two-way integration in finland: e-services, information desks and personal guidance metropolis...

Two-way integration in Finland: E-services, information desks

and personal guidance

Metropolis International 14.09.2011ESF-Support structure providing immigrants with initial guidance and development of skills ALPO - Alku Polku

Development of immigration andintegration in Finland with the support of

European Social Fund 2008–2013

Development programmefor implementing the Integration of Immigrants through initial guidance and development of skills

• 32 projects, budget EUR 24 million

• Need for nationwide tools in implementation and follow-up – equalopportunities throughout the country

• Supporting the Implementation of the New Integration Act

• Developing models for Introductory programmes, procedures and means

• Setting up information desks

• Producing information in different languages

• Widening channels and improving methods(internet, cc, sharing electronic tools)

Project chart

ALPO ESF-Support structure providing

immigrants with initial guidance and development

of skills

Network of 30 projects

Initial guidance and development ofskills -programme includes development of:

• Electronic services for language learning and testing of linguistic skills

• Initial integration information provided in the most common immigrant languages

• National network of low-threshold guidance and orientation services (information desks)

• Uniform testing and skills mapping methods

• Electronic services in the most common immigrant languages

Implementing integration at the local level

Regional / localIntegration Committee

Local authorities,employment office

Government, regional /local authorities

Schools, NGOs,companies, individuals, etc.

Individual integration plansIndividual integration plans

Regional / local Immigrant Integration Program

Regional / local Immigrant Integration Program

WHAT? WHO?

Trainings

Hobbies Self-study

(Self)employmentActivities

Regional / local internationalization strategy

Regional / local internationalization strategy

Act on the Promotion of Integration

Act on the Promotion of Integration

Services promotingintegration

Openjob market

Studying

Entrepreneurship

Other

INTEGRATIONPLAN, MONITORINGAND GUIDANCE

THEINITIALASSESSMENT

EFFICIENT GUIDANCEAND COUNSELLING

BASICINFORMATIONFOR EVERYONE• Local register office • The police • Finnish missions abroad

Individual services promoting integration

Basic information foreveryone

Openjob market

Studying

Entrepreneurship

Other






Welcome to Finland

• New Act on the Promotion of Integration: information on Finnish society and the services available will be provided to everyone moving to Finland

• The Life in Finland Guide is distributed by a Finnish authority (Finnish missions abroad, the police, local register office) in connection with notification on the issue of a residence permit or registration in the population register

• The guide is available in 11 languages: www.lifeinfinland.fi

• It contains information on

• society• services• work

• studies• health care • everyday life in Finland and Finnish culture

Information for immigrants: www.infopankki.fi

www.infopankki.fi

Examples of a local guides for immigrants• In Finnish, English and Russian • Printed, also available online

• Finding work and Finnish working life• Services of the Employment and Economic Development Office• The Finnish Education system• Studying the Finnish language• Help in case of discrimination• Religion• Leisure time, mobile phone, internet, press, TV, library, shopping, pets, other services

CONTENTS

• Moving to Mikkeli from abroad• Basic public services in Mikkeli• Immigrant services• Translation and interpreting services• Residence permit and right of residency in Finland• Registration• Social security in Finland• Taxation, Bank services, Housing, Transport, Insurance• Health care services, Social service, Emergencies

Efficient guidance and counselling

Openjob market

Studying

Entrepreneurship

Other






• Availability of guidance in the person's own language is important in the early stages:knowledge of Finnish is not sufficient to manage affairs

• Immigrant advisors provide assistance in everyday matters and:

• direct customers to the right service and authority• provide assistance with forms and other documentation• help find information on topics such as housing, studies and leisure activities• offer advice in matters having to do with Finnish society and the Finnish language• can provide language support in the making of appointments and in meetings with

authorities• encourage immigrants to take initiative.

• Various models and locations for counselling, e.g. in connection with the general service point of a municipality or an itinerant advisor for several small municipalities

• Free of charge

• Immigrant advisors are bound by professional secrecy

Counselling and guidance in the person's own languagePersonal counselling

Uniform statistics on counsellingservices in ESF projects

• ESF projects have developed a common system for producing statistics to monitor aspects such as:

• customer volume, age, gender, country of origin, reason for migration, position in the job market, educational background, contents of the counselling, language used in the counselling, etc.

