REPORT ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DEGREE STUDENTS IN FINLAND
The Research Foundation for Studies and Education Otus Tiia Villa, Tuukka Salminen, Juhani Saari 2016
Content 1 Earlier research on the employment of international students in Finland ............................. 1 On the importance of employment for the Finnish economy ....................................................... 1 Prerequisites for employment ....................................................................................................... 1 Key figures for studies and employment ...................................................................................... 1 Promoting education export and employment .............................................................................. 3
2 Employment of international university students in light of statistics during the years 2013–2014 ............................................................................................................................. 5 Main occupation one year after graduation .................................................................................. 5 Classification of occupation for employed ................................................................................... 6 Employment of foreigners compared to Finnish citizens ............................................................. 8
3 Employment, seeking employment and support from teaching staff for international students at the University of Helsinki ........................................................................................ 9 Background of international degree students ............................................................................... 9 Employment after graduation ..................................................................................................... 11 Work during studies, and expectations for employment and future ........................................... 15 Experiences of applying for jobs and of the content of studies .................................................. 18
4 Promoting the employment of international students and best practices ............................ 22 Projects aiming at finding work for international students ......................................................... 22 Best practices for employment for international students .......................................................... 23 Best practices in teaching arrangements ............................................................................................. 23 Best practices in study and career guidance ....................................................................................... 24 Best practices in higher education institutions' communication ......................................................... 25 Best practices in staff planning ........................................................................................................... 25 Best practices promoting integration .................................................................................................. 25
5 References ............................................................................................................................. 1
1 Earlier research on the employment of international students in Finland
On the importance of employment for the Finnish economy According to several studies (e.g. Tanner 2011), the Finnish labour market, now and in the future, will need foreign labour to fill the deficiency caused by the retirement of the baby boomers and a shrinking population or working age. Then again, many Finnish companies are under pressure for internationalisation in an increasingly global operating environment, and international students are an important resource for these companies (Vehaskari 2012). According to the VATT Institute for Economic Research, the “benefits” of foreign students in general exceed the expenses they incur for the economy. Therefore, international student exchange and especially students aiming for a degree are seen as important to promote. Every international student who leaves Finland after completing their degree in causes a lost investment of around 50,000 euro for Finland. (Garam et. al. 2014.)
Prerequisites for employment From the perspective of international students, Finland comes across as an attractive country for employment after studies. More than 70 per cent of international students regarded employment opportunities in Finland as an important factor for how they had chosen the country where to study (International Student Barometer 2010). According to VATT’s report, whether the international students stay in Finland after graduating is dependent on a number of factors, such as the prosperity of their country of origin, the distance to their target country, and the appreciation of skills in their country of origin. Additionally, the time spent in the destination country for studies influences whether a student remains in the country. So do policy measures aimed at student mobility, such as tuition fees or the legislation on residence permits. (Garam et al. 2014.) According to CIMO (2014), language skills and networks are of key importance for whether the person finds employment in Finland.
Key figures for studies and employment OECD statistics show that the share of international students of the higher education students in Finland is below the average level of the OECD countries, although the number of international students has increased noticeably in past years, and trebled during the 2000s. In 2013, a total of almost 20,000 foreign degree student were studying at Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS). This corresponds to 6.9 per cent of the UAS students and 6.1 per cent of university students. (Garam et al. 2014.) In 2012, more than 2,800 foreign students had completed a higher education degree, whereof almost half at a UAS and a little more than a third a secondcycle degree at a university (CIMO 2014). More than half of the international students studied in technology and communications or social sciences and administration, but the largest proportion of international students was in the field of Tourism and Hospitality. The greatest number of students who come to Finland are from Europe and Asia. Examined per discipline, there is a higher than average number of students in the humanities, pedagogy, and culture, whereas students from Asia are mainly studying technology and communications or natural sciences. There is a great number of students from Africa in the social and health care sciences. (Garam et al. 2014.) However, less than half (45%) of the students who have studies and completed a degree in Finland, found employment in Finland within a year of graduation, according to the figures from 2014 (Table 1). The proportion is 1
about the same as in other countries, but has decreased the last few years. In 2009, 51 per cent of those graduated were working in Finland a year after graduating. The overwhelmingly largest proportion of international students who find employment in Finland are those who have studied social and health care, nationality-wise students from Africa of whom close to two thirds were working in Finland a year after graduating (Table 2). (Garam et al. 2014.)
Degrees 2011, number of
Not in Finland 2012, %
Employed in Finland 2012, %
Studying in Finland 2012, %
Otherwise in Finland 2012, %
Humanities and Education
142
38.7
43.7
7.0
10.6
Culture
168
37.5
32.7
4.8
25.0
Social Sciences, Business and Administration
670
31.2
41.5
6.4
20.9
Natural Sciences
294
33.3
48.6
6.5
11.6
Technology and Transportation
724
31.1
42.8
6.4
19.8
Natural Resources and the Environment
66
39.4
36.4
3.0
21.2
Social, Health and Physical Education
278
16.5
68.0
1.8
13.7
Travel, Catering and Economics
100
36.0
50.0
3.0
11.0
Other education
2
100.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Disciplines, total
2444
31.1
45.5
5.6
17.9
Table 1. The status of international students who had completed a higher education degree in 2012, according to discipline. (Source: Statistics Finland)
Degrees 2011, number of
Not in Finland 2012, %
Employed in Finland 2012, %
Studying in Finland 2012, %
Otherwise in Finland 2012, %
1016
38.8
43.1
4.7
13.4
EU/EEA countries
615
36.7
42.3
5.7
15.3
Non-EU/EEA countries
401
41.9
44.4
3.2
10.5
North America
72
47.2
33.3
4.2
15.3
Latin America and the Caribbean
72
33.3
50.0
2.8
13.9
Africa
395
10.4
63.8
7.1
18.7
Asia
867
29.6
40.8
6.3
23.2
Oceania
15
40.0
40.0
0.0
20.0
Other or unknown
7
57.1
-
-
-
2444
31.1
45.5
5.6
17.9
Total, Europe
Continents, total
Table 2. The status in 2012 of international students who had completed a higher education degree in 2011, according to nationality. (Source: Statistics Finland)
In the survey carried out within the VALOA project (Shumilova et al. 2012), they examined whether the job held by international higher education students corresponded to the discipline and level of education in Finland. The majority of graduated considered that their employment corresponded to their discipline and level of education (see Figure 1). However, out of the students graduated from university, 23.7% had accepted a job requiring a lower level of education or no higher education at all. (Kiuru 2012.)
