It benefits Finland when a maximum number of people living here feel they can contribute and be essential members of our community. There are numerous social and financial costs to us all if even one member of the society is excluded (1). In fact, promoting inclusion is a goal for both the Finnish government and the European Union. In Finland one of the most important forms of participating in our community is work (2).
As a SIMHE Career Coach I support highly educated immigrants living in Finland in different life situations. Some of them are working, some are on a family leave planning on returning to work and some might be active jobseekers. As our services are voluntary, the common nominator with our clients is their goal to find work that fits their expertise and interests so they can contribute to Finnish society.
Along the way I have encountered professionals of various fields. Some have been working as teachers or lecturers in another country; some of them for foreign universities. Finland is getting more multicultural, so there is also a need for teachers from various cultural backgrounds to better relate to and offer guidance to our students (3).
Finnish Qualifications for Teachers with Foreign Degrees
Senior Lecturer Minttu Räty validates my experience that teachers tend to be recruited to Finnish higher education institutions based on a combination of career, teaching, and scientific contributions and skills in addition to their formal qualifications. Language and work life skills acquired in Finnish organisations are especially valued because most studies are in Finnish and both students and colleagues may wish teachers to share also local experience and knowledge (4).
Someone without formal qualifications can typically be a substitute teacher in Finnish basic and upper secondary education or in liberal adult education as well as in basic education in the arts for maximum a year depending on the school level. However, for permanent posts at public schools a qualification detailed by Finnish law is required (5).
If someone is a qualified teacher abroad and they wish to continue their profession in Finland, they might choose to apply for a recognition of their professional competence via Finnish National Agency for Education (6). Teachers’ pedagogical studies can be supplemented in English. Many other qualifying studies are available only in Finnish and possibly Swedish. Also, most teaching positions require teachers using these national languages of Finland. In Finnish higher education teachers’ pedagogical studies are valued and could be required especially in the future (7).
Five Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences who all have a School of Vocational Teacher Education, carried out the Opettajaksi Suomeen OSU project in Finnish during 2021 – 2023 (3). Many who participated in the OSU project completed their pedagogical studies and some of those have also been employed as vocational teachers in upper secondary education (8).
Supporting Professionals to Lecture at Higher Education Institutions
We should better utilise the knowledge and skills of highly educated immigrants who live in Finland. According to the Laurea University of Applied Sciences Intercultural Learning Online ILO project news this challenge should also be tackled by our universities and colleges. A growing number of immigrants would benefit from having representative role models also as educational institution staff members (9).
I am glad that the ILO project thought of supporting highly educated professionals from abroad by showcasing their experience as guest lecturers. During this project within a wide European network migrants got to keep open lectures in English. Through these new connections in higher education institutions, they can find ways to continue working in their new European home. Some of the students attending those lectures received study credits in their higher education institution (10).
The ILO project plan to publish materials targeted at both highly educated immigrants and all of us working in higher education institutions (4). The materials are published for use and further development, and you will find them online in March 2024. Among other things the project promoted intercultural understanding by having joint workshops where multicultural project participants collaborated to link project topics and guest lecturers into higher education courses (11).
For example, during autumn 2023 Laurea UAS offered a course called Intercultural and Multiprofessional Competencies to their degree, exchange and open students. I participated in the course as a student to discuss these familiar topics. During the course we completed and gave feedback on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that was being developed. We were also welcomed to two Erasmus+ projects. Our teacher Tiina Wikström wrote that as ILO project guest lecturers “migrants will get for example supporting networks, experiences and certificates that support their employability” (12).
How Can We Support Intercultural Inclusion into Finnish Workplaces?
Everyone benefits if we succeed in creating multicultural teams in Finland. Did you know that diverse teams are smarter and more innovative and thus generate more return? (13).
Tiina Wikström wrote that it is essential that highly skilled migrants find employment that genuinely match their education (12). This is also the aim of SIMHE Services at Finnish higher education institutions. We want to ensure that highly educated immigrants can enter appropriate education and career paths that match their pre-existing skills and interests in Finland (14).
I share a dream with my colleague Metropolia’s SIMHE Career Coach Latvian-born Elvira Vainio (15). Our wish is to will live in a Finland where new employees are chosen based on their relevant skills – not limited by their name nor cultural background. I believe that providing our students with relatable role models, such as teachers and guest lecturers, is important in building a Finland where everyone feels understood and included.
