Migrant Youth Helsinki is a five year project established to improve the position of migrant youth in the areas of worklife, education and social landscape. 4% of native-born young people are outside worklife after completing their studies. The corresponding number for migrant youth is 25%.

Planning the project The planning process utilised methods drawn from the Human Centred Design toolkit in order to drill deeply into the core underlying issues. The co-design team was drawn from teachers, police, targeted youth workers, social workers, and different professionals working with migrant youth and capable of instituting trials within their own professional environments. Five different pilot projects emerged from the planning process, all of which will be implemented within current structures while offering good customer value.

Micro Work Creates new job opportunities for young migrants without any work experience, while building a work donation model that businesses can join.

Buddy Café A peer network to improve the learning results of those having difficulties coping with school (learning by teaching).

Youth Court Is a working model where older teenagers pass judgement on crimes committed by minors under fifteen, in cooperation with the preventive police, with the primary aim of offering an honourable path out of criminal behaviour.

Parent Support which supports migrant parents to understand Finnish educational and professional life and paths, and cope with cases where there may be problems within the families of abuse or mental issues.  

New Voices In which young migrants are trained as professional speakers to work with municipality departments and private sector to help them to improve their services

For more information http://maahanmuuttajanuortenhelsinki.munstadi.fi/