Strengthening the international Tampere Region: jobs for talents, talents for companies
8.5.2019
Talent Tampere activities are transferred from Business Tampere to the City of Tampere in the beginning of May 2019. They will be included in the City’s new set of services for international talent attraction and migration management. The aim is to improve the Region’s readiness to manage employment of immigrants and demand for international talents as well as the global attractiveness of the City of Tampere.
Tampere is serious about internationalisation: the City of Tampere Employment Services unit is creating an extensive new set of services for international talent attraction and migration management, unique on a national scale. The City is investing in international top-talent attraction, improving immigrant employment and opening the labour market globally.
According to Teppo Rantanen, Executive Director of economic policy, competitiveness and innovation, international talent attraction strengthens the vitality, appeal and retention of Tampere and the Tampere Region.
– Work is our source of vitality. To create more jobs, we need to attract more companies, and they will need more international talents, Rantanen summarizes.
Talent Tampere activities will be included in the new set of City’s internationalisation services. The employment aspect will be given more emphasis as many employment services will be linked to the set.
– It is great that we can advance extensive schemes of cooperation and use them to help both companies and talents. We are also building a wider scope that would allow us to offer centralised services for the entire region, says Mari Taverne, Head of Talent Attraction and Migration.
Who will be the clients of the new services? Immigrants looking for jobs, companies searching workforce and international expertise, international talents and students interested in working in the region…
One-stop shop activities
An international immigrants’ competence centre is set up in Tampere during the spring. The centre helps immigrants to find the most relevant services needed for employment. For example, continuing education, language training, City’s OMA-coaching or multi-lingual (16 languages) information and guidance services by Migration Info Centre Mainio.
– We aim to find everyone a fast and efficient track to work, outlines Taverne.
Tampere is also developing Talent Hub, the ecosystem for international expertise and immigration. It is focusing on models that help attract, integrate and retain top talents, and models to connect talents and businesses. For employers willing to hire, there will be uncomplicated services.
– We are developing services towards allowing companies easier access to international expertise and simpler recruiting processes. Information and guidance should be available from a one-stop shop system, Taverne says.
Collaboration with the universities is an important part of Talent Hub activities. There are circa 2000 international students in Tampere every year, which is a significant source of workforce and expertise for local companies. Talent Hub aims to facilitate connections between students and labour market to improve employment.
Business knowledge from Business Tampere
Competent workforce, including international talents, is a major attraction for companies in the Tampere Region. From the Business Tampere point of view, international talents are especially important in regard to invest-in activities and development of the local startup ecosystem.
International talent attraction for companies facing talent shortages continues in the future: Business Finland has already piloted international recruitment campaigns in cooperation with the largest Finnish cities and the EURES network. There is also a new Talent Explorer funding available for the costs of hiring an international expert.
– The concept of international talent attraction continues to strengthen in the region. Business Tampere is pleased to see that the City is investing in internationalisation and the services to support it, says Business Tampere CEO Harri Airaksinen.
– Business Tampere has a deep knowledge of the local companies. We will definitely cooperate with it when there is a specific need to attract top professionals and students to the region, Taverne says.
Tampere Ambassador network is working well and will be operated by the City on a regular basis. There will be a closer link between the network and the City’s international brand.
International Business Powered by Talents project is transferred from Business Tampere to the new set of services.
Groundwork during the spring
A huge amount of planning is needed to build a new, extensive set of services. In spring 2019, a strategy is created to define how the City of Tampere will work towards the objectives: international talent attraction, linking talents to labour market and providing immigrant employment services.
The work is not started from scratch, since international talent attraction has been in progress for a long time. There is a already a solid foundation for the City to improve its readiness to manage immigration and meet international labour needs.
– The time is just right to create the new set of services. The City has a strong mindset for internationalisation, and on the other hand, there is government and EU funding available to make these activities happen, says Taverne.
