The most important thing EK learnt from having an international student trainee was that the language barrier is not as difficult to overcome as companies think. EK's Mikko Vieltojärvi says international students bring fresh ideas and should be hired in Finland. For Anna Bogdan, EK's traineeship was very valuable.
To remain competitive, Finland needs to attract and retain the best international talent to its workforce. The University of Helsinki is educating the brightest young minds from around the world, however many international students struggle to find work in Finland after graduation.
To combat this challenge, students are able to take part in traineeships alongside their studies. However, despite the opportunity for organisations to receive a 1 800e subsidy per trainee, even securing a traineeship can be a challenge for international students.
Anna Bogdan, however, is one of the lucky ones. After moving to Finland in 2019 to complete a Master's in Global Politics and Communications, Anna started a three-month traineeship with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK- Elinkeinoelämän keskusliitto) in May 2021. Her story and the challenges she faced in finding work in Finland are typical of many of our international students.