2
80 68
70
64,3 59,2
60 50
% 40 30 16,9
20 10,7 10
14,3
17,5 14,1 10,7
9,9 6,2
8,2
0 Work did not correspond to A lower higher education The work did not The work requires a higher level of education degree would suffice correspond to my level of education than my own education All graduated
University
UAS
Figure 1. Correlation between studies and employment in Finland.
The VALOA project (Shumilova 2012) also examined at what point of their studies international students generally found employment. About 90 per cent of the respondents who had found employment had got their first job either during their studies or, at the latest, half a year after graduating. Out of these, 60 per cent had found employment already during their studies. The main factors influencing whether the respondents had found employment were judged to be earlier similar work experience, team work skills, strong expertise in one’s own field, international know-how, leadership skills, IT skills, multidisciplinarity, coordination skills, analytical and investigative skills, as well as the ability to quickly absorb new information. Additionally, Finnish language skills and attitude or motivation are very important for employment opportunities.
Promoting education export and employment A working group reviewing the requirements for Finnish education export defined the goal in 2013 for the number of international students to 60,000 before the year 2015 (of whom a part would study outside Finland). Also the objective defined in the government programmes and in the development plan for education and science promotes the export of Finnish higher education. The Ministry of Education in its turn encourages higher education institutions to recruit foreign degree students by defining the funding for them as dependent on the number of such students. (Garam et al. 2014.) Finnish higher education institutions have developed degree programmes in English to meet the needs of international students. The institutions have also made it easier to recruit students abroad by increasing marketing in English and by arranging entrance exams abroad. According to Kiuru (2012), Finland is one of Europe's top nations with regards to offering instruction in English relative to the size of the higher education system. Also application procedures are developed for the needs of the recruitment of international students. (Garam et al. 2014.) The higher education institutions, however, have also developed instruction in the Finnish language in order to improve the international students' chances of finding employment in Finland. In addition to improving employment, there is much work to be done especially with a view to working life projects, recruitment events and alumni cooperation in the field of higher education. Being able to identify, 3
acknowledge and underline the working life competencies of international students need to be improved, as does career counselling for these students. According to international students, employment is hindered also by the attitude of employers and other staff. Higher education institutions can solve the problem by underlining the competencies of international students more in the partnership the institutions have with business life. (Cimo 2014.) Also Vehaskari (2010) emphasises attitudes and unreasonable language skill demands as factors having a negative effect on employment. Vehaskari also lists other reasons hindering employment; the bureaucracy of applying for a residence permit, the lack of social networks, problems with integrating the students' families, as well as the limited career options. Within the VALOA project (Shumilova et.al. 2012), several ways of easing it for foreigners to find employment in Finland. Firstly, higher education institutions should increasingly be focusing on the fields in which there is a demand for international students in Finland. Then again, from the very beginning of studies, higher education institutions should emphasise the importance of studying Finnish and also provide students with opportunities to do so. They should also pay attention to the functionality of the career services offered by the higher education institutions, strengthen the cooperation between higher education institutions and business life, as well as keep in touch with students also after they have graduated. Employers should in their turn offer foreigners the possibility to employment even their language skills are not the best. The structures of Finnish society should provide foreigners with the option for a longer job seeking permit.
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2 Employment of international university students in light of statistics during the years 2013–2014
In this chapter, we discuss in more detail based on statistics the employment situation of students who have completed a first or second cycle university degree, 1 to 5 years after graduation. In the discussion of the data, we use statistical data from the data service Vipunen by the Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE) on the employment and professional status of university graduates in 2013 and 2014.
Main occupation one year after graduation Figure 2 depicts the main occupation of graduates of Finnish universities in 2012 and 2013 a year after they graduated. For the most part, graduates have found jobs, although some are unemployed. What stands out in the statistical data, however, is that especially of the students who came to Finland from outside the EU/EEA area, almost a quarter has left Finland already in the first year following graduation. A higher share of citizens of EU and EEA countries also left Finland compared to Finns. Leaving Finland is nonetheless intrinsically tied to the residence permit. When the student's residence permit runs out, they may be granted a special, maximum oneyear, job seeking permit. In order to get the permit, the applicant has to show that they have sufficient funds. In the light of these statistics, it is therefore not possible to interpret how many of those who moved from Finland would have stayed if they had been able to find a job.
90 80
78
75
70 60 50
48 37
40 30 20 7
10
9
13 7
7
9
8 1
0
0,1
2
0 Employed
Unemployed Finland
Main occupation: student
EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland)
Others
Left the country
Other countries
Figure 2. The main occupation of the students who graduated in 2012–13 a year after graduation (% of group).
When looking at only those who remained in Finland and who are not conscripts or retired, the variation between the groups is smaller (Figure 3). Out of those who remained in Finland, employment, unemployment as well as continued studies have been approximately on the same level in recent years regardless of nationality.
5
90 80
83 77
80 70 60 50 % 40 30 20
7
10
10
11
13
13 7
0 Employed
Unemployed Finland
EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland)
Full-time student Other countries
Figure 3. The main occupation a year after graduation of students who graduated in 2012–13 and remained in Finland (% of group) (excl. conscripts, pensioners, unknown)
Classification of occupation for employed From the perspective of completing a higher education degree, it is of relevance to what extent those with a degree have acquired a job corresponding to their education. In Table 3 you can see in more detail the occupational classification of those who have remained in Finland after graduating in 2012 or 2013 and who are employed fulltime. The share of employed persons as specialists is highest among citizens of EU or EEA countries, about 72%. The corresponding share for Finnish citizens is about 63% and for citizens from other countries less than half at 46%. Disregarding those in a specialist positions, an approximately equal share of citizens of all groups were working as experts. As might be expected, not many were in a managerial position, but the difference between the share in managerial jobs between Finnish citizens and citizens of other countries is clear, nonetheless. A year after graduating, about 3% of those with a Finnish citizenship held a managerial position, whereas the corresponding figure for citizens of other countries was 0.5%. Remarkable in these statistics the classification of occupations is the low proportion of graduates from nonEU/EEA countries working in managerial positions. Instead of positions as experts, many from outside the EU/EEA work in maintenance and cleaning or in assisting positions a year after graduating. The share of persons employed as office or customer service staff is also considerably higher among this group compared to other groups.
6
Finland
EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland)
Other countries
Specialists
62.8.
72.3.
45.7.
Experts
18.5
16.1
16.7
Office or customer service employees
6.1.
4.4
12.6
Services and sales employee
5.0
1.5
4.1
Executives
3.1.
0.0
0.7
Cleaners, employees in waste management, assisting positions
1.2
3.6
16.4
Process and transportation workers
1.4
0.7
2.7
Building, repair and manufacture workers
1.0
0.7
1.0
Farmers, lumberjacks, etc.
0.6.
