The municipal experiment turned three years old
Good lessons have also been learned for the future Northern Central Finland employment region
The Jyväskylä regional employment experiment turned three years old and it was celebrated yesterday, March 7.3.2024, XNUMX, with a joint breakfast among the people of the employment services of the city of Äänekoski. In Äänekoski, the municipal experiment has been successful in many respects.
In Äänekoski, employment services have been offered face-to-face, and it has been possible to do business at the town hall every day, even without an appointment.
- At Äänekoski, each customer's situation is always assessed personally and a service need assessment is made by listening to the customer. The customer knows his own situation best, and our personal coaches support him in finding a job or the right service, the responsible instructor Anna Lyytikäinen describes.
In Äänekoski, the activation rate has been one of the best in the entire municipal pilot area, and job seekers are satisfied with the service. Customer satisfaction is measured in the municipal experiment with a customer survey, in which Äänekoski has received praise.
The activation rate describes the number of jobseeker-customers in training and other services. The percentage of the activation rate is calculated from the sum of unemployed jobseekers and jobseekers covered by services. In January, Äänekoski's activation rate was 35,7%.
- We support and advise our customers in their job search and employment, serving each one individually, Lyytikäinen says.
- If there are delays in the customer's employment, we direct them to a suitable service that promotes employment in the future. In this way, the customer can develop, learn new things, supplement his skills and thus improve his job search capabilities.
From the beginning of 2025, jobseeker and employer services will be transferred from the state to the municipalities. The purpose of the reform is to support the municipalities' own vitality task and speed up employment.
- We can now take good practices from the municipal trial years for the future employment area. Participating in the municipal experiment is definitely beneficial also when Äänekoski starts piloting the common employment area of 13 municipalities in Northern Central Finland, Lyytikäinen is happy.
From the beginning of 2025, experts from TE offices will move to the ranks of employment services. Also in Äänekoski, preparations are being made to receive the personnel of the Central Finland TE office. For example, the renovation of the 1st floor of the Äänekoski town hall is currently being planned in order to provide everyone with good workplaces.
- We get more professionalism and know-how in the house. When the forces of TE services and municipal examination boards are combined, we can serve customers and employers even better. We welcome new employees and customers from the TE office with pleasure, says Lyytikäinen.
A new workforce has been obtained from Ukrainians
In the Äänekoski municipal experiment, the activation rate of people with a foreign background has also been high. Foreign job seekers are offered e.g. integration services, recruitment events and CV workshops. In addition, those who fled the war in Ukraine are offered employment services without an appointment, and one personal trainer works in Russian.
One of the most important tasks of the municipal experiment is to meet all job seekers and employers. Most recently, Äänekoski's employment services organized a small-scale recruitment meeting for 13 Ukrainian health professionals (doctors, physiotherapists and nurses) between the welfare area and health sector companies.
In the meeting, the employers were asked whether they could offer work, work trial or apprenticeship positions to Ukrainians before they learn the Finnish language and get permission from Valvira to practice their profession in Finland.
- Äänekoski now has highly educated healthcare professionals from Ukraine available as employees. They are currently studying Finnish and their motivation to work is excellent. Some of them already have a good level of Finnish and are able to cope with everyday conversations, says Lyytikäinen.
- I hope that employers see the potential in Ukrainians and would take them on a work trial so that they could show their skills to employers.
For more information:
Responsible instructor
Anna Lyytikäinen
040 832 1172
anna.lyytikainen@aanekoski.fi
News published, modified 8.3.2024 at 12:28
