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\u201c<\/span><\/i>Sisu<\/span><\/i>. I love this word, it explains me very well!\u201d exclaims <\/span><\/i>Shaki<\/span><\/i>, who is a business professional from Bangladesh. She is determined to build her career in Finland, which she has already learnt to call home. To boost her career, <\/span><\/i>Shaki<\/span><\/i> has taken part in <\/span><\/i>SIMHE Path<\/span><\/i><\/a> (1) during autumn 2019. The project <\/span><\/i>is run<\/span><\/i> by <\/span><\/i>SIMHE-<\/span><\/i>Metropolia<\/span><\/i><\/a> (2) and it aims to build an educational model to promote the swift employment of highly educated immigrants by providing career counselling, mapping of competences, relevant supplementary studies and links to companies. <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Knowing the skills-set required in the Finnish labor market<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaki<\/span> arrived in Finland just about a year ago, in January 2019. She holds an MBA degree and has several years of work experience in the field of accounting in an export-oriented company. She has also run a small online business. In Finland, <\/span>Shaki<\/span> would like to find a job related to accounting, investment, and banking.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Having looked for jobs online, <\/span>Shaki<\/span> has noticed that most <\/span>companies<\/span> require a fluent command of Finnish<\/span>. <\/span>While improving her language skills, Shaki also <\/span>realised<\/span> that she needs to focus on how to fit her professional competences into the Finnish job market. This is where SIMHE path came to help her. <\/span>\u201cI know accounting techniques, but what I lack is the language skills needed to work in Finnish\u201d, <\/span>Shaki<\/span> explains. <\/span>Being able to communicate in Finnish can be a crucial skill in many jobs in terms of profession and interacting with co-workers (3).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n SIMHE path evaluates how your current competences fit the Finnish context<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaki<\/span> first heard about <\/span>SIMHE<\/span>–<\/span>Metropolia’s<\/span> services<\/span> (4) on her Finnish course and immediately got interested. Luckily, the call for participants for SIMHE path in autumn 2019 happened to be open, and <\/span>Shaki\u2019s<\/span> background in Business Administration matched the<\/span> participant criteria<\/span><\/a> (5).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaki<\/span> participated in <\/span>an<\/span><\/i> orientation session, an in-depth professional discussion<\/span><\/i> with <\/span>Metropolia\u2019s<\/span> Senior Lecturer in International Business, <\/span>a CV workshop<\/span><\/i>, and <\/span>a feedback session<\/span><\/i> during autumn 2019. As part of the in-depth professional discussion, <\/span>Shaki<\/span> also received a<\/span>n evaluation <\/span>document<\/span> that she can use for example in job-search as a reference of having her skills evaluated by a Finnish higher education institution. The Mapping of Competences (6) has been one of <\/span>SIMHE-<\/span>Metropolia\u2019s<\/span> services<\/span> since 2016, and it <\/span>is currently conducted<\/span> as part of SIMHE path.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaki<\/span> has been happy <\/span>with the process.<\/span> In her words, <\/span>it clarified things <\/span>and helped her envision alternative paths. She will now <\/span>look into<\/span> the possibility of taking on additional studies, possibly in the field of ICT. <\/span>Shaki<\/span> is determined to make her way into the Finnish job market.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n University-level education, a keen motivation to study Finnish and <\/span>sisu<\/span><\/i> are a combination that will surely boost <\/span>Shaki\u2019s<\/span> career <\/span>and help her land her<\/span> to find<\/span> dream job in Finland<\/span>. <\/span>Shaki<\/span> is open to new <\/span>o<\/span>pportunities<\/span> the future may bring: <\/span>\u201cNow I want to say yes, yes, <\/span><\/i>yes<\/span><\/i>!\u201d<\/span><\/i> she smiles.