Award-winning! Smart Work 2025: Learning by doing in OpinTyö training – the goal is employment
The Smart Work page presents everyday innovations and success stories developed by the employees of the City of Hämeenlinna.
Previously, the service promoting integration ran the Paavo group for immigrants, which mainly consisted of classroom-based activities and Finnish language studies. Launched in January 2024, OpinTyö got its initial push from the wishes of Paavo group participants: they wanted to improve their chances of finding employment in Finland.
The result was the OpinTyö training programme, which includes work placement periods at local companies in addition to language studies. Besides helping participants adopt Finnish working culture, the placements provide an excellent environment for developing the Finnish language skills needed in working life. Work placements give trainees a chance to show their skills to employers, while giving employers a chance to find good employees among the trainees.
OpinTyö had around twenty participants in total during the spring and autumn sessions, of whom 12 found jobs through their placement! OpinTyö was thus a successful pilot, and it has sparked interest among integration professionals around Finland. Starting in 2025, efforts to support the employment of Hämeenlinna’s international residents will expand even further: OpinTyö will continue, but it will be joined by a whole family of training programmes designed for people in different life situations.
Developers
Eevaleena Taala, Group Activity Coordinator
Maria Kauranen, Immigration and Integration Advisor and Web Editor