Author
Niina Tapanainen currently works as a SIMHE Career Coach supporting highly educated immigrants living in Finland. Niina has a Master’s Degree in Education and is a qualified Guidance Counsellor and Psychology (as a second subject) Teacher. She has worked nearly two decades within the career and guidance counselling field mainly in Higher Education Institutions. She loves continuous learning and spends rest of her free time enjoying life: relaxing, dreaming and whatever interesting comes her way.
Sources:
1. Hilli, Petri; Ståhl, Timo; Merikukka, Marko & Ristikari, Tiina 2017. Syrjäytymisen hinta – case investoinnin kannattavuuslaskemasta. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/135714/YP1706_Hilliym.pdf?sequence
2. THL 2022. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Osallisuus. Web page. Updated on 4 May 2022. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://thl.fi/fi/web/hyvinvointi-ja-terveyserot/eriarvoisuus/hyvinvointi/osallisuus
3. TUNI 2023. Tampere University of Applied Sciences. Opettajaksi Suomeen OSU. In English. Web page. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://sites.tuni.fi/osu/in-english
4. Räty, Minttu 2023. ILO-project Manager in Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Personal video interview on 17 November 2023 supplemented with personal emails on 24 November 2023 and on 13 December 2023.
5. Asetus opetustoimen henkilöstön kelpoisuusvaatimuksista 1998. Finnish decree on the eligibility requirements for teaching personnel 14.12.1998/986. https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1998/19980986
6. EDUFI 2023. Finnish National Agency for Education. Finnish National Agency for Education’s decisions on eligibility for positions in the field of education and training. Web page. Retrieved on 23 Nov 2023. https://www.oph.fi/en/services/finnish-national-agency-educations-decisions-eligibility-positions-field-education-and
7. OAJ 2023. Trade Union of Education. Teaching in higher education. Web page. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://www.oaj.fi/en/education/what-does-teaching-involve/teaching-in-higher-education
8. TUNI 2023. Tampere University of Applied Sciences. OSU -Opettajaksi Suomeen -hankkeesta hyviä kokemuksia. Blog post on 16 Nov 2023. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://blogs.tuni.fi/taokblogi/hankkeet/osu-opettajaksi-suomeen-hankkeesta-hyvia-kokemuksia
9. Räty, Minttu 2022. Laurea University of Applied Sciences. ILO-projektissa korkeasti koulutetuille maahanmuuttajille mahdollisuuksia luennoida opiskelijoille. News published on 3 March 2022. Retrieved on 20 November 2023. https://www.laurea.fi/ajankohtaista/uutiset/ilo-projektissa-korkeasti-koulutetuille-maahanmuuttajille-mahdollisuuksia-luennoida-opiskelijoille
10. ILO-project 2022. Intercultural Learning Online. Web page. Retrieved on 20 Nov 2023. www.iloproject.eu
11. ILO-project 2022. Project Aims, Activities and Expected Results. Web page. Retrieved on 20 Nov 2023. https://iloproject.eu/project-aims
12. Wikström, Tiina 2022. On the move: Supporting highly educated migrants in Europe Case: Erasmus+ project ILO. Article on 28 April 2022. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://journal.laurea.fi/on-the-move-supporting-highly-educated-migrants-in-europe-case-erasmus-project-ilo/#953c953c
13. Rock, David & Grant, Heidi 2016. Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter. Harward Business Review. Published on 4 November 2016. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-are-smarter
14. EDUFI 2023. Finnish National Agency for Education. SIMHE services at higher education institutions. Web page. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://www.oph.fi/en/simhe-services-higher-education-institutions
15. Vainio, Elvira 2022. Nimi leimaa työnhakijaa – asenteet vaikeuttavat maahanmuuttajien työllistymistä. Tikissä on Metropolian tutkimus-, kehittämis- ja innovaatiotoiminnan (TKI) blogi. Blog post on 18 August 2022. Retrieved on 20 November 2023. https://blogit.metropolia.fi/tikissa/2022/08/18/nimi-leimaa-tyonhakijaa-asenteet-vaikeuttavat-maahanmuuttajien-tyollistymista
1 Comment
The inclusion of diverse perspectives and voices in your article added depth to the discussion. If you want to explore even more diverse viewpoints, click here for a collection of opinion pieces.