Youth unemployment in Finland The Case of Vantaa Erika Palm Employment and Economic Development Office City of Vantaa, Finland 29th of April 2010, Tallinn Creative Incubator Roundtable meeting for "Subsidised jobs in Europe - ideology, legislation and practice”

Employment and Economic Development Office in Finland ► 200 outlets all over Finland ► Individual customer service and Internet services ► Supporting access to employment in different ways ► Services for employers: recruiting and training services (joint purchases), advice and councelling especially in change situations (outplacement, staff reduction) ► Services for individuals (unemployed persons, people entering or in working life): job seeking, career planning, occupational rehabilitation, entrepreneurship, advice on applying different benefits and support ► Youth services especially for under 25 year old individuals  Challenges due to strict legislation on labour market support  Employment subsidy as an important tool in work induction, training and access to employment  maintaining employability

Unemploymency in Finland ► Unemployed jobseekers registered at the Employment and Economic Development Offices ► February 2010:  All 287,100 -> up 15% (37,100) in a year  Under 25 year olds: 35,000 up 19 % (5,500) in a year ► March 2010:   All 275,200 -> up 9% (23, 838)  Under 25 year olds: 32,500 up 12 % (3,500) in a year ► Youth unemployment: change from February to March 2010 decrease by 7% (2,500) ► New vacancies reported:  during February 2010 totalled 44,900, aprx. 2,000 more than 2009  during March 2010 totalled 53,000, aprx. 7,000 more than 2009

Case of Vantaa ► Youth unemployment in City of Vantaa  609 unemployed job seekers in November 2008  1234 unemployed job seekers November 2009  1297 unemployed job seekers March 2010  Half of the unemployed individuals under 25 years old are lacking vocational education (elementary school based and drop outs) ► What was learnt from the recession of the 90’s?  Young people are easily excluded from work life and working culture  multiple effects on society ► National Audit Office of Finland has counted that total costs of one permanently work disabled young individual could rise up to 1, euros per person (in 40 years) ► New kinds of interventions and efficient co-operations among different interest groups are needed

Case of Vantaa ► ESF funded project launched in March 2010 ► Goal is to create a new kind of model for customer guidance to explicate different services available for unemployed young  better and more flexible network between Employment Office and other crucial interest groups; especially local enteprises and entrepreneurs, also different services sectors of Vantaa City  Employment and Economic Development Office of Vantaa appoints youth councellors, City of Vantaa recruits project staff and Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) appoints an officer to work in the project  Project staff consists of coordinators with expertese in different service areas (job seeking, group work and development, social work, marketing, b-to-b-consulting, career counselling, studying councelling, financial counselling etc.)  including two nurses, of which the other one has specialized in mental health problems ► Project aims to reach all unemployed young individuals in Vantaa

Tools and best practices ► Preventing long term unemploymency by organizing young customers and guiding them to right practices (acknowledging change of plans)  Attaining and maintaining employability  Solutions for young unemployed without vocational education  traineeship in private-own companies, non-profit organizations, different services sector positions and workshops of Vantaa City (trainee support)  Apprenticeship training, subsidised work (wage subsidy), vocational training through educational system or employment measures ► Solutions for vocationally trained young  ”Open market” AND subsidised jobs (wage subsidy), practical training and traineeship (trainee support), higher education, entrepreneurship, training through employment measures ► New practices through multi-professional teamwork and interaction? ► Group services for segmented groups, constant training through employment measures, qualified and well-organized staff at hand