0.7
0.0
Soldiers
0.3
0.0
0.0
Total (%)
100
100
100
Table 3. Classification of occupation of persons graduated in 2012–13 who are full time employed a year after graduating (% of group).
Figure 4 illustrates the occupational classifications of people who graduated one, three, and five years prior to when the statistics were collected. The staples therefore represent the cohorts of students who graduated in 2012– 13 (1 yr), 2010–11 (3 yrs), and 2008–09 (5 yrs). The share of those working as experts or managers have been placed over the horizontal axis, the shares of other employment below the axis. Although the staples illustrate people who have graduated in different years, not the same year, we can still assume that similar changes will occur for all graduates as their work careers advance. The share of specialists is the highest among the group representing citizens of EU and EEA countries, also three and five years after graduation. For Finns, of those who graduated in 2008–09 slightly more were employed as specialists compared to those graduated in 2012–13. The most noticeable difference, nonetheless, is found in the group of non-EU/EEA citizens: of those graduated in 2008–09, 62% were working as specialists in 2013 and 2014; whereas the corresponding number for those graduated in 2012–13 was 46%. 100 3
4
6
2
7 1
80
5
1
60 63
66
66
72
73
40
70
Executives 59
62
46
Specialists
% 20 0 20
18
19
14
9
18 10
16 8
1
1
4
1
15 8 3
13 9
17
19
19
20
13 8
11
1 16
3
40 1 3 5 year years years
1 3 5 year years years
1 3 5 year years years
Finland
EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland)
Other countries
Experts Cleaning and waste management, assisting duties
Years from graduation Figure 4. Occupational classification of those in full time employment one, three, and five years after graduation (% of group). Statistical reference years 2013 and 2014.
7
Employment of foreigners compared to Finnish citizens Figure 5 illustrates the share of full time employed per discipline of those international students who stayed in Finland in relation to the share of Finnish students employed one year after graduation (employment in % of international students / employment in % of Finnish). A number greater than 1 means that a higher share of the international students graduated in the field have found work as compared to Finnish citizens. A number less than 1 denotes a lesser share employed compared to Finnish citizens. We standardised the county where the degree was completed in order for the numbers to better represent the fluctuation between different fields. For the fields marked by a star in figure, the number of international students was so small those years that one cannot assume that the numbers represent the impact of the field on employment. The figure clearly illustrates a difference between EU/EEA citizens and citizens of other countries. Citizens of EU or EEA countries find employment somewhat more often than citizens of other countries, regardless of field. Students from other than the EU/EEA region again almost without exception have weaker employment rates than Finns, and as we have pointed out earlier, partly in very different positions.
EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland) 1,10
1,07
1,05
Other countries
1,06 1,06 1,06 1,06 1,06 1,05 1,05 1,05 1,05 1,05 1,05 1,05 1,04 1,04 1,04 1,04 1,04 1,03 1,03
1,00
1,02 0,97
0,95 0,95
0,97
0,97 0,97
0,98 0,96
0,99 0,97 0,97 0,97
0,98
0,98
0,96 0,97
0,97 0,95
0,94 0,90
Figure 5. Of those who graduated in 2012–13 and stayed in Finland and who have full time employment, the share is proportionally smaller than Finns with full time employment a year after graduation. County where the degree was completed has been standardised. * statistical reference year with small numbers of students
8
3 Employment, seeking employment and support from teaching staff for international students at the University of Helsinki
In this chapter, we investigate statistics and data on employment, work during studies, and content of teaching in relation to employment figures for international degree students at the University of Helsinki. The main data for this consisted of material on international degree students compiled by the Research Foundation for Studies and Education Otus in the years 2012–15 focusing on employment, work during studies, and experiences of seeking employment. The realised employment of international degree students is investigated on the basis of material collected by national statistical bodies and by the National Board of Education, in which material is compared by field both quantitatively and qualitatively the employment figures of graduates from the University of Helsinki as compared to other universities in the statistical years 2013–14. These studies compare the quality of employment for graduates especially based on citizenship (EU/EEA citizens and others) and discipline. After this, we discuss employment during studies and its quality for international degree students on the basis of combined data from the Student Barometer for 2012 and 2014 for the University of Helsinki. The main focus is on the expectations for employment following graduation and on the general belief in the future and on the relationship between employment and studies. We conclude the chapter by an overview of the experiences of international degree students of seeking employment and on the relationship between content of studies and employment. In addition to the Student Barometer material collected in 2012 and 2014, Otus has also collected material through a study aimed at a small specimen of international degree students in spring 2012. We use the material from the smaller survey in parts of this statistical investigation, mainly as a qualitative material due to the small number of respondents (less than 80). From this limited data reviewing experiences of seeking employment, we identify different types of experiences and applicant profiles among the international degree students. These are described in four typical profiles.
Background of international degree students The statistical review of the employment of persons who have completed a university degree is accomplished by identifying the main occupation of the respondent the statistical reference year following their graduation. The population is divided according to main type of activity into persons who are part of the labour force and persons who are not part of the labour force. The statistical data is based on the quality of the economic activities of the person during the last week of the statistical reference year. The labour force includes employed and unemployed, whereas students, pensioners and conscripts are not considered part of the labour force. Additionally, the statistical data includes those who have left the country, whose activities in their new country of residence the data collected by Finnish statistical authorities of course cannot cover.
9
New students Students Degrees
Uni Helsinki
58
Other universities
174
403
1 607
Uni Helsinki
719
Other universities
1 188
2 240
Uni Helsinki
6 425
108
Other universities
210
415 0%
10 %
1 155 20 %
30 %
EU/EEA
40 %
50 %
60 %
70 %
80 %
90 %
100 %
Other nationalities
Figure 1.1 The relationship between the number of international degree students and their nationality at the University of Helsinki and other universities in the statistical reference year 2014.
Looking at employment and other post-graduation activities, it is advisable to also look into the background of the different groups of international degree students in addition to the higher education institution they studied at in Finland: Notable about the background of the international degree students at the University of Helsinki when compared to other universities is that the citizens of EU and EEA countries who study at the University of Helsinki is greater compared to other universities. About one in three degrees completed by international students is by a EU/EEA citizen, whereas the corresponding proportion at other universities is about one in four. For the resulting employment this is of particular importance, since there are significant differences between these nationality groups especially in the number of persons who moved from Finland in the year following their graduation. At the University of Helsinki, the largest proportion of EU/EEA citizens out of all international students is found in Health Care and Social Services. The smallest proportion is in Natural Resources and Environment (Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry), where three out of four international students are of other nationalities. The latter discipline is also interesting in that comparing to the University of Eastern Finland, out of those studying this field almost one in five are of another nationality. The relative difference between the share of EU/EEA citizens compared to other universities is also significant in the field of social sciences, and business and administration. However, the point of reference for this education class is slightly skewed, since the field also encompasses the economic sciences at other universities, a discipline not available at the University of Helsinki.
