Find an international career opportunity in Finland

Are you looking for a job in Finland? Well, why not? This Northern European nation is on the path of economic growth and consequently, job opportunities are on the rise. This includes job opportunities for overseas workers.

 

According to a report by CEDEFOP, European Center for the Development of Vocational Training, employment growth in Finland is expected to be around 2.6 million in 2020.

 

The job opportunities will be in the technology, IT and healthcare sectors. Job opportunities will also exist in the automobile manufacturing and maritime sectors. But the cause for concern is that Finland does not have highly-skilled Finns to fill these positions. Reasons for this are the older generation of employees are ready to retire soon and the younger generation is not yet ready to take up the jobs that will become vacant.

 

According to reports, Finland will need around 50,000 technology workers by 2021, more than 10,000 new software developers in the next 4 years and more than 30,000 workers for the maritime and automobile manufacturing sectors.

 

The country is looking at hiring many foreign employees for these vacant positions to help continue the path to economic growth. The government is willing to make some concessions and relax their rules to encourage more foreigners to come and work here.

 

The IT sector is also facing a severe skills shortage and the Finnish government is encouraging IT specialists especially from India. The government is willing to give preferential treatment to Indian IT workers. In fact, 50% of the work permits issued in the past year were for Indians. The government has already started removing constraints and reducing requirements for foreign workers especially Indians. It has decided to:

 

Remove language requirements: Foreign employers no longer need to know Finnish to be able to work here. Finnish is a tough language to learn and this condition discouraged many foreign professionals to come to the country. But with the relaxation of this rule, Finland hopes overseas professionals will be willing to work in the country.

 

Reduce the visa processing time: The government plans to reduce the processing time for residence permits to 2 weeks. The processing time earlier was 52 days.

 

Help overseas workers and their families to settle down: Provide easy access to housing, daycare and schooling facilities to expats and their families.

 

Promote diversity in the workplace: The influx of foreign workers will promote greater diversity in the workplace and make it attractive for international talent and investors. This will promote a multicultural environment and encourage foreign workers to settle down here.

 

Why should you choose Finland?

 Apart from the job opportunities, there are other reasons to choose Finland:

• Finland offers a high quality of life. It has been ranked the “Happiest Country in the World” for the third year in a row
• Finnish residents enjoy access to universal healthcare and a successful public school system
• Working conditions in Finland are well regulated and employee well-being is vital to employers
• Finnish employers are usually flexible and working hours are limited to a maximum of 40 hours a week
• Around 80% of foreign employees feel Finland is a safe and secure place to work, they also agree that workplaces give them enough opportunities to develop their skills and talents

If you are thinking of moving to Finland based on the job opportunities available, you can make use of the job search services of Y-Axis. This service by Y-Axis helps professionals with knowledge of overseas job markets and the insights required work in Finland.