From 2024 to 2026, the Integration Works project has worked to promote employment, educational opportunities and participation among people with an immigrant background in the Jakobstad region. The project was funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and implemented by the Integration Services in the Jakobstad region in close cooperation with municipalities, employers, education providers, authorities and third-sector organizations.

The aim of the project has been to create faster and clearer pathways to employment, education and participation in society. Through individual guidance, work-oriented activities and extensive cooperation with different stakeholders, participants have been supported in taking their next steps towards employment and studies.

Interest in the project’s activities has been high. The original target was to reach 40 participants during the project period, but by the end of the project, approximately 116 people had participated in the activities. The participants have represented different age groups, educational backgrounds and stages of integration, demonstrating that the need for support has been significantly greater than originally estimated.

One of the project’s greatest strengths has been individual guidance. Participants have received support with job searching, such as preparing CVs and completing online job applications, applying for studies, dealing with authorities and addressing questions related to working life. Many participants have also received assistance in finding internship or work try-out placements, as well as information about educational opportunities and companies in the region. Feedback from participants has been very positive, particularly regarding the personal support and opportunities to connect with employees.

The project has also actively worked to strengthen participants’ knowledge of working life in Finland. Through information sessions on employees’ rights, employment contracts and the practices of Finnish working life, participants have gained tools to enter and navigate the labour market with greater confidence. The information sessions were organized in several languages to ensure that the information was accessible to the target group.

Cooperation with the business community has been a central part of the project. Through company visits, participation in business breakfasts, recruitment events, workplace-based workshops and other collaborative activities, contacts between employers and jobseekers have been strengthened. The quantitative target was to involve nine companies in the project, but this target was exceeded, with a total of 12 companies participating. In addition, the project maintained ongoing contact with many employers in the region and participated in recruitment fairs, business events and various networking forums. The project has contributed to increasing employers’ knowledge of diversity, inclusion and the recruitment of international talent, while creating new opportunities to match skills with labour market needs.

During the project period, the TE Services reform was also implemented, bringing significant changes to employment services. Integration Works has been an active partner in this transition and has worked closely with both the Jakobstad Employment Area and the Ostrobothnia Employment Area. This cooperation has contributed to developing functioning service pathways and strengthening collaboration between integration and employment service providers in the region.

Several new employment pathways, working models and tools have been developed during the project. Concrete results include a role distribution map clarifying the responsibilities of different actors in integration and employment services, an orientation map for newcomers, an early integration support model, company brochures, workshop concepts, short videos on job searching and various forms of digital information material.

The project has also strengthened digital integration services in the region. Through social media, information campaigns, digital guides and video materials, more people have been reached with information about employment, education, dealing with authorities and public services. Digital channels have served as an important complement to personal guidance and have made it possible to reach considerably more people than through traditional information channels.

One of the key lessons from the project is that combining language studies, workplace-based learning and close contact with working life can produce good results. The experience also highlights the importance of early integration support and low-threshold services in helping people with an immigrant background move towards employment, education and participation in society. The project’s experience shows that employers increasingly value skills and competence over formal qualifications when a position is not subject to statutory qualification requirements. At the same time, many employers find it challenging to find people who have both the right skills and the required qualifications.

The project will end in autumn 2026, but its results will continue. Several of the models, tools and forms of cooperation developed through the project have already been integrated into the regular activities of the Integration Services and the Integration Service Point. The experience gained through Integration Works will also be utilized in future development projects and in the continued work to promote integration, employment and access to skilled labour in the Jakobstad region.

Through Integration Works, new pathways to employment, education and participation have been created – benefiting residents, employers and the region.

Integration Works in numbers

Project period: 2024–2026

Participants:
• Target: 40 people
• Result: 116 people

Companies involved in the project:
• Target: 9 companies
• Result: 12 companies

At the beginning of the project
• 54.2% unemployed jobseekers
• 8.4% employed
• 36.6% studying
• 0.8% none of the above

At the end of the project
• 12.9% unemployed jobseekers
• 49.1% employed
• 33.6% studying
• 2.6% self-employed
• 0.9% none of the above
• 23 participants obtained a Hygiene Pass

Cooperation with:
• Jakobstad Employment Area
• Ostrobothnia Employment Area
• Concordia
• Employers, education providers, authorities and third-sector organizations
• Other projects

Tools and models developed:
• Role distribution map
• Orientation map
• Early integration support model
• Workshop concepts in cooperation with other stakeholders
• Short videos on job searching
• Digital information material

The project’s final products and final report in PDF format are available on the website.