10
EU/EEA
% Of all
18,7 %
HU: Total sports And Adm.Sc.
4,6 %
5,5 %
HU: Soc. and Health
4,6 %
8,8 %
8,1 %
Others: Soc. and Health
5,5 %
Others: Total sports And Adm.Sc.
4,3 %
HU: Nat.Sc. And Env.
Others: Nat.Sc. And Env.
HU: Natural Sciences
Others: Natural Sciences
8,1 %
HU: Cultural Services:
3,5 %
Others: Cultural Services:
3,4 %
HU Hum. and Edu.
8,2 %
Others: Hum. and Edu.
100 % 90 % 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 20 % 10 % 0%
Other
20,0 % 18,0 % 16,0 % 14,0 % 12,0 % 10,0 % 8,0 % 6,0 % 4,0 % 2,0 % 0,0 %
Figure 1.2 The relationship between international students (all levels of higher education) and nationalities at the University of Helsinki and at other universities according to discipline in the statistical reference year 2014.
Employment after graduation Employment figures for international degree students is possible to review in the lights of statistics for two groups of nationalities: Citizens of EU and EEA countries, and citizens of other countries, for which the conditions of mobility and employment are regulated in rather different ways. In numbers for the years 2013–14, 609 international degree students graduated from the University of Helsinki, more than half of them completing a second cycle (Master) higher education degree. Those who completed a first cycle (Bachelor) degree clearly seem to, in light of statistical data, to either find work, continue their studies in Finland or return to their country of origin, which more than half of them had done.
Employed
Full-time student
Unemployed
Others
Left the country
All Licentiate/… Medical specialization Second-cycle higher education degrees First-cycle higher education degrees 0%
10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 %
Second-cycle First-cycle higher higher education education degrees degrees Employed 21 117 Full-time student 9 18 Unemployed 12 Others 3 84 Left the country 36 123
Medical specialization
Licentiate/ doctoral degree
All
15
54 3 3 27 84
207 30 18 114 246
3 3
Table 1.1 Main activities of the international degree students graduated from the University of Helsinki according to level of education.
11
The employment for the international degree students graduated from the University of Helsinki is compared to other universities in Figure 1.3, where we investigate the main activities of graduates according to nationality group so that all levels of education are included. From the statistics, we can see that the difference for postgraduation employment is much greater between nationality groups than between the University of Helsinki and other universities when considering international students as one homogeneous group.
University of Helsinki Other nationalities EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland) Other universities Other nationalities EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland) Int. students total Other universities University of Helsinki 0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 % Employed
Main activity: student
Unemployed
Others
Left the country
Figure 1.3 Main activities of graduates from the University of Helsinki and other universities a year after graduation, statistical reference years 2013–14, all levels of higher education.
Figure 1.4 in its turn illustrates the main activities of those graduated with a second cycle higher education degree in the statistical reference years 2013–14 according to nationality in such a way that the point of comparison is Finnish citizens who completed a degree. All in all, the statistical data implies that the difference between the nationality groups seems to be greater at the University of Helsinki than for other universities: Almost as large a part of the citizens of EU and EEA countries have been statistically marked as employed, whereas in the nationality group others, those graduated from the University of Helsinki form about 27 per cent compared to 33 per cent of those graduated from other universities. Also the number of persons who left the country after completing their degree is slightly higher for the University of Helsinki compared to other universities.
12
University of Helsinki Other countries
33,3 %
EU/EEA
29,2 %
16,7 %
55,6 %
Finnish
22,2 %
67,4 %
16,7 % 11,1 %
15,8 %
8,1 %
Other universities Other countries
39,7 %
EU/EEA
24,9 % 58,3 %
Finnish
64,8 % 0%
20 %
9,1 %
22,5 %
22,9 %
8,3 % 8,3 %
20,9 %
40 %
60 %
6,8 %
80 %
Specialists and managers
Experts
Office or customer service employees
Services and sales employee
100 %
Other employees
Figure 1.4 Quality of employment for persons who are employed (one year after graduation) after completing a second cycle higher education degree at the University of Helsinki and other universities.
It is also possible to compare the quality of employment among those employed based on their main activities. In Figure 1.5, for the sake of producing comparable data, we have only looked at the quality of employment for those employed who had completed a second cycle higher education degree. On the basis of the statistical comparison, the differences are particularly small among those employed as experts, when investigating the employment of graduates according to classification of occupation. For other nationalities than EU and EEA citizens, the group “other employment” is particularly noticeable. This group includes tasks that are less demanding and require less education. Reviews per discipline of the main activities of graduates is, especially for small disciplines, inevitably based on rather low absolute numbers of graduates. In Figure 1.5, we therefore we present employment per discipline with a slightly cruder disciplinary classification. This reveals interesting differences between different fields: Among those who completed a natural science education, the proportion of those who left the country is largest, whereas the proportion for social sciences students is almost on the same level (disregarding the classification “other activities”). The lowest proportion of graduates who left the country can be found among those graduated from agriculture and forestry, and among these, the activity classification “other activities” is remarkably common.
Medical, Veterinary and Pharmacy Theology, Education and Humanities Social Sciences, Psychology, and Law Natural Sciences Agriculture and Forestry 0% Employed
10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 %
Main activity: student
Unemployed
Others
Left the country
Figure 1.5 Employment for international students according to discipline (categories combined due to small numbers of graduates in some fields, so that the smallest category includes more than 50 graduates), category “other” excluded.
13
The quality of employment is possible to analyse through statistical data according to discipline relative to those whose main activity is employed and their classification of occupation, which for the purpose of this study has been slightly more crude (smaller categories combined). Figure 1.6 shows statistical data illustrating the quality of employment according to field. Quality employment in terms of statistical data entails being employed at the level of expert or higher, including also managerial level positions (a rather small number of recently graduated) as well as specialists. Examined per discipline, those who have succeeded best in finding in employment are students in health care and social services, and those in the natural sciences, although the proportion of employed is slightly lower for the latter. When analysed in numbers according to discipline, the lowest employment rates are for those graduated from natural resources and the environment and they have more rarely compared to others gained employment on the level of expert. Nonetheless, especially in forestry, employment in own field is perhaps less related to the classification of tasks as on the level of expert. Based on the number of students, culture is a small field. Those graduating in that field have gained employment half as experts and half in office, sales, or other services.
