More actions are needed to support and define successful integration - oped in Helsingin Sanomat
Kamilla Sultanova
Here to talk, train, host, empower teams and individuals with inclusion and belonging. DEI Consultant ? Award-winning Keynote Speaker ? Event Host & Moderator ? Networking catalyst with a Nordic voice
Below is a rough translation of co-authored oped in Helsingin Sanomat published 20.08.2021 on the various matters on immigration and the need to work on equitable services for smooth integration for all sorts of internationals. Having lived in Finland and Denmark and advocating on integration, diversity and inclusion debate for internationals as well as immigrants and other newcomers - we need to focus on equity of services offered and raise awareness of diversity & inclusion to the employers. Do read more below and I welcome your opinion and tips what would make successful integration more actionable.
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Top experts who come to Finland temporarily or their families do not really benefit from the Finnish language. What makes one stay in the country is often the employment of the spouse, not the language skills.
In her column (HS 10.8.), And Partanen longed for clarification of the immigration debate. The Integration Glossary provided by the Ministry of economic affairs and employment 2021 defined equal terms that decision-makers and media representatives should learn, as language accuracy is a prerequisite for common understanding. It is then the language user who makes a choice between “international experts” or ordinary “immigrants”.
According to Partanen, studying Finnish for work-related immigrants should be made easy and rewarding, but shouldn't learning be easy and rewarding for everyone studying Finnish? Top experts who come to Finland temporarily or their families do not really benefit from the Finnish language. What makes one stay in the country is often the employment of the spouse, not the language skills.
The spouse's alternative is usually integration training, where the target language proficiency B1.1. is achieved only by 35 percent, while fluent Finnish does not guarantee neither employment nor career advancement. Integration services should address the diverse needs of language learners and jobseekers through genuinely flexible models for quick access to employment. Unfortunately, often the experience is more discouraging than empowering. So far, attempts to meet diverse needs have fallen into intermittent (sporadic) funding and overly local thinking
One solution for utilizing the skills of those who have moved to the country is to develop recruitment processes not only to be equal but also to better identify working life skills, potential and motivation. Organizations in all sectors need knowledge of diversity and inclusion, but first one should understand why investing in them is necessary.
According to Hofstede Insights, as many as 76 per cent of Finnish employees are not ready for a more multicultural working life (Henry 16.6.2020). The discussion on this topic is marginal in Finland, let alone that these issues be identified as part of the company's strategy.
The division made by Partanen between anti-social Finns and newcomers hardly helps, it is more than a distinguishing speech from international experts. Everyone should be welcome to professional networks and hobbies. Here the fourth sector can offer help to international talents with empowering connections and networks in Finland, especially if it is possible to participate in services and activities in a language other than Finnish or Swedish.
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The future worklife is fragmented, and so are paths to working life. Integration should also be more diverse. We can start by increasing diversity and inclusion in all stages: from design to implementation and monitoring of integration and employment services across all sectors.
The deeds speak for themselves.
Marina Mgvdeladze
Expert in multiculturalism, Salo
Kamilla Sultanova
Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) expert, Helsinki
Raisa Haikala
Integration expert, V?ster?s
Here to talk, train, host, empower teams and individuals with inclusion and belonging. DEI Consultant ? Award-winning Keynote Speaker ? Event Host & Moderator ? Networking catalyst with a Nordic voice
3 年Egbert Schram rough translation of the co-authored oped where we quote Henry Rys survey
Here to talk, train, host, empower teams and individuals with inclusion and belonging. DEI Consultant ? Award-winning Keynote Speaker ? Event Host & Moderator ? Networking catalyst with a Nordic voice
3 年Here is the brief points summarizing Anu Partanen's oped from 10.08.2021 1. Immigration - who is who and how immigrants, returnees, expats, talents are labeled is obscure.? 2. Finnish language – recognize barriers and make it easier to learn and understand that if Finnish is needed with a full day workload, talents can shift elsewhere.? 3. Recognition of foreign degrees and trust foreign work experience, need to trust and make it easier to get into jobs.? 4. Racism – recognize and admit there is an ethnic hierarchy on the job market referring to a recent report…Finnish person with Iraqi background has to send 3 times more job applications and a Finn with Somali background 4 times than an ethnically Finnish person even if all applicants have the same education, work experience and Finnish language skills. 5. Socializing of Finns - lack of networks and how it is difficult to open up the tight-knit networks and that any encouragement to join networks is needed. Referring to demographic developments and needs for Finns to themselves walking the talk on making the country work for the newcomers is sort of seen in between the lines call to action: integration is a 2-way street, and takes 2 to build bridges. Oped author encourages her audience to broaden their thinking on suitability of different backgrounds and experiences for the job in question. "Suomen ja suomalaisten pit?? auttaa uusia tulijoita asettumaan maahamme ja viihtym??n t??ll?. Me tarvitsemme heit? usein enemm?n kuin he meit?."
External Professor in International Management, CSR
3 年Tak. Ja der g?r meget langsomt, hvis det i det hele taget flytter sig. Dejligt at du k?mper.
External Professor in International Management, CSR
3 年Tak fordi du k?mper.
Living in Finland, teaching in English
3 年This is an interesting article. From my experience, it is certainly easier to be an immigrant in Finland if you speak English. But on the other hand, non-English speakers tend to learn Finnish more quickly, which probably helps with integration. I love it that there are services available in Finland to help immigrants to learn Finnish. The more contact and experience Finnish people have with others, the more normal it will become.