in the mother tongue of the person being interviewed, or in some other language in which the interviewee is proficient. The interview lasts from two to three hours. At that time the interviewee gets all necessary information on studies and working life from one person. The practice is costeffective, flexible, and client-friendly. ”The feedback that we have received has been good”, Päivi Sinkkonen says. The information point offers service in 14 different languages, including Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Kurdish
(Sorani and Kurmanji), Persian, French, Somali, Thai, Russian, Lao, Chinese, and Estonian. All counsellors also speak Finnish, and most of them speak English. ”Immigrants often ask questions related to services of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA), as well as housing, work, education, residence permits, social benefits and health.” A person can also ask for advice when he or she does not know where to get help. If necessary, a counsellor will go with the customer to help take care of things. Functioning system worth turning into an established practice The Tampere counselling service is an easily accessible place – the service is free. It is made easier by offering the service in the customer’s own language. ”The number of customers is growing at an annual rate of about 20 per cent. There are about 1300
customer contacts each year.” There is clearly a need for the service. The activities have been under development from 2009 in connection with the ALMA project. From the beginning of 2013 the counselling service was established as an operation of the City of Tampere, and one employee responsible for counselling was hired on a permanent basis.
Otherwise the activity is implemented through subcontracting. At present there are 12 part-time employees. The counsellors operate either through their own trade names or through various associations. ”All of the counsellors have an immigrant background. The project has therefore had a positive effect on employment”, Päivi Sinkkonen adds.
Local authorities in the Tampere region have been actively taking part in the project for developing immigrant activities.
A look at the future in demographic shifts DURING THE NEXT GENERATION the number of immigrants in Finland is expected to reach one million. This means the quadrupling of
the present number. Ismo Söderling, Director of the Institute of Migration, examines the challenges brought on by the development.
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ore resources than before should be found for both immigration policy and integration policy. Especially the model of our western neighbour Norway, of combining language teaching and employment training, has brought good results”, Söderling observes. Estonia to become a recipient Finland’s magnetic effect on Estonia
is fading, as the country has already ”relinquished” the typical five per cent of its population. In the future, the Baltic Countries will be suffering from a labour shortage, based largely on factors such as the birthrate of the past 20 years. Superdiversity The increased diversification of the population base has created the phenomenon of superdiversity in
Europe. In this phenomenon, the proportion of immigrants in a city’s population is greater than that of the native population. In Britain such cities already exist, and they are emerging in Sweden as well. Growing self-sufficiency in Asia In the most populous countries in the world, India and China, which are becoming powerfully industrialised,
increased self-sufficiency is set to reduce emigration. ”China is more of a continent than a country. It comprises areas that differ very much from one another, and which develop at a different pace. For this reason, internal migration is strong”, Söderling points out. Emerging Africa The population of Africa is growing strongly and it could become the next
continent to relinquish population. In fact, there are already millions of Africans living in Europe. Through economic growth, contacts with Europe are set to increase and Africa will develop, as the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans did before them. ”The development will happen through foreign investment. For instance, the Chinese are investing heavily in African agriculture and mining”, Söderling concludes.
LAURA VESA
THE PROJECT to turn foreign students into a resource in South Savo made it possible for students to have better opportunities to get acquainted with companies in the area and to complete traineeships. Cooperation was advanced by the project, which was directed at companies with a desire for growth and which are interested in international trade, as well as foreign students seeking a degree and lecturers in foreign-language training programmes, ”Foreign students benefited from the results of the project through the information brought by the project, and through con-
42 %
Work
Family
Granted residence permits according to reason for application 1 January – 30 June 2013
TEN YEARS ago 104 000 citizens of foreign countries resided in Finland. At the end of 2012 there were 195
000 foreign citizens in Finland. As Finland’s population is just 5.4 million, the increase in the number of foreigners could not have passed unnoticed.