Expert work Employed
Office, services and sales Left the country
Health Care and Social Services
Natural Resources and the Environment
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences and Law
Culture
Humanities and Education
100 % 90 % 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 20 % 10 % 0%
All
50,0 % 45,0 % 40,0 % 35,0 % 30,0 % 25,0 % 20,0 % 15,0 % 10,0 % 5,0 % 0,0 %
Other employees
Figure 1.6 Quality of employment among international students graduated from the University of Helsinki in the statistical reference year 2013–14, one year after graduation, all levels of education. Classification of occupation according to work tasks for those employed simplified (columns), proportion of employed and migrated from the country of graduates (lines).
In addition to the variations between different fields, it is also interesting to investigate the quality of employment according to nationalities, since part of the previously described differences in employment between different fields can be ascribed to this explaining factor (the groups of nationalities vary in size in different fields). When investigating the quality of employment in Figure 1.7, we can see that there is an interesting difference: citizens of EU and EEA countries find employment not only more often than other nationalities (of these also a greater proportion move from Finland), but also somewhat with a better quality of employment finding work corresponding to their educational background. The difference seems to stem from especially the prevalence of tasks as specialists so that out of the nationals of other countries, around 30 per cent find employment in other than expert positions.
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Other countries EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland) 0%
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
50 %
60 %
70 %
80 %
Executives
Specialists
Experts
Office or customer service employees
Services and sales employee
Process and transportation workers
90 % 100 %
Other Figure 1.7 Quality of employment according to classification of nationalities, classification of occupation for international degree students who graduated in 2013–14.
Work during studies, and expectations for employment and future In this part of the study, we examine the expectations of international degree students who are still studying about employment as well as the quality of employment during studies by combining data from two surveys. Figure 2.1 illustrates the post-graduation expectations of former students of the University of Helsinki according to the Student Barometer (2012 and 2014) through an indicator reply distribution, where students were asked to evaluate a number of statements on quality and probability of employment. Somewhat less than half of the respondents found it reasonably or very likely to find work in their own field, whereas only one in six found prolonged unemployment likely. About one in three international degree student deemed it likely that they would find temporary employment and one in five deemed a change of field likely.
I will find work in the field I have studied 6,1 14,2 My employment relationships will mostly be temporary
8,8
14,2
I will find satisfying work 3,4 6,1 I will change field
25,7
I will find a permanent position
6,8 10,8
I will be unemployed over extended periods of time
25,7
31,8
31,8
27,0
29,7
16,9
21,6
8,1
40,5 22,3 26,4 23,0
14,2
5,4
15,5 8,8
23,0
17,6 3,4 8,1
33,1
11,5 11,5
16,2
12,2 4,7 14,2
0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 %100 % Very unlikely
Unlikely
Neither
Likely
Very likely
I cannot say
Figure 2.1 Evaluation by international degree students on post-graduation employment prospects (Student Barometer 2012 and 2014, respondents from the University of Helsinki)
International degree students are quite a polarised group when looking at their expectations for the future. When expectations were examined with the help of a 10-point scale as illustrated in Figure 2.2 as “high” vs “uncertain” future outlook, where we for the sake of clarity have divided them into five examined classifications in Figure 2.3. Especially the proportion of respondents who find the future uncertain can be seen as possibly alarmingly
15
high: One in five of the respondents judged their future to be very uncertain (the proportion for Finnish respondents from the University of Helsinki was around 8 per cent in the class “very weak” and around 15 per cent “weak” in the 2014 survey).
Very weak 0-1 Weak 2-3 Int. students
21,1
18,7
25,2
26,8
8,1
Average 4-5 Good 6-7
0%
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
50 %
60 %
70 %
80 %
90 % 100 %
Very good 8-10
Figure 2.2 Expectations for the future for international students on a scale from 0 to 10.
The view on expectations for the future tie rather strongly in with the expectations for employment, although there are likely other uncertainty factors as well. Employment during studies and its quality, nonetheless, are quite a strong explanatory factor for the general belief students have in their future (Saari et al. 2013). By examining the statistical correlation between the distribution illustrated in Figure 2.1 with the indicator of future expectations in Figure 2.2 we can see that the variation in future expectations seem to correspond particularly strongly with the belief in whether one will find employment in one's own field (“I will find work in the field I studied”, “I will get a permanent position”, as well as the other way around “I will be unemployed for long periods of time”). In contrast, there is no similar statistical correlation between the belief in finding employment and expectations for the future.
Table 2.1 Correlation between prospects for international degree students and statements on employment after graduation.
Future Future expectations 0-10 I will find work in the field I have studied My employment relationships will mostly be temporary I will find satisfying work I will change field I will find a permanent position I will be unemployed over extended periods of time
1 0.415
**
-0.130 0.519
**
-0.246 0.446
**
-0.469
** Correlation on a significant 0.01 level (two-tailed test)
The correlation is visualised in Figure 2.3, which illustrates the average of the indicator for future expectations on the probability of finding employment in one's own field. We also examined the effect of work during studies on future expectations through a covariance analysis. On the basis of this, it seems that the variance explaining the employment expectations and work during studies was in fact for the most part the same (work during studies explains employment expectations to such a large degree that it had no significant contribution on its own for the study). On the grounds of this examination, we can conclude that with regards to the expectations for the future after graduation, the students who are most pessimistic are also the ones who are most uncertain about whether they will find employment.
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Other countries EU/EEA countries (excl. Finland) 0%
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
50 %
60 %
70 %
80 %
Executives
Specialists
Experts
Office or customer service employees
Services and sales employee
Process and transportation workers
90 % 100 %
Other employees Figure 2.3 Average future expectations (scale 1–10) about finding work in one's own field.
In the light of the material of the questionnaire, work during studies seems to be quite common, and in its magnitude does not seem to deviate from the corresponding share of Finnish students. When examining the experience of quality those who worked during their studies in Figure 2.4, we can see that of the working international students at the University of Helsinki, around 43 per cent felt that their work tasks were routine and a little less than a fourth that the tasks were creative. The international students of the University of Helsinki stand out somewhat from the international students of other universities in that it was relatively common with mid-level work tasks, whereas the experience of the quality of their work tasks of those studying at other universities more often represented the far ends of the scale.
I work full time and study part time: 6,1
I do not study or work: 2,0 I study full time and work part time: 33,1
I study full time and do not work: 54,1
Figure 2.4 International degree students' work during studies and its relationship with studies (combined data from the Student Barometer 2012 and 2014)
It would be useful to be able to compare the quality of employment also between different disciplines, but unfortunately the number of respondents in the material used in this study is not high enough for that. Differences between different disciplines can also be examined through statistical data for those graduated, since the quality of work tasks during studies and after graduation correspond (Karhunen et al. 2012). Unfortunately, there is simply not enough material available to do a more in-depth investigation of the quality of employment in different educational and occupational fields.
