Immigrants would benefit from more flexible pathways to education and employment

A report on the education and employment of immigrants has been published. The study aims to promote the employment of immigrants by developing pathways to education and work. The final report of the project funded by the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities was published on 10 May 2021.

Rehabilitation Foundation, Demos Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Oxford Research and Migration Institute of Finland have participated in the project on the educational and employment pathways of immigrants. The project used many methods and approached the issue from several angles. Experts, immigrants and professionals working with them contributed to the study. 

Migration Director Sonja Hämäläinen emphasised the timeliness and relevance of the project in her opening speech. According to Hämäläinen, the study and the information it provides are essential for the development and renewal of activities promoting integration. With the help of better information, services that are timely and take into account individual needs can be more easily developed. 

Development of services requires inclusion of users

The study identified challenges and bottlenecks in the pathways to education and employment. Key challenges include inadequate skills in identifying customer competences, poor flow of information, lack of customer orientation, problems with financial support and negative attitudes towards immigrants. Regional disparities are also great, and the services and competences necessary for the promotion of education and employment of immigrants are not available everywhere. 

The report makes a number of recommendations. According to the report, the mapping of skills and competences should be more systematic and integration training should be more flexible. Services and the ways they are developed should take better account of immigrants’ individual situations, the needs of different customer groups and user experiences, feedback and ideas. In other words, the role of customers as users and developers of services should be improved. 

Because the flow of information between those involved in integration is often poor, the study also recommends that a common information system be created to better keep track and update customer situations. The report also recommends that TE services be organised to serve immigrants more effectively and that employers be encouraged to acknowledge multiculturalism and employ immigrants. 

Read more:
More information on the final report of the project