MEAE launches preparation of sectoral roadmaps to ensure the availability of labour across Finland 

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is launching a project to ensure the availability of skilled labour in all sectors throughout Finland. Sectoral working groups will seek short- and long-term solutions to improve the match between job vacancies and unemployed job seekers. They will also take steps to identify ways of guaranteeing that the objectives set for labour migration can be met.

The working groups tasked with preparing the roadmaps seek ways of improving methods of collecting data on sector-specific and regional labour needs. They will also prepare foresight scenarios. The objective of the roadmaps is to give the central government a clear picture of labour supply and demand, and to propose concrete solutions to labour availability problems in the short and long term. 

“Shortage of skilled workforce is already an obstacle to growth and investment in many sectors across Finland. With the roadmaps we aim to identify solutions that will address the skilled labour needs in different sectors and thereby to safeguard business growth and a continued positive employment trend,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen, leader of the project steering group. 

Data gathered for the roadmap work will help to build foresight models on the sectoral skills demands across Finland, which in turn helps to identify and meet training and education needs. This makes it easier to form a clearer picture of the need for international recruitment and to identify the measures required to promote labour migration. 

Project to continue until the end of 2022 

The project to identify sectoral and regional workforce needs will be launched on 8 November 2021, when the steering group and sectoral working groups begin their work. The sectoral groups and the steering group work under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Skills, competence, and mobility are essential for ensuring labour market matching, which is why the Ministry of Education and Culture will be closely involved in the preparations.  

In addition to specialists from the ministries, steering group members include labour market and business representatives (Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, Confederation of Finnish Industries, Federation of Finnish Enterprises and Local Government and County Employers KT). The steering group will discuss the reports and proposals of the sectoral groups and make decisions on further action by the end of 2022. 

Giving a voice to employers and employees

Employers and employees play a crucial role in the preparation of sectoral roadmaps by ensuring that the roadmaps optimally cater to the needs of each sector.

“Those involved in the sector are naturally the best experts to say what their labour needs are. Some viewpoints have already been expressed on these themes. Preparing individual roadmaps for each sector will ensure employer engagement in the process and encourages genuine commitment on their part,” Minister Haatainen notes. 

Roadmaps will be prepared for nine sectors:

1. Natural resources, food production and the environment
2. Business and administration
3. Education, culture and communication
4. Transport and logistics
5. Accommodation, food and beverage, travel and tourism
6. Built environment
(7. Health, social and wellbeing services sector, sector group led by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in accordance with the decisions of the government budget session)
8. Technology industries and services
9. Process industry and production

Inquiries: 
Iiris Niinikoski, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel.  +358 295 047 372  (media inquiries)
Piritta Jokelainen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel.  +358 295 047 353  
Elina Pylkkänen, Under-Secretary of State, tel. +358 40 940 1950