Integration of foreign graduates into the Finnish workforce. What career obstacles do educated foreigners encounter and how to overcome them?

Abstract

Finland is an attractive destination for higher education and graduate employment opportunities. A great number of students from all over the world decide to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree from Finland and build their career in Finland. However, the statistics shows that the majority of graduates struggle to find an employment after graduation and leave the country looking for perspectives in other countries where their skills and experience seem to be more appreciated. The situation is unfavourable not only for educated foreigners, but also for Finland due to the brain drain problem when talented graduates use all the gained knowledge for the benefit of other countries. The aim of the study is to define why some educated foreigners succeed in their job search competition and start building their career in Finland while the others struggle to receive a chance to be invited for a job interview. The research question is “What career obstacles do educated foreigners encounter and how to overcome them?” The research was conducted through a qualitative study with the help of semi-structured interviews with two groups of educated foreigners (those having a master’s degree from a Finnish educational institution or being currently a master’s student) where the first group consisted of employed educated foreigners and the second group – unemployed educated foreigners. After analysing the data gained from the interviews and the theoretical material it became possible to define the main obstacles among international talents and suggest solutions intended to cause positive changes.