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Ville Timonen sharpens the blade of the clearing saw. Vesan Niemi reviews.

Imatra developed a new training model to make it easier for the long-term unemployed to find work

Release
10.11.2020 11:34
In the model, the long-term unemployed can complete parts of the basic degree in cleaning and real estate services in addition to employment. A new way of training was developed in the Long-term unemployed to employed project.

Just under 80 long-term unemployed people participated in the two-year project run by the city of Imatra, of which 20 completed the yard and outdoor maintenance part-examination. 

The project's project manager Tiia Aromaa according to the Imatra region, long-term unemployment is more often the share of men than women. 

- The purpose of the project was especially to update the professional skills of long-term unemployed men in such a way that the skills and knowledge correspond to the needs of the labor market. 

In the new operating model, persons employed by the city of Imatra can complete parts of the vocational basic degree during the employment period. In the project, 20 employees completed 20 competence points from the 180-credit basic degree in cleaning and real estate services.

- Learning by doing is the most natural way of studying for many people who have been unemployed for a long time. A partial degree is a faster and lighter way of education than completing a full degree, in which case there is a lower threshold to participate in the education. 

Some of the people who participated in the project lacked a professional degree and the interest in training is often low. 

- Even people without a degree have enthusiastically started to complete a partial degree during the employment period. According to the feedback, this has given them a lot, professional know-how and a vocational partial diploma, which is often a requirement when applying for jobs, Aromaa says.

In the project, part of the degree could be completed by giving evidence of one's competence. Skills are assessed by Imatra Kipa and city employees throughout the employment period. The actual screen is evaluated by a lecturer at Saimaa Vocational College Sampo Vesa Niemi together with Imatra Kipa and city assessors. 

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In the picture on the right, foreman Ismo Hinkkanen Tiia Aromaa and Vesa Niemi.

Nieme's assessment was facilitated by the city's list of completed works and, with it, the already given demonstration.

- A couple of hours of screen time is a tough place, but there is no longer anything new. The screens have gone through and it has helped that the screen has been collected little by little and documented. Most of the evaluation takes place during work. You can't do everything in a couple of hours and there are tasks for the whole year; from spring, summer, autumn and winter. At the end, there will be an evaluation discussion about these previous works, just talking won't get you through, explains Niemi.

On behalf of the vocational college, Niemi gives the green light to continue operations.

- We are happy to continue this. The work got off to a good start and some sort of routine has developed. It is good for students to have a clear goal and a list of what needs to be done, so they can demonstrate during the work. The cooperation with the evaluators has worked well, Niemi praises.

According to Nieme, there have been discussions not only about continuing the operation, but also about expanding it. 

- It would make it easier for the student if we could include the second part of the degree in this, and there would be more achievements when going to continue studying at an educational institution or with an apprenticeship contract. 

According to Nieme, the new study units could be technical, work that takes place inside real estate or handling machines. One possible entity would be customer service.

According to project leader Tiia Aromaa, the activity could be expanded to other sectors as well. 

- Currently, the operating model is implemented in the urban infrastructure employment unit of the city of Imatra. The utilization of the model can also be extended to the use of other units or organizations, says Aromaa.

For more information: Tiia Aromaa, project manager, tiia. aromaatimatra.fi (tiia[dot]aromaa[at]imatra[dot]fi), tel. 040 526 0846
 

 From long-term unemployed to employed

• From long-term unemployed to employed is a project that started in 2018 and will end at the end of 2020. The project has been granted ESF funding. The funding authority is the Häme Business, Transport and Environment Center and part of the funding comes from the city of Imatra.

• The project has been implemented in cooperation with the TE office, Saimaa Vocational College and local companies. 

• In addition to partial degrees, the participants in the project completed several different card trainings, such as occupational safety, firefighting, Road Safety 1 and emergency first aid training. Participants were supported during the process by providing job guidance and, if necessary, individual coaching to support finding a further path