- Growing need for experts threatens to slow down the economic growth in Finland and the Turku region
- Business Finland and the biggest cities have begun to attract experts
- Talent Turku helps the Turku region enterprises in searching for international experts
The positive structural change in Southwest Finland and the brisk economic growth of the rest of Finland have created many new jobs. Meyer Turku and Valmet Automotive are seeking new employees through campaigns arranged in different parts of the country. The right kind of attitude is the only requirement for many of the jobs, as the employers will train the new employees with different work histories to the new positions.
The attitude alone is not enough, however, when it comes to positions that call for special expertise. As a result of digitalisation in particular, the demand for ICT experts has increased. They are needed virtually in all lines of business.
The increasing lack of experts is a risk for slowing down Finland’s economic growth. That challenge is being responded through both regional and national measures for finding experts outside the country. Attracting international experts has emerged alongside attracting investments as a task of public business services.
“We are facing a completely new kind of situation. Unlike our competitor countries, we have not previously carried out country branding to attract experts. With the inter-administrative Talent Boost Finland programme initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, this work has finally begun”, says Pipa Turvanen, Senior Advisor at Turku Science Park Ltd.
Attracting of experts has started
According to a study conducted by Technology Industries of Finland, its member companies will need 53,000 new employees by 2021. Three out of five new employees are required to have a university degree. Finland’s current education system is able to fulfil around 70 per cent of the need for university-trained experts in the technology industry.
“Business Finland and the biggest cities are working in close co-operation to make the career opportunities offered by Finnish companies and the Finnish working life better known internationally in the future”, Ms Turvanen continues.
She says that the new business services for attracting special experts complement the operations of the companies that are already recruiting from abroad, and personnel services companies.
The corporate services produced by Turku Science Park Ltd for attracting international experts are available to all companies in Southwest Finland. The efforts for attracting international experts also serve the training and research organisation based in the region.
Talent Turku brings the parties together
In addition to attracting experts, attention should be paid to helping the international experts in Finland and the companies in need of experts to find each other. In the Turku region, the services related to attracting, receiving and integrating international experts and their families are gathered on the Talent Turku platform.
“The co-operation model enables more efficient development of services compared to everyone working on their own without knowing about the others. The services are produced by both public and private providers”, Ms Turvanen says.
The City of Turku and Turku Science Park Ltd have invited all key business, innovation, employment, training and immigration policy actors in the region to join the development of the Talent Turku concept.