{"id":195,"date":"2018-02-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogit.metropolia.fi\/variousvariables\/2018\/02\/13\/supporting-highly-educated-immigrants-career-paths-finland\/"},"modified":"2024-10-01T12:39:31","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T09:39:31","slug":"supporting-highly-educated-immigrants-career-paths-finland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogit.metropolia.fi\/variousvariables\/en\/2018\/02\/13\/supporting-highly-educated-immigrants-career-paths-finland\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting Highly Educated Immigrants’ Career Paths in Finland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 2016, <\/i>SIMHE-<\/i>Metropolia<\/i> has been actively <\/i>developing and modelling its services to find <\/i>out <\/i>ways to improve highly educated immigrants\u2019 education and employment possibilities<\/i> in Finland. The number of customers at <\/i>SIMHE-<\/i>Metropolia<\/i> <\/a>has risen steadily over the past two years totalli<\/i>ng in over 550 users for Guidance and C<\/i>ounselling and <\/i>R<\/i>ecognition <\/i>of C<\/i>ompetence<\/i>s<\/i> services in 2017. <\/i><\/p>\n

Creating a sustainable yet flexible method for recognising <\/b>immigrants’ <\/b>competences<\/p>\n

<\/b>SIMHE-Metropolia first piloted recognition of competences for highly educated immigrants in the field of technology in spring 2016 with some 30 customers to establish what would be the best method and participant criteria for the process. The current method, Mapping of Competences<\/a>, has now been carried out in the fields of technology and business thrice since autumn 2016 with some 150 customers. The choice of fields was based on them not being regulated professions in Finland and Metropolia offers Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s programmes<\/a> in both fields.<\/p>\n

Mapping of Competences is managed and conducted by SIMHE-Metropolia. The field-related expertise is provided by heads of degree programmes or departments who work in the fields of technology and\/or business at Metropolia.<\/p>\n

In autumn 2017, the Mapping of Competences service was also offered for suitable customers through Public employment and business services (TE Services) in Uusimaa region with almost 60 customers along with some 25 customers who entered the process through SIMHE-Metropolia\u2019s own registration path. The continuation of the cooperation with TE Services is yet to be realised later in 2018.<\/p>\n

Recognition of Prior Learning is also<\/b> needed for<\/b> those not currently in higher education<\/p>\n

<\/b>Recognising existing skills and competences is not a new concept in university of applied sciences as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)<\/a> is strongly supported in study planning for example at Metropolia to create individual learning paths for degree students. SIMHE-Metropolia\u2019s service thus augments and modifies RPL concept to highly educated immigrants who are not able to use such services as they are not registered in higher education institution in Finland.<\/p>\n

The official Recognition and Comparability of International Qualifications<\/a> is conducted by Finnish National Agency for Education whereas SIMHE-Metropolia\u2019s service aims at taking a more practical approach for recognising competences by helping customers to make their foreign qualifications and competences also more familiar to the Finnish employers.<\/p>\n

S<\/b>elf-knowledge and understanding of the Finnish context<\/b> make a difference<\/p>\n

<\/b>Education is highly appreciated in Finland, but being a highly educated immigrant in Finland does not always result in swift access to education or work. Immigrants often lack an inherent knowledge of the Finnish society and culture, they may lack sufficient language skills to enter in their field of expertise, and most importantly, they are not certain how their existing competences match with the Finnish requirements. Even though educated immigrants are needed in the Finnish labour market, we tend to run somewhat homespun and closed labour market in Finland (Kauppalehti 29.1. 2018).<\/p>\n

As customers are in a centre in Mapping of Competences, the aim is to offer both individual encounters in addition to group meetings throughout the process by helping customers to<\/p>\n