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Routine (0-3)
Finns (others)
Finns (Uni.Hel.)
Int. students (others)
Average level (4-6)
43,9 %
22,1 %
40,7
26,8
35,3 %
Int. students (Uni.Hel.)
Creative work tasks (7-10)
0%
10 %
20 %
33,3
16,4 %
42,5
34,0 %
48,2 %
32,5 30 %
40 %
50 %
60 %
25,0 70 %
80 %
90 %
100 %
Figure 2.5 Experience of quality of employment for those who worked during studies. (Classified on a scale from “Routine” 0 to 10 “Creative work tasks”). Student Barometer 2012 and 2014.
Experiences of applying for jobs and of the content of studies Together with the Student Union of the University of Helsinki, Otus on 2012 carried out a small survey to international degree students as part of the thematic survey being carried out for the municipal elections. The survey was aimed at a sample of the basic degree students at the University of Helsinki. A version of the survey was aimed at international student respondents. That version included a short section on applying for work, employment and the correlation between content of studies to job application procedures. Below we present the main observations for this part. When interpreting the results, we need to remember that the number of respondents from the University of Helsinki is rather low, around 80 respondents per question, with some variation. In the original research report, the responses were analysed for the largest higher education institutions in the greater Helsinki region, amounting to a satisfactory number of around 150 respondents. Due to the small number of respondents, the material from the survey is analysed rather as a qualitative “sample” than a material striving for numerical representation and exact statistical estimation. Analysing a sample means that for the results, we rather aim at qualitative conclusion than numerical ones. Figure 3.1 illustrates how the respondents have experienced applying for work as well as statements on their own work application skills and expectations. For these, we strived to identify profile types with similar experiences by a so called clustering technique. Content-wise the statements in Figure 3.1 could be grouped to correspond to the experience of respondents of A) their own working life skills (applying for work, knowledge of employers and networks), B) working life relevance of their higher education (information offered and content of studies) as well as C) general experience of Finnish labour market. The most positive experience among the respondents (with positive comments in more than half of the answers) was with the content of their higher education in relation to labour market relevance as well as on whether their own employment expectations were realistic. Less than one in five respondent gave a negative response to these. In contrast to this, the experience respondents had of Finnish employers' willingness to employ international degree students or graduated was sorrowfully negative. Only one in three felt that they had been able to network with useful labour market actors during their studies.
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Belief in chances of finding employment in one’s own field after gradutation
33,3
37,9
28,8
Knowledge of searching for work on the Finnish labour market
33,3
37,9
28,8
Knowledge of the main employers in one’s own field
34,8
Higher education has offered good preparation for working life
22,7
15,2
The information the university provided about employment was sufficient
22,7
My expectations about employment prospects have been realistic
22,7
During my studies, I have been able to create beneficial networks
31,8
53,0 39,4
37,9
30,3
47,0
47,0
Finnish employers have an open-minded attitude towards the recruitment of international labour force
42,4
21,2
42,4
31,8
39,4
18,2
0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 %100 % Negative experience
Neutral or unsure
Positive experience
Figure 3.1 How international degree students see their job application skills and their experience of the Finnish labour market.
The respondents included many who had experience of applying for a job in Finland during their studies (about 70 per cent of respondents). A little more than every other student had had a positive experience that led to finding work. About 30 per cent of the respondents had no experience of applying for work.
%
41,5
0%
10 %
20 %
29,2
30 %
40 %
Looked for work, found work
50 %
60 %
29,2
70 %
Looked for work, not employed
80 %
90 %
100 %
Has not looked for work
Figure 3.2 Respondents' experience of applying for work in Finland during studies.
By using a grouping analysis (TwoStep cluster algorithm), we tried to identify groups of similar students based on the statements in Figure 3.1. The objective with this was a qualitative categorisation of the profiles of international students applying for work. A central idea in the grouping analysis is to endeavour to compress information included in several variables by finding in the material groups of such observations that in terms of selected variables would be internally as similar as possible and between groups as different as possible. The explorative grouping analysis of the data gave a grouping of the experiences of international degree students seeking employment into four crude frame types: About a third of respondents deemed their opportunities for finding employment and knowledge of employers good. These students had a feeling they had been able to during their studies create networks promoting employment, although the experiences of Finnish employers' attitude towards international labour force varied greatly
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within this group. The respondents of this group mainly had a positive experience of educational content relative to working life. Almost as many respondents felt that their expectations before coming to Finland were unrealistic, but experience of job application skills and the skills offered by their education varied greatly within the group. The experience respondents had of employers within this group was quite negative, although there were indifferent comments as well (not all respondents had try to find work).
Type 1 “Labour market optimists”
Type 2 “Disappointed expectations”
32 per cent of respondents
32 per cent of respondents
The networkers, those optimistic about their job application skills and knowledge of employers.
Unrealistic expectations for labour market. Disappointed in the information provided by the higher education institution.
Type 3 “Satisfied with content of education” 20 per cent of respondents Weak employer knowledge, but realistic expectations about employment.
Type 4 “Lacking skills and networks” 17 per cent of respondents Weak belief in their own skills, employer knowledge and job application skills. Failed in networking.
Varied experience of job application skills. Strong belief in their own employment and appreciate the content offered by their higher education.
Varied experience of employers (both positive and negative comments).
Insufficient networks. Varied experience of educational content (as many positive as negative experiences).
Very negative experience of employers.
Very satisfied with educational content, but weak belief in their own skills. Varied networking experience.
Indifferent or positive experience of employers.
Expectations have been positive, but practical experience from looking for work has led to disappointments. Experience of educational content in relation to job application mainly indifferent.
Mainly negative experience of employers.
About one in five respondents belonged to a group, which expected finding work to be challenging, but who were simultaneously very satisfied with the content of their education. In this group there was a lot of variation of their experiences from networking during their studies and they had doubts about their job application skills. Experiences of applying for work were limited or positive, since there were no negative comments about employer attitudes in this group. The last and smallest student type identified by the grouping analysis included persons who were the most sceptic about their own job application skills. In this group, the expectations before commencing their studies had been somewhat optimistic, but they had failed when de facto applying for work and networking. This group does not stand out in their view on educational content, as there were both negative, indifferent and positive experiences of the content offered. Based on the respondent profile particularly this group is in need of the most support when it comes to belief in employment and skills. Employment problems do not seem to be significantly related to the educational content (Figure 3.1) based on the respondents' answers, although simultaneously they deemed knowledge of the Finnish language very important for finding employment. Four out of five respondents did not deem it possible to find employment in Finland without knowing the language, and about two out of three found it useful to study Finnish. A significant part of the respondents felt they could not take a stand on whether there had been a sufficient supply of courses, especially regarding the Swedish language. Less than 15 per cent felt the courses offered had been insufficient.
