Talent Hub South Ostrobothnia

What is a “talent”?

The world champion solves the Rubik’s cube in less than six seconds. A 16-year-old American can speak 20 different languages. Lady Gaga has won a total of 11 Grammy Awards, sold more than 35 million albums and accumulated more than 32 billion streams under her name.

These are good examples of “talents”, i.e. talented people. We are not looking for people with special skills, although they are also welcome here. However, by the word “talent” we mean a person who has knowledge, ability and experience that are suitable for certain tasks or activities. Welder, nurse, electrician, project manager, teacher, doctor, car mechanic or cleaner are occupations that employers in our region need to develop their operations.

Who are we?

Talent Hub South Ostrobothnia is a cooperation network consisting of the following organisations: SeAMK, Sedu, JAMI, The Finnish Institute for Enterprise Management, South Ostrobothnia Folk High School, Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, we well as South Ostrobothnia Chamber of Commerce, South Ostrobothnia TE Office, Into Seinäjoki, City of Kauhajoki, Vuoksi, E-P WIISE ry and the University of Vaasa.

What are we doing?

• We help international experts to find employment in companies in the region or to start their own business.
• We improve companies’ readiness to recruit international experts.
• We promote the area’s attractiveness and traction and holding power.
• We cooperate closely to implement the above-mentioned issues.

How are we doing this?

• We bring companies together with foreign students and foreign employees in the area.
• We organise events and networking events.
• We use operating models and tools developed together.
• We effectively share information about current affairs.
• We implement development projects together.

Operating models and tools

Operating models

1 Operating model regarding internship processes for international students and immigrant clients

• An international expert gets to know the company in the region before anyone has to commit. Company visits offer international expert the opportunity to get to know companies in different industries and find out which of them would be suitable for future jobs and internships.

2 Operating model for entrepreneurship training and the entrepreneurship path for international students and other people with an international background

• By promoting and supporting entrepreneurship, the aim is to make South Ostrobothnia, known as an entrepreneurial province, the country’s leader in immigrant entrepreneurship as well.

3 Operating model for promoting the Finnish language, culture and integration

• At the heart of the operating model is peer mentoring, which develops the employee as a person and helps integrate into the community. Usually the mentor has gone through the same process. Finnish language study and mentoring are started before the person moves to Finland.

4 Operating model for training employer companies to receive international interns and employees

• Companies are offered support for meeting international experts already in the area and integrating them into the work community. By supporting employer companies, the threshold for hiring an international intern or employee is lowered. Let’s hold on to the talents we already have in our region!

5  Operating model for increasing support services, attractiveness and attraction 

• Digital marketing material is produced for companies to support international talent attraction, as well as compilations of public and private services and service providers. Versatile support and tools are available for successful talent recruitment.

6 Operating model of the regional recruitment process

• Tarkastellaan vastaanotto- ja asettautumisprosessin palvelupolkua erityisesti asettautumisen näkökulmasta. Turvataan tätä kautta alueen yritystoimintaa ja varmistetaan ulkomaisen työvoiman saatavuus ja pysyvyys. Tuloksena on pysyvämpää ja vahvempaa sitoutumista.
• Examination of the service path of the reception and settlement process, especially from the point of view of settlement. Through this, we will secure business activities in the region and ensure the availability and permanence of foreign labour. As a result, the commitment will be more permanent and stronger.

Tools and activities

• Get Hired! -events are intended for a larger audience (50–100 participants) and general information and experiences are shared at the events. In addition, the event has company stands and networking opportunities.
• Talent Boost Breakfast is an event where students and companies meet each other over breakfast. 2–3 company representatives and 10–20 students are always invited to the event. The Talent Boost Breakfast has a specific theme (e.g. technology sector, health care sector, summer jobs, geographical area). After the company presentations, time is reserved for personal discussions and networking.
• Company visits are low-threshold opportunities to get to know companies and international experts. Company visits are organised in small or large groups depending on the situation. Company visits also motivate companies in the region to invest in, for example, the development of the staff’s language and presentation skills.
• Finnish language study materials and peer mentoring offer the student the opportunity to start studying the language even before arriving in Finland and continue it here in cooperation with the educational institution, mentor and employer.
• Online entrepreneurship coaching in English offers good information about entrepreneurship in Finland at an early stage and gives an international expert the opportunity to decide whether the company is a viable option for him/her. You can participate in the training regardless of where you live, and Finnish language skills are not required at this stage.
• Materials, compilations and webinar recordings offer companies useful information (e.g. facts, success stories) in a suitable format at a suitable time.

Further information

Talent Boost Finland (Business Finland)

Talent Boost (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland)

Information for immigrants about studying at SeAMK

Contact us by sending an email to talentboost(a)seamk.fi