The City of Helsinki wants to provide work for people – regardless of language skills

On 4 April 2023, Helsinki City Hall will be hosting a Work for You recruitment event, bringing together employers in Uusimaa and international jobseekers. The event is aimed at jobseekers who have moved from abroad as well as companies that do not require their employees to have good Finnish or Swedish language skills.
A group of people are standing side by side next to a wall.
The City of Helsinki actively supports foreign-language jobseekers’ opportunities to find employment in Finland. Photo: Adobe Stock

Uusimaa has a large number of international talents whose only barrier to employment may be the requirement to know Finnish or Swedish. In their recruitment, the companies participating in the Work for You event will therefore emphasise a good attitude and the right experience over language skills.

“Too often, those who have moved to Finland end their job search because they do not receive a single response to their applications. Events like this are needed to give jobseekers a real opportunity to meet and talk to employers. While the event is at best a door opener for jobseekers, it also gives employers a great opportunity to meet and recruit skilled and motivated people,” says Laura Kyntölä, Senior Planning Officer at the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.

Work for You offers networking opportunities and a wide range of tips for job search

The main focus of the event will be on the presentation stations of the companies looking to recruit but, in addition to networking opportunities, the event will also offer a diverse programme of other job search-related activities. During the event, participants can also pop in to English-language workshops to improve their LinkedIn profile or sales pitch for their skills. The programme will also include presentations on jobseekers’ rights and obligations, pay subsidies and language courses, among other topics. The Mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen, will also be present to welcome participants to the event.

The City of Helsinki will also participate in the event to recruit foreign-language professionals and provide advice on job search and training. In particular, the education and training sector as well as the social, health and rescue sector will be recruiting at the event. In addition, the city’s employment services will take part in the event to provide information about the services offered by the city, and job coaches will assist jobseekers in getting their CVs in top shape.

According to its city strategy, Helsinki wants to do all it can to help its residents to find employment. The goal of the city is to improve the likelihood of Helsinki residents finding employment and to ensure that both companies and the city itself have enough skilled workers. The city has the opportunity to bring employers and jobseekers together, and recruitment events play an important part in this.

The Work for You event will be free of charge and organised for the first time. The event will be organised by the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and the TE Office in cooperation with the City of Helsinki. You are welcome to join us at Helsinki City Hall on 4 April between 10.00 and 16.00 to network and get tips on how to find a job or hire a foreign worker!

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A more detailed programme and a list of the companies participating in the event