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It is easy to work in Finland without knowing the Finnish language I have studied or am studying Finnish
45,5 27,3
It is useful to study Finnish 6,1 9,1 My educational institution offers enough instruction in Finnish for finding employment
12,1
15,2
The courses offered in Finnish and Swedish correspond well to students’ needs
9,1 6,1
19,7
15,2
7,6 12,1
My educational institution offers enough instruction in Swedish for finding employment
33,3 18,2
33,3 25,8
13,6 22,7
22,7 34,8
31,8
19,7
13,6
7,6 6,1 24,2
12,1 10,6 37,9
6,1
31,8
0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 %100 % Completely disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Completely agree
I do not know
Figure 3.3 Experiences of sufficient language instruction and course offerings with a view to employment.
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4 Promoting the employment of international students and best practices
Projects aiming at finding work for international students During recent years in Finland, several local and national development projects have been initiated in order to promote the integration and the employment of foreign higher education students in Finland. The projects were mainly implemented at the turn of the decade and the years following that. Below, we briefly discuss some of these projects.
VALOA - Increasing Employment Opportunities of International Talents in Finland (2009–12). This national project coordinated by the University of Helsinki aimed to increase employment opportunities of international degree students on the Finnish labour market by surveying the current status of employment and developing concrete tools and forms of action and guidance for employers and universities in order to promote the employment of international students. The project also aimed at promoting cooperation and networking between employers and higher education institutions. 16 higher education institutions, cities, and business organisations took part in the project. Staff and counsellors at the higher education institutions were offered an opportunity to develop their skills for guiding international degree students into working life and employers were encouraged to grasp the opportunities brought by international students, for instance, by offering guidance in language, culture, and work permit affairs and by organising networking events. The VALOA project funded by the European Social Fund ESF, the cities of Helsinki and Oulu and by the Helsinki Education and Research Area (HERA). (VALOA project.)
Findwork.fi (2016-). Findwork.fi is a campaign organised by Sitra, Team Finland, Finpro, Amcham Finland and Me2We. The objective is to promote the employment of international higher education students in Finland by offering companies a platform where they can publish vacancies and international students can apply to these directly from the vacancy notice. (Findwork.fi project.)
Cosmos Network (2010–13). The Cosmos Network is a project carried out by the Turku University of Applied Sciences. The objective of the project was to in collaboration with SME businesses eliminate the obstacles for technology students with a foreign background vis a vis access to education, internships, and employment. Another objective was to develop the solutions developed by European higher education partners for supporting the education and employment of persons with an immigrant background. The actions aimed at increasing the attractiveness of Southwest Finland as a place for work-based immigration from highly educated immigrants. The project was funded by the ESF and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in Southwest Finland. (Cosmos Network.)
WorkPlace Pirkanmaa (2009–11). WorkPlace Pirkanmaa (1.3.2009–31.5.2011) was a project prepared and managed by the Baltic Institute of Finland, and targeted at three higher education institutions (Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Technology and University of Tampere), in particular their international services; student, careers, and recruiting services; as well as the employers of the region.
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The project aimed at bringing international higher education students and labour market agents closer by developing the internship procedures for international students as well as an international mentoring scheme for companies. The project also produced an online service as a tool for international recruiting and initiated a regional service point for answering the service needs of companies and international highly educated persons in the area of recruitment, job application, and developing skills for working life. The project was funded by ERDF. (Workplace Prikanmaa project.)
The Pajatso project (2012–14). The Pajatso project, implemented by the Häme University of Applied Sciences, aimed at developing approaches to support the employability of persons studying in foreign-language programmes by developing approaches that would bring students and companies/business life in regular contact with each other. Another objective was to integrate labour market perspectives from the very start of studies as part of the studies themselves as well as increasing and improving labour market knowledge. In the project, the activities of education were commercialised to correspond to the needs of the business interface and they were then marketed to companies as a form of collaboration with higher education. The project was funded by the European Social Fund ESF. (Pajatso Project.)
LUT International Talent Partnership Program. The Lappeenranta University of Technology has introduced the LUT International Talent Partnership Program, the aim of which is to intensify the cooperation between the international master programmes and business life. The project enables companies to acquire international talent for their needs and makes it possible for students to integrate into business life already during their studies. The cooperation can be accomplished through, for instance, thesis work, scholarships from companies, and recruitment. Companies may also improve their international competencies by way of the studies offered by the higher education institution. (The project LUT International Talent Partnership Program.)
International students resource for South Savo (2011–13). In this project by Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, the aim was to increase the awareness of companies and organisations in the Mikkeli region about international higher education students as well as locate internships and project and thesis topics for the students. The project also aimed at creating a contact network for teachers, to deepen the higher education institution's contact with businesses, and to guide students on how to create networks and on applying for work. The project also instructed business life on recruiting international students for practical training. The project included informing companies and media about students, organising events to distribute information, and writing a guide on the topic. The project was funded by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in South Savo and by the Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. (International students as a resource for South Savo.)
Best practices for employment for international students The development projects born out of the problems with the employability of international degree students have led to several integrated as well as still developing best practices. The objective is to spread these broadly among employers and higher education institutions. Below, we present these best practices on the basis of a report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (2014) and we divide them into the following themes: teaching arrangements, study and career counselling, measures for employment, and communication.
Best practices in teaching arrangements Increasing students' language skills during studies. Sufficient language skills is one of the most important prerequisites for employability. The higher education institutions have strived to increase the number for study 23
periods in English as well as Finnish language instruction. It has been deemed positive to include language instruction in the teaching plan already from the very beginning of studies. (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, 2014.)
Integrating international student into the Finnish culture of collaboration already during studies. Students should accustom themselves to the Finnish culture of collaboration already during their studies in order for the students to be familiar with the practices when entering working life. The projects have tried to improve this through multicultural projects and group work where Finnish and international students work on projects together and share cultural knowledge among each other. In addition to this, introducing a work life certificate has also been deemed a best practice: After accomplishing a satisfactory level of knowledge about Finnish culture, society, and working life as well as having demonstrated this through a separate test, the international student is awarded a work life certificate that they can use to show their competencies and skills needed for their work. (ibid.)
Acknowledging the needs of business life in the teaching in the international degree programmes. Teaching should take into account the competencies needs of working life and develop the teaching accordingly so that the competencies of the students match the internationalisation needs of working life in the best possible way already on the eve of graduation. Promoting this aspect has been accomplished by organising guest lectures by representatives of business life as part of teaching as well as by increasing the number of joint projects between business life and higher education institutions as part of teaching. Another best practice has been to offer thesis opportunities by business life for instance carried out at the company. Also increasing the optional “professional studies” in the curriculum has furthered the objective to increase international students' knowledge of Finnish business life before the graduate. (ibid.)