EU-country 13 %

Non-EU country 87 %

Country of origin

Selected statistics from the customer monitoring of counselling service points1 January to 30 June 2011(ten service points, 7,876 customers)

Refugee 31 %

Family ties 30 %

Work 16 %

Returnee 13 %

Asylum seeker 5 %

Student 3 %

Entrepreneur 1 %

No education 9 %

Basic education 23 %

Vocational qualification or upper secondary school 24 %

Post-secondary degree (not an institute of higher education) 17 %

Academic degree 27 %

Reason for migration Educational background

Selected statistics from the customermonitoring of counselling service points1 January to 30 June 2011(ten service points, 7,876 customers)

Does not live in Finland 4 %

Less than 1 year 15 %

1 to 3 years 37%

3 to 5 years 18 %

More than 5 years 25 %

Yes 75 %

No 25 %

Duration of living in Finland

Language used in counselling is the customer’s native language

Examples of counselling services in cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

• In 2010 counselling services covered 45% of inhabitants in Finlandwith a foreign background, i.e. a total of some 70,000 people

• 20 years of reception and counselling services for refugees

• The counselling service is centralised at a general service point of the city

• Currently, the cities also provide counselling services in 10 languages for persons moving to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area for work, study or family reasons > language selection

• Electronic and personal counselling services function side by side.

• Municipal counselling services engage in active cooperation with state authorities and other service providers.

Example of an e-service in guidance and counselling: Possibility to search for Finnish language courses for immigrants

• the service provides information on Finnish language courses in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

• brings together information on voluntary courses open to everyone

• training organisers provide the information using uniform criteria

• immigrants can use the infoFinland.fi service to search for information on training opportunities in Finnish, English and Russian.

Example of a personal service in guidance and counselling: Job coaching model for immigrants to support employment

1. Initial meeting to map the situation

What is the realistic situation of the customer in terms of seeking employment

Competence, compilation of the necessary documents, application process and Finnish working life.

2. Contacting potential employer or provider of trainee placement

The customer actively looks for a job and contacts employers, the coach offers support where necessa

(calls are made together or the coach contacts employers on behalf of the customer).

3. Preparing for the interview is done in cooperation

The coach goes through the job interview situation with the customer (questions, presenting yourself, non

verbal communication, etc.)

4. Trainee placement is often gateway to an actual job

Support is provided to the both the customer and the employer during the placement. Where needed,

support in matters related to diversity is also made available to the work community.

5. Follow-up meeting – what have we learned and how do we continue from here

19.04.23 20

Initial assessment

Openjob market

Studying

Entrepreneurship

Other






Initial assessment

• Consists of initial interview and, where necessary, specifying measures• For immigrants who specifically request to obtain initial assessment• The initial assessment evaluates

• capabilities for employment, study and other aspects of integration • need for language training and other services promoting integration

• An individual integration plan is created based on the initial assessment > entering working life, integration into society

• Initial assessment is initiated by• In case of an unemployed immigrant: employment and economic

development office• The immigrant receives social assistance: municipality/social welfare office

• Initial assessment is begun within two months from the date on which the person became a customer of the services or from the request concerning initial assessment

• Duration: one to five days

Contents of the initial assessment

1) INITIAL INTERVIEW

• reading and writing skills

• knowledge of Finnish/Swedish

• study skills and capabilities

• previous education and work experience

• competence regarding special skills and other strengths

• personal wishes in terms of employment, education

and training

• life situation and service needs created by it

2) SPECIFYING MEASURES

• mapping and identifying the person's competencies

• assessing reading and writing skills

• assessing written and oral skills in Finnish/Swedish

• assessment of study skills

• career planning

• mapping of service needs

• The immigrant is directed to the job market, to education or training that matches hisor her needs or to other measures and services that promote integration.

• The initial interview and specifying measures are carried out in the native languageof the immigrant or another language that he or she understands.

Challenge: implementation of anational service system• National unification of the models

• Different contexts (Helsinki/Lappajärvi), municipal autonomy

• Principle of equality imposed by the law vs. different resources and needs of municipalities

• State-level decision-making and counselling services of municipalities must be made to work together with increasing flexibility

• Increasing professionalism in guidance and counselling work and its significance for immigration specialists and persons providing the services

• Increase in the provision of electronic services – online services for immigrants and accounting for different service needs in basic services

• Finnish language acquisition vs. multilingual services - what is the right balance?

Linkswww.lifeinfinland.fi

www.infopankki.fi

www.infopankki.fi > local information > Helsinki region

www.virka.fi

www.espoo.fi > Our services > For immigrants > Information > In Espoo - Advice for persons moving from abroad

www.helsinkiregion.fi > Cooperation in the region > Neoseutu project

Iisalmi guide for immigrants: www.peda.net/veraja/kuopio/vasta/hankekunnat/iisalmi > Iisalmi guide for immigrants

Welcome to Mikkeli - Guide for immigrants: www.pointti.eu > Pointti offers > Materials for immigrants

Thank you! Kiitos!

two-way integration in finland: e-services, information desks and personal guidance metropolis...

Documents

individual integration

integration basic information

integration of immigrants

promotion of integration

integration plan

twoway integration

initial guidance

new integration act