Integrating into working life requires more than just a job – The Vamos Career project built bridges between young people and employers

Many young people with immigrant backgrounds, whether newly arrived or born in Finland, are motivated and eager to build their career and future in Finland. Yet entering the Finnish labor market can feel overwhelming. Unfamiliar systems, language barriers, limited networks, and repeated rejections often create uncertainty and frustration. The Vamos Career Project was designed to address this reality, offering support not just for employment, but for restoring confidence, integrity, and a sense of belonging. 

What is Vamos Career?

Implemented by Deaconess Foundation’s Vamos Kuopio and Siilinjärvi and co-funded by the European Union, the project ran from May 2023 to December 2025. It focused mainly on immigrants but also local young people aged 16–35 facing challenges in accessing employment or education due to structural barriers like limited language skills or lack of professional networks. 

The project was designed with clear and impactful goals: to strengthen employability and career readiness among immigrant youth, and to increase their participation in education, training, and working life. Crucially, it aimed to provide individualized, needs-based support that recognized each participant’s strengths and aspirations, while also working to bridge the gap between employers and young jobseekers to promote inclusive and diverse workplaces. 

I truly appreciated Vamos’s helpful approach and encouraging environment. The project workers were very professional and supportive throughout the process.

Encounters, expertise, and opportunities

The Vamos Career Project utilized a holistic and flexible approach. The bedrock of our service was individual coaching, where each participant partnered with a coach to define personal strengths, career goals, and actionable next steps. To ensure comprehensive support, we integrated service guidance for quick referrals, preventing participants from navigating complex systems alone. 

Group coaching and activities played an equally important role. Thematic sessions explored Finnish working life, job search practices, and workplace culture, while integrated well-being activities supported social skills and mental health. Practical workshops covered essential areas, including digital skills, CV writing, and understanding Finnish working life. To strengthen real-world connections, the project organized workplace visits to local companies, offering participants crucial direct exposure and building confidence in approaching employers.  

The Career Talks and Connections Series consisted of online training available to everyone. These series were delivered in three sessions, each focusing on a different theme related to career development and working life in Finland. These trainings provided practical information, opportunities for participants to connect with professionals and peers, supporting learning, networking, and greater understanding of career pathways.  

Successful integration requires commitment from both sides. The project invested significantly in employer collaboration. This included providing training and support to supervisors on cultural diversity and inclusive recruitment. Furthermore, pre-recruitment activities were also organized to align expectations between employers and participants, ensuring smoother transitions into work. A key output is a practical handbook (in Finnish and English) offering clear guidance for jobseekers, employers, and shared recommendations for inclusive onboarding. 

When Opportunity Becomes Participation

By the end of the project, Vamos Career reached 177 participants representing over 30 different nationalities and collaborated with eight companies. The outcomes demonstrate meaningful progress: At the beginning, 103 participants were unemployed for less than a year, 10 participants for more than a year, 8 were employed. By the end of the project, unemployment dropped to 29 (none over a year), employment increased to 76, and the number of students rose from 48 to 69. 

Despite positive outcomes, the project identified structural challenges affecting labour market integration. Limited regional employment opportunities, alongside gaps in Finnish language and digital skills, continued to constrain sustainable employment, while employer cooperation and pre-recruitment processes require more systematic and early-stage engagement. These insights provide a clear foundation for strengthening future interventions and scaling impact. 

The Vamos Career Project showed that labor market integration is more than finding a job. It is about being seen, being supported, and being given a fair chance.

Obstacles cannot be overcome alone. Supporting young people, learning alongside them, and overcoming challenges as a community has been both humbling and inspiring for us. We are deeply grateful for the trust, partnerships, and lessons learned throughout this journey.