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he number of residents with a mother tongue other than Finnish or Swedish grew by 22 122 individuals in 2012, and accounted for as much as 87 per cent of Finland’s population growth. It has been estimated that in 2020 there will be about 345 000 foreign citizens in Finland. The direction of migration has unexpectedly changed. Only recently Finland switched from being a country of net emigration to one of net immigration. The altered situation, which continues to change, can be seen both as a need to organise services in a new way and in the overall atmosphere and attitudes. In June the Government issued a
resolution on Finland’s immigration strategy. The goals of the Future of Migration 2020 project have been linked with sustainable economic growth, employment and improving competitiveness. In the coming decade increased mobility and diversity and the changes in demographic structure need to be taken into consideration, especially considering that in 2020 the dependency ratio is expected to be 62.8, and in 2030 it is set to exceed 70. The number of children and pensioners per working-age resident will be greater, and the only remaining means to balance the situation is immigration.
The goals of the strategy have been grouped under three tendencies: Finland is securely open, everyone can find his or her place and diversity is a part of everyday life. If it is to be open and safe, Finland needs both openness, as well as some control over immigration. Finland needs immigrants who come here to work, and mobility is generally seen as an opportunity for Finland. The importance of family has been raised in the development of immigration for labour, as well as the knowledge of languages spoken in Finland by foreign students in the country. Another aim is to more effectively meet the challenges related to
Foreign citizens in Finland 800000 700000 600000 500000 400000 300000 200000 100000 0
mobility, such as undocumented labour and job discrimination against foreigners. The involvement of the immigrants themselves is a key factor in integration - in finding one’s own place in Finnish society. The strategy names many different areas in which the advancement of integration is possible. The possibilities for immigrants to participate are getting support, and information is being disseminated actively. One key to success is the ability of society to use the skills of both arriving immigrants, and those who already live in Finland for the benefit of everyone. For instance, the education of immigrant children who go to school in Finland will go to waste if it does not offer a path to the labour market. Public services need to be suitable for everyone, immigrants included, but in such a way that the needs of different kinds of immigrants are taken into consideration. Integration services for the early stages play a key role. Knowledge of languages spoken in Finland, and the integration of the entire family are a significant factor for people finding their place and in enjoying life in a new country. All in all the goal of the strategy is to mark the path to a more active and anticipatory immigration policy. Diversity in Finland of the 2020s is not a separate question - it is part of the everyday lives of all of us.
Dependency ratio 1900–2050 100
Children and pensioners per 100 working-age residents Over 65 years of age
80
Under 15 years of age
40 20
800000
Source: Statistics Finland
60
0
Remigration
Other reasons
19 %
3%
2%
Source: the Finnish Immigration Service
Source: Statistics Finland
0
1487 940 577 568 381
2050
0
Russia India Ukraine China Somalia
2000
0
34 %
Accepted residence permit applications in the first half of the year according to country of origin:
Study
Future of Migration 2020
1950
0
ON THE basis of residence permit applications submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service, Russia contributes the greatest number of immigrants to Finland. India is second, and China comes in third. The greatest numbers of accepted residence permit applications in the early part of the year were for applicants from Russia, India, Ukraine and China. Work and family issues were the most important reasons for immigration.
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040
0
From where do people immigrate to Finland?
1900
0
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Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Newsletter of the MATTO and ALPO support structure projects
Investing heavily in integration IMMIGRATION INTO Finland from abroad is moving Finnish society in a multicultural and multilingual direction. At present the unemployment level among immigrants is three times that of the population at large, and the danger of marginalisation among immigrant youth is five times as high as among the native population. These are some of the challenges to which the government seeks to respond with the Government Resolution on the Government Integration Programme 2012-2015. The programme was prepared now for the first time. The programme promotes equality One general goal is that of supporting the participation of immigrants in all areas of society: the political, societal, social and economic areas, as well as in cultural life. At the same time interaction among population groups and good ethnic relations are promoted. In respect to the government expenditure guidelines and the municipalities, the integration programme is implemented through the Basic Public Services Programme. Raising the employment rate Special focal points of the integration programme include the promotion of employment among immigrants and support for immigrant children and young people as well as families and women. Employment is promoted especially through the development of the labour services and integration training, above all through teaching Finnish and Swedish. There are efforts to support the diversity and quality of working life in cooperation with the labour market organisations. Support for immigrant families takes place through the development of early education, training and social and health care services. The aim is to secure sufficient linguistic capabilities and study opportunities for immigrant children and young people, as well as their smooth passage on the paths of education.
