Spring House Oy implements the Attractiveness Through International Experts Project in 2020-2022 (VeKO)

Spring House Oy implements the Attractiveness Through International Experts project (VeKO) in 04/2020-03/2023 . The project is part of the European Social Fund (ESF) for Sustainable growth and jobs 2014 - 2020, Finland's Structural Funds program.

The project continues to work strongly to address the labour shortage in Northern Savonia. As a result of the project, models will be introduced in the region that comprehensively support the employment of experts with a foreign background from the perspective of both the talent and the company.

In an ESF study project carried out by Spring House Oy in 2019, we investigated solutions to the pain spots of employment of foreign-background workers in Northern Savonia. The results of the study project can now be utilized in a follow-up project aimed at responding to the labour shortage in Northern Savonia by intensifying and promoting the employment of personnel with a foreign background in the region's labour shortage sectors, as well as in companies requiring special skills.

“Practical concepts, models and processes are being developed for the pain spots solutions found in the previous study within the framework of the project that has now begun. These will be implemented during the project”, summarizes Anna-Kaisa Koivikko, Spring House's Business Services Business Director.

From findings to effective solutions

“The results of the project will benefit both companies in Northern Savonia and jobseekers with a foreign background. The project also has a wider social significance”, says Kristel Kivisik, Director of Immigrant Services at Spring House.

Based on the results of the previous project, a clear majority of companies in Northern Savonia are interested in employing foreign-based labour. Most commonly, the need for labour is long-term. The project, which has just been launched, will support companies with new operating models that will make it no longer problematic to find skilled people as well as address language and skills mapping that are currently perceived as challenge in recruiting international labour.

The project promotes opportunities for jobseekers with a foreign background to find suitable jobs and employers, and to overcome language skills challenges through a model to be developed. The results will support people with a foreign background who are already living in Northern Savonia, but later also indirectly people who are interested in work-related immigration to Finland.

The concreteness of the project is visible in Northern Savonia also through cooperation. “Solutions to regional labor shortages are being developed in cooperation with other actors, companies and projects,” emphasizes project manager Tanja Manner.

Working life will become more receptive and the retention power of the area will improve. The Talent HUB ecosystem under development may in the future include all aspects for which the VeKO project is now creating models, processes and practices.

It is important to avoid duplication with other ongoing and previous projects. The VeKO project utilizes existing models nationally and regionally in cooperation with various actors and by participating in the national Talent Boost program.

Attractiveness Through International Experts project aims for effectiveness

“The VeKO project has an impact in both the short and long term,” emphasizes Anna-Kaisa Koivikko. The project is in practice the conception and development of innovative services and consists of mutually supportive work packages; 1) Soft Landing service package, 2) Development of competence identification processes and service concept, and 3) Regional cooperation.

Initially, the impact will be reflected in reduced labour shortages and easier access to skills in the companies involved in the project in the Northern Savonia region. In the long term, the Northern Savonia region will provide significant additional information on practices that support the recruitment processes of companies in areas of labour shortage and for those requiring special skills. The models found to function in the project can also be implemented in other companies in Northern Savonia and throughout Finland. “I consider versatility and scalability to be one of the most important aspects of the project's effectiveness,” concludes Koivikko.

The Attractiveness Through International Experts project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), and South Savo ELY Centre.