1. Two-way integration in Finland: E-services, information desks and personal guidance Metropolis International 14.09.2011 ESF-Support structure providing immigrants with initial guidance and development of skills ALPO - Alku Polku

3. Development of immigration and integration in Finland with the support of European Social Fund 2008–2013

4. Development programme for 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 – equal opportunities 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)

5. Project chart ALPO ESF-Support structure providing immigrants with initial guidance and development of skills Network of 30 projects

6. Initial guidance and development of skills -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

7. Implementing integration at the local level Regional / local Integration Committee Local authorities, employment office Government, regional / local authorities Schools, NGOs, companies, individuals, etc. Individual integration plans Regional / local Immigrant Integration Program Regional / local Immigrant Integration Program WHAT?WHO? Trainings HobbiesSelf-study (Self)employment Activities Regional / local internationalization strategy Regional / local internationalization strategy Act on the Promotion of Integration

8. Services promoting integration Open job market Studying Entrepreneurship Other INTEGRATION PLAN, MONITORING AND GUIDANCE THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT EFFICIENT GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING BASIC INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE Local register office The police Finnish missions abroad Individual services promoting integration

9. Basic information for everyone Open job market Studying Entrepreneurship Other INTEGRATION PLAN, MONITORING AND GUIDANCE THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT EFFICIENT GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING Individual services promoting integration BASIC INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE Local register office The police Finnish missions abroad

10. 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.fiwww.lifeinfinland.fi It contains information on society services work studies health care everyday life in Finland and Finnish culture

11. Information for immigrants: www.infopankki.fi www.infopankki.fiwww.infopankki.fi

12. 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

13. Efficient guidance and counselling Open job market Studying Entrepreneurship Other INTEGRATION PLAN, MONITORING AND GUIDANCE THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT BASIC INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE Local register office The police Finnish missions abroad Individual services promoting integration EFFICIENT GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

14. 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 language Personal counselling

15. Uniform statistics on counselling services 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

16. Selected statistics from the customer monitoring of counselling service points 1 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 migrationEducational background

17. Selected statistics from the customer monitoring of counselling service points 1 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 FinlandLanguage used in counselling is the customer’s native language

18. Examples of counselling services in cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area In 2010 counselling services covered 45% of inhabitants in Finland with 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.

19. 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.

20. 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 29.8.201520

21. Initial assessment Open job market Studying Entrepreneurship Other INTEGRATION PLAN, MONITORING AND GUIDANCE THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT EFFICIENT GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING BASIC INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE Local register office The police Finnish missions abroad Individual services promoting integration

22. 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

23. 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 his or her needs or to other measures and services that promote integration. The initial interview and specifying measures are carried out in the native language of the immigrant or another language that he or she understands.

24. Turku Region For immigrants who need integration training Invitations to tests can be sent out by authorities such as job counsellors, social workers, teachers The initial mapping period lasts five days during which the customer must be present - initial and final interview (interpreter) - tests on study capabilities - tests assessing linguistic and - mathematical skills In the end, the test results are reviewed in a final interview with the customer The results are used to locate a suitable place for studying Finnish and other activities to promote integration TESTORI – Centre for initial assessment of language skills and learning Jyväskylä Region All adult immigrants living in the region Goals: opportunity to begin integration training within three months of entering the country, long term guidance process that enables immigrants to utilise and obtain professional skills more quickly > will help immigrant find their place in the Finnish job market more effectively. Versatile provision of education and training through cooperation between different actors Duration of the initial mapping period: one to seven days - Interview - tests on study capabilities - tests assessing language skills - test assessing mathematical skills - tests assessing memory and conceptualisation Test results delivered to the employment and economic development office The student is directed to training or education that is suitable for him/her.. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area For unemployed immigrants who need Integration training Online appointment for the test via Koulutusportti The testing is carried out in the course of a single day: - Interview - tests on study capabilities - tests assessing language skills Test results available the following day at the employment and economic development office (Koulutusportti) The employment and economic development office will identify suitable integration training based on the results Implementation models for initial assessment

25. Challenge: implementation of a national 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?

26. Links www.lifeinfinland.fi www.infopankki.fi www.infopankki.fi > local information > Helsinki region www.virka.fi www.espoo.fiwww.espoo.fi > Our services > For immigrants > InformationOur servicesFor immigrantsInformation > In Espoo - Advice for persons moving from abroad www.helsinkiregion.fiwww.helsinkiregion.fi > Cooperation in the region > Neoseutu project Iisalmi guide for immigrants: www.peda.net/veraja/kuopio/vasta/hankekunnat/iisalmi > Iisalmi guide for immigrantswww.peda.net/veraja/kuopio/vasta/hankekunnat/iisalmi Welcome to Mikkeli - Guide for immigrants: www.pointti.eu > Pointti offers > Materials for immigrantswww.pointti.eu Materials for immigrants

27. Thank you! Kiitos!