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n S<\/span><\/b>pring 2020 SIMHE path <\/span><\/b>to connect<\/span><\/b> international ICT professionals with Finnish companies<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are many immigrants residing in Helsinki and its surrounding Metropolitan area (7). Employment is seen as one of the best ways to integrate into society and <\/span>it also<\/span> helps in learning Finnish language.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In spring 2020, we will pilot another round of SIMHE path, this time in close cooperation with ICT companies. The ICT field is growing rapidly, and up to 70 % of companies in the industry are hiring<\/span> (8)<\/span>. In SIMHE Path, there will be a <\/span>new call <\/span>for participants<\/span> during February 2020. This time it will be <\/span>open for those who have completed a degree in ICT. Could that be you? Your competences <\/span>will be mapped and compared to the companies\u2019 needs,<\/span> and the aim is to find you an internship in a company matching your background. Stay tuned, <\/span>more information coming soon! <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Registration for spring 2020 SIMHE-path will begin on 7 February 2020. Link for enrolment will be provided on this blog post on the date.<\/em> Writers<\/p>\n Marianne Autero works as a Career Coach at SIMHE-Metropolia services. She focuses on <\/span>especially <\/span>in planning, developing and implementing guidance and counselling <\/span>practices for immigrants a<\/span>nd<\/span> is responsible for the guidance process in the SIMHE Path project.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Leena Honkasalo worked as Project Planner in the SIMHE Path project. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sources:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 1) SIMHE path<\/span> https:\/\/www.metropolia.fi\/en\/research-development-and-innovation\/all-projects\/simhe-path\/<\/span><\/a> (Read <\/span>20.1.2020)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2) <\/span>SIMHE-<\/span>Metropolia<\/span> https:\/\/www.metropolia.fi\/en\/about-us\/simhe\/<\/span><\/a> (Read 20.1.2020)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 3) <\/span>Stenberg H., Autero M & H\u00e4kkinen, M. <\/span>2017. Kielen merkitys korkeasti koulutettujen maahanmuuttajien ohjaamisessa. Kieliverkosto. <\/span>https:\/\/www.kieliverkosto.fi\/fi\/journals\/kieli-koulutus-ja-yhteiskunta-lokakuu-2017-2\/kielen-merkitys-korkeasti-koulutettujen-maahanmuuttajien-ohjaamisessa<\/span><\/a> (Read 20.1.2020)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 3) <\/span>Kynt\u00e4j\u00e4 E. 2018. <\/span>OECD-raportti maahanmu<\/span>uttajien kotoutumisesta Suomeen. <\/span>Virolaiset omaa luokkaansa \u2013 p\u00e4rj\u00e4\u00e4v\u00e4t parhaiten<\/span> https:\/\/www.tuglas.fi\/oecd-raportti-maahanmuuttajien-kotoutumisesta-suomeen<\/span><\/a> (Read 20.1.2020)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 4) <\/span>SIMHE-<\/span>Metropolia<\/span> services <\/span>https:\/\/www.metropolia.fi\/en\/services\/for-immigrants\/<\/span><\/a> (Read 20.1.2020)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 5) <\/span>SIMHE-path supports employment <\/span>https:\/\/www.metropolia.fi\/en\/academics\/courses-for-immigrants\/simhe\/<\/span><\/a> (Read 20.1.2020)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 6) Autero, M. 2018. Osaamisen kartoitus tukee maahanmuuttajan ty\u00f6el\u00e4m\u00e4\u00e4n ohjaamista. Teoksessa Stenberg H., Autero M., Ala-Nikkola E. (<\/span>Eds<\/span>.)., (2018). Osaamisella ei ole rajoja: Vastuukorkeakoulutoiminta maahanmuuttajien integraation tukena Suomessa. <\/span>Metropolia<\/span> Ammattikorkeakoulu<\/span>. <\/span>URN<\/span>:ISBN:978<\/span>-952-328-081-6\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 6) <\/span>Autero M. (2018). <\/span>Supporting Highly Educated Immigrants\u2019 Career Paths in Finland<\/span> https:\/\/blogit.metropolia.fi\/variousvariables\/2018\/02\/13\/supporting-highly-educated-immigrants-career-paths-finland\/<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n 7) <\/span>Helsingin tila ja kehitys 2019. <\/span>https:\/\/tilajakehitys.hel.fi\/ulkomaalaistaustaisten_tyollisyys<\/span><\/a>
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