IN IMMIGRATION matters, development work financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) linked with integration and labour immigration has been conducted since 2007 through development programmes. The development programme for training is coordinated by the ALPO support structure, or the ”guidance and development of skills of the early phases of those who have moved to Finland”. The development programme for immigration is coordinated by the MATTO support structure - the ”Support structure for immigration programmes”.
THE IDEA BEHIND the ALPO and MATTO
support structures is to bring together those in different parts of the country who are involved in development work in immigration matters. The aim is to avert the ”seclusion” that often affects project work, and to form a network in which information moves, experiences are shared, and ideas rebound. For officials providing the funding, coordination offers a tool for adopting and testing good practices, the best innovations, and new operational models. Nearly 100 projects have been included in the ALPO and MATTO networks in the 20072013 programme period.
Well-handled information and guidance in the early stages is the best guarantee for success in an immigrant’s new life.
ALPO and MATTO – Creating new paths ALPO and MATTO are networks in which information moves, experiences change and ideas rebound. For funders the network is a tool for grasping and testing good practices, the best innovations and new operational models. Projects within the ALPO support structure develop services and guidance for immigrants in the early stages within the framework defined in integration legislation. The goal of ALPO is to use the products and results of the projects as models for national practices, based on the development programme. Various electronic services have been created in connection with the projects in areas including language study. Lowthreshold information points have been set up for immigrants, language skill testing has been developed, services promoting integration and employment have been upgraded and more effective ways to assess the situation and skills of recent arrivals in the country have been considered. In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the Act on the Promotion of Integration also includes a requirement that officials
must provide all of those who move to Finland with information on their new home country. The ALPO project has produced a Welcome to Finland guide in 11 different languages. It includes basic information about Finish society and culture, everyday life, residence permits and other matters of relevance to foreign citizens, as well as social security and health care. The online version of the guide is available at: www.lifeinfinland.fi. Many different kinds of players are involved in the integration process, including officials, third-sector groups and naturally the actual immigrant and his or her community. So-called ordinary citizens are also involved in this process. There are reasons for saying that integration works in two directions. Advice and guidance in the early stages that is handled well is the best guarantee that an immigrant’s new life in Finland will succeed, regardless of the reason for moving here.
THE ALPO PROJECT HAS • created electronic services for language studies • set up easily accessible information points for immigrants • developed the testing of language skills • improved services promoting employment and integration
The goal of the development programme for labour immigration coordinated by the MATTO support structure is to promote and support the immigration of labour: in addition to the development of various services linked with the immigration of labour, it is important to increase the knowledge of players working in the matter and their skills in connection with the recruitment of foreign labour. There are no real traditions for the systematic promotion of workrelated immigration in Finland. The economic growth of the first decade of the 21st century caused a labour shortage in many areas, for which labour immigration was developed as one remedy. The
anticipated departure of the post-war baby boom generation from the labour market is also looming in the near future. ESF programme work has been a key tool in the development of work-related immigration. The activities of the projects of the development programme can be divided roughly into three main themes: development of recruitment skills, the development of operational models for workbased immigration and the dissemination of information to various organisations, and the support of employees. The work of the MATTO network is tightly bound to progress in development processes of labour immigration, including the development of the EURES network.
THE MATTO PROJECT HAS • developed recruitment skills • developed operational models linked with immigration • allowed information to gain a foothold in different organisations • supported workers
SUMMARY Development of new services or the updating of existing ones is not easy. The functions and services need to be made available for utilisation by all who work in the matter. Thanks to the ALPO and MATTO networks, both the development work itself and rooting the results of the development work have progressed considerably and much faster than it would have if each one had worked alone. However, the greatest merit for the achievements of the ALPO and MATTO networks is with all of the projects of the development programme, which have shared the results of what they have done to let them be utilised by others. Their activities have been quite unique and irreplaceable in the development work of immigration matters in Finland.
READ THE WELCOME TO FINLAND GUIDE ONLINE: www.lifeinfinland.fi.