Best practices in study and career guidance Career guidance for international students offered by the higher education institution. Drawing up a career plan during one's studies and before moving on to working life can be as important for international students as drawing up a plan for the progression of studies. One best practice has been found to be drawing up the plan together with a career adviser in such a way that the plan is closely followed up by the student as well as by the higher education institution. The plan may include detailed steps for how the students keeps in contact with business life during their studies and this may also be included as part of the studies. Additionally, the student and advisers together may draw up different productised material to support job-seeking, such as portfolios. (ibid.)
Guidance methods for students, organised by employers and higher education institutions jointly. Good results have been achieved by companies and higher education institutions collaborating on guidance offered to international students. Higher education institutions and employers together have organised mentoring schemeswhere the mentor is an experienced business life representative and the actor and international student. The educational institutions have also organised events and workshops where international students have had the possibility to network with representatives of Finnish working life and gain information on Finnish work culture and regulations. These events may have a specific theme and the higher education institution then invites employers, for instance, as participants for panel discussions and encourage students to network with the working life representatives. The events can also encourage students to meet employers using Finnish. A common guidance method of the higher education institutions is organising company visits, during which international students can get to know companies operating and other organisations in Finland. (ibid.)
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Best practices in higher education institutions' communication Higher education institutions actively communicating about the potential in international students for working life. Higher education institutions have found messages directed directly at employers about the potential in international students a good method. This can be done through newsletters introducing what the students have accomplished and topical themes from the higher education institution. In addition to this, the HEI may also produce online content for employers so that the information for the needs of the employers is as accessible as possible. The messages should clearly be directed at specifically employers. The higher education institutions may also establish contact with different organisations where decisions on working life and internationalisation are prepared, such as chambers of commerce or the Confederation of Finnish Industries. This way, they can have information directly on how to develop teaching for and competencies of international students.
Best practices in staff planning Offering international students internships and summer work. By offering international students internships and summer jobs, employers influence the work experience of the students and the development of working life contacts already during studies. In recruiting, so called group recruiting can be used. There the higher education institution offers the organisation several trainees instead of just one. This has helped to decrease the resources required by, for instance, individual work place introductions, in some instances. (ibid.)
Work/Job Shadowing. Work Shadowing offers the student the possibility to get to know the professional field they are studying by shadowing a professional in the field during a day, for instance, at their place of work. The student gets to see the practical work tasks, participate in meetings and other practices associated with the job by observing a professional in the field. The student thereby can acquaint themselves with the professional life of their field already during their studies and relatively resource-scarce.
Best practices promoting integration Friend family activities. Through the friend family activities, the aim is to promote the integration of international students into Finnish culture and to boost their networks. Through the activities, local families are found to function as friend families for international students. Students keep in touch with the families on a voluntary basis and so develop their knowledge about Finnish culture.
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5 References Cimo. 2014: Ulkomaalaisten opiskelijoiden työllistyminen Suomeen. Faktaa express 5A/2014. Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://www.cimo.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/cimo/embeds/cimowwwstructure/54160_netti_Express5A_14.pdf Cosmos Network Retrieved 13.5.2016: https://www.eura2007.fi/rrtiepa/projekti.php?projektikoodi=S11255 Findwork.fi project). Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://findwork.fi/ Garam I., Jaalivaara J., Kuosmanen I., Suhonen T. 2014. Esiselvitys ulkomaalaisten korkeakouluopiskelijoiden taloudellisista vaikutuksista. Government Institute for Economic Research VATT. Retrieved 13.5.2016: https://www.vatt.fi/file/vatt_publication_pdf/v21.pdf Heikkinen, K. Case Degree Programme in Information Technology. Turun ammattikorkeakoulun raportteja 163, 2013. International Student Barometer 2010. CIMO, unpublished results from the survey. In Cimo 2014, Ulkomaalaisten opiskelijoiden työllistyminen Suomeen - Faktaa express 5A/2014. Karhunen, H., Hynninen, S. M., & Pehkonen, J. (2012). Opiskeluaikainen työssäkäynti ja työmarkkinatilanne valmistumisen jälkeen: havaintoja rekisteriaineistosta. Työpoliittinen aikakauskirja, 55(2) / 2012, 19–29. Kiuru, B. 2012. Immigration of international students in the European Union. Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/european_migration_network/reports/docs/emn-studies/immigration-students/08.finland_national_report_immigration_of_international_students_final_oct2012_en.pdf LUT International Talent Partnership Program. Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://www.lut.fi/web/en/cooperation-and-services/recruitment-services/lut-international-talent-partnership-program The Pajatso Project. Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/81715 Saari, J., & Mikkonen, J. ja Vieno, A. 2013. Löytöretkiä tuntemattomalle mantereelle. Yliopisto-opiskelijoiden opiskeluaikainen työssäkäynti ja tulevaisuusodotukset. Työpoliittinen aikakauskirja, 56(2) / 2013, 44–56. Shumilova, y., Cai, Y., Pekkola, E. 2012. Employability of International Graduates Educated in Finnish Higher Education Institutions. (VALOA project. Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://www.helsinki.fi/urapalvelut/valoasurvey/pubData/source/VALOA09.pdf Tanner, A. 2011. Country profiles: Finland’s balancing act: The labor market, humanitarian relief, and immigrant integration. Ministry of Employment and the Economy. 2014. Suomeen opiskelemaan, Suomeen töihin! Työvoiman maahanmuuton ESR-kehittämisohjelman (2007–2013) kansainvälisten opiskelijoiden integrointiin tähtäävien projektien hyviä käytäntöjä. Retrieved 13.5.2016: https://www.tem.fi/files/38922/Suomeen_opiskelemaan_Suomeen_toihin!.pdf International students resource for South Savo Project. Retrieved 13.5.2016: https://www.tem.fi/files/37612/Ulkomaiset_opiskelijat_Etela-Savon_voimavaraksi_2013.pdf VALOA project. Toolkit for HEIs. Haettu 1.6.2016: http://www.studentintegration.fi/solutions-bank/employer-collaboration VALOA project. Retrieved 13.5.2016: https://www.facebook.com/valoahanke Vehaskari, A. 2010. Talent available. Tapping the Expat Talent Pool. EVA. Retrieved 13.5.2016: http://www.eva.fi/wpcontent/uploads/2010/10/talent_available.pdf
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(Workplace Pirkanmaa project.) Retrieved 13.5.2016: https://fi-fi.facebook.com/WorkPlace-Pirkanmaa-111274848932796/info/?tab=page_info
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