Thread: Employment Office in Helsinki - Are they trained to evaluate skills of immigrants?

Have you ever visited the employment office in Helsinki (työvoimatoimisto)? Do you think they are trained to evaluate skills of immigrants? Or do they treat all immigrants in the same way?

Hello!

They just hate immigrants there, especially if you talk swedish,
and swedish is a official language here in Finland...

Hi!
What does it help you bashing the people who work at the Työvoimatoimisto? Why don't you try to cooperate somewhat - who else do you think is willing to help you to get a job?

Hi!

Sorry finnish people, but I visit the Tyo office every month, they are nice
but there is no any help to find a job, they have NO information in other
laguange than finnish and they dont know nothing about finnish courses...

They DONT care about people! I mean it!

Originally Posted by AA_Finn

Hi!
What does it help you bashing the people who work at the Työvoimatoimisto? Why don't you try to cooperate somewhat - who else do you think is willing to help you to get a job?

They don't try to get you a job. I guess you're a shining example of their success, eh? I'd love to know which office and when this was. Give us some details.

They don't work. They "work", and part of their job is to let you know that it's entirely your own fault that you're either A) unemployed and/or B) unemployable. No, they know nothing about any experience nor training outside of the Finnish system, and they have no value for it. No, they will never learn. It's a "job" and they are only interested in the paycheck.

For example, last summer, I got four months karenssi because I refused to apply for jobs as a cook. I am not a cook. I do pastry. They are not interchangeable. I had to pay back my support money; a third of a year's worth because they are idiots.

And don't look to the training they offer either. It's so insultingly stupid that I really do have to wonder about education in this country just broadly. Do you know that here you have to have a training course to stock shelves in the grocery stores? You have to have training to be a cashier? You need specific certification to do various sorts of cleaning? BUT if you want to sell clothes or anything of greater value, you need a degree in retail. You know, no matter how "unskilled" in our home countries the job may be classified, here it needs training.

Even with all their fine training, they still fail. Crash...and...burn.

Wrong, Finnish isn't the only language. They have ALL the information also in SWEDISH.

- Which of you has the language problem, the office or you?

Hi!

There was no language or personal problem, they speak english and
they are kind, but they just look at you like a number, nothing more,
maybe the system dont help anyone to find a job.
And there is just few information in swedish or english, and it is useless.
I used to go there to ask for training or finnish courses, but they never
offered any training to me, never, so I just give up.
And I never got money for the social system (Kela, etc.), and I never
ask for money, but every time I went there, they just talk about the
money and that they will cut the money if I dont come back!
Conclusions: It does not matter what you say, they dont listen...

I've had a generally positive experience with the Finnish job centre, but I think it depends on the ability of the person you deal with there.

It took them a few visits to realise that I needed to see someone trained to deal with immigrants, but that person has been helping me ever since (nearly two years now). She got me a "työharjoittelu" placement doing a variety of interesting jobs, which I enjoyed, and then since I began studying they have taken care of my benefits. She's friendly and competent, and speaks Finnish and English (Swedish too, I imagine). No complaints here!

How long are these placements? You think that they can offer you a job at some point?

Well, my placement was for four months, though it could have been as long as one year. I stopped because I had to do my army service. I was doing three jobs, all for the same employer, which was the town of Hyvinkää (I just realised this thread was about job centres in Helsinki, but never mind). One of the three was working in a café, and I know that many people who have done work training there have gone on to be "properly" employed there, or in other cafés. So it's definitely possible!