EUKN - Finland - Majakka-Beacon Project

Majakka-Beacon Project

Introduction

Resource-oriented case management and supported employment for immigrants.

Problem

The majority of immigrants have moved to Finland only during the past decade. This means that their integration process to the new country is still at its beginning. The unemployment rate of immigrants is manyfold when compared to native Finns; every third immigrant is unemployed. Reasons for unemployment range from noncorrespondence of vocational education, insufficient language skills and weak social networks to negative employer attitudes. Additionally, during 1990's the economic recession weakened employment opportunities.

Description

The main aim of the Beacon ('Majakka' in Finnish) project is to develop innovative ways to promote full social inclusion and empowerment of people whose employment and everyday coping is impeded by cultural and language barriers as well as health and social problems. This goal is reached by developing empowering rehabilitation and employment services modified according to the special needs of the target group.

Approach

The main activities of the Majakka-Beacon project are:

Employment and rehabilitation services
Information services
Training of employment specialists
Evaluation and dissemination

Majakka-Beacon is a development partnership of nine organizations:

The three cities involved - cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa - develop and carry out employment services.
The Vocational Adult Education Centre Amiedu designs and carries out language skills testing and work-specific language training.
Palmenia Centre for Research and Continuing Education (University of Helsinki) organizes training of employment specialists.
The three immigrant organizations involved - the Ingrian Centre, the Finnish Somali League and the Iran and Iraq Employment Association - design and carry out information campaigns to workplaces, employer networks and the immigrant communities. The Ingrian Centre also develops job lab activities.
Rehabilitation Foundation is the coordinating partner in the development partnership.

Target group

The services are intended for immigrants living in the Helsinki region who are in severe risk of social exclusion and are in need of special support.

Results

The monitoring and follow-up of the project focuses on the evaluation of working processes, outcomes and mechanisms. The evaluation also aims to reveal gaps in the supply and demand of employment and other services for immigrants. This part of the project focuses on describing alternative employment models for immigrants as well as good practices in planning and providing employment and rehabilitation services for immigrants who are in severe risk of social exclusion. In addition, information about the project, employment and rehabilitation opportunities are disseminated to employer networks and the immigrant community through Internet and newsletters.

EU involvement

ESR Equal

Contact info

Rehabilitation Foundation
Ms. Kristiina Härkäpää (Development Manager), tel. +358 9 5304 1747

Project start date

01/01/2001

Planned end date

31/12/2005

Links

Majakka-Beacon Project Rehabilitation Foundation (Kuntoutussäätiö)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Integration of social groups

Keywords

Ethnic minorities