Recruiting for the Future: How Can Finland Overcome the Inherent Drawbacks of Its Current Model?

Article

January 6, 2026

Recruiting for the Future: How Can Finland Overcome the Inherent Drawbacks of Its Current Model?

By Nguyen Lam, RAB Co-Founder

Finland is facing a structural labor shortage that necessitates a steady influx of international talent — a demographic shift that is now irreversible. However, this necessity is met with growing domestic concern regarding immigration trends. This apprehension is fueled by a recent uptick in unemployment and media reports highlighting the deceptive practices of some international student recruitment agencies, both of which have cast a shadow over the country’s integration efforts.

To navigate these challenges, transformative change is required across both the education sector and broader policy frameworks. This article examines Finland’s current strategies for attracting international students and explores the inherent drawbacks of these methods within the context of Finland’s urgent need for a sustainable workforce (specifically from the perspective of an education agency).

Current Initiatives

Finland actively seeks to attract adult learners from other countries for vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies. The long-term goal is to integrate these individuals into the domestic labor force.

University Studies

Historically, several key policies have facilitated this: the pre-2017 tuition-free period, robust scholarship programs, education export initiatives, and flexible part-time work regulations (now up to 30 hours per week). Additionally, post-graduation job-seeking permits and the transition from temporary to continuous residence permits for degree students have had positive impacts. Many international graduates have successfully integrated, contributing as taxpayers and eventually becoming Finnish citizens.

However, for those who choose to stay, the reality is often more arduous than the policy suggests. Taking Vietnam as an example, many students who arrived in the 2000s focused on Business or Information Technology. While some reached high levels of success, a significant number faced a “glass ceiling.” Many were forced to pivot to vocational roles or different professional fields because they could not compete with local applicants. The primary obstacles cited are the formidable Finnish language barrier and the subtle cultural nuances of Finnish professional organizations.

Another challenge – a concerning paradox exists in sectors with critical labor shortages, such as healthcare. Despite the demand, enrollment strategies at national level remain somewhat unclear, for example entry barriers have traditionally been a challenge for international applicants. Furthermore, recent media coverage of budget cuts and the Hyvinvointialue reforms has painted a discouraging picture. This negative sentiment risks deterring prospective talent, potentially leaving Finland with a workforce deficit that will take decades to rectify.

Meanwhile, a significant hurdle remains: international students often lack the high-quality, transparent information necessary to make informed career decisions. While the path is clear for those who only wish to obtain a degree and return home, it remains “vague” for those intending to stay. Many students continue to apply for over-saturated or highly competitive fields, unaware of the specific labor demands or the differences between academic (University) and applied (UAS) study tracks. Without better guidance, the gap between student aspirations and Finnish labor market needs will continue to widen.

With the upcoming legislative change on permanent residence permit – taking effect on January 8, 2026 [1], the situation is becoming even more unreasonable. More international candidates will favor academic programs at research universities than before. If I were in these students’ shoes, I would start worrying about my actual career prospects upon graduation.

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Following the 2022 legislative reforms, there has been a significant scaling up of international student recruitment for Finland’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. This shift represents a strategic response to the nation’s critical shortage of skilled labor. Finnish vocational schools — known for their pragmatic curricula and high degree of flexibility — have proactively collaborated with recruitment agencies in developing countries. These efforts have yielded impressive results: applications from the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal, and India have surged, alongside a corresponding rise in granted residence permits. On the surface, the value proposition is ideal: students receive world-class professional training and Finnish language instruction, paving a clear path toward employment and social integration.

The VET recruitment channel aligns naturally with the demands of the Finnish labor market. While a comprehensive, long-term assessment of employment rates for international graduates is still pending, preliminary data is encouraging. According to the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC), VET students benefit significantly from early integration into the workforce through on-the-job learning [2]. Our own observations from 2023 to 2026 support this, showing relatively high employment rates, particularly in roles directly related to students’ fields of specialization.

However, a few limitations of this model have emerged. As reported by the Finnish press [3], some recruitment agencies have provided biased information about Finland to students. Many agencies even promised that students would quickly find part-time jobs, definitely secure employment, receive state assistance, and so on. The reality shows that providing false information to “close the deal” is very common, not only at the VET level but can happen everywhere, especially when recruitment agencies operate solely based on profit and KPIs.

In our experience, the reality can be further complex. Right from the start, in addition to providing overly optimistic information about Finland, the recruitment agencies in question may have been lax in student selection. Studying for a VET qualification is different from being a worker; it requires a certain initial investment, and careful student selection is important. Students with insufficient financial capacity, unsuitable motivation for studying, or inadequate language proficiency need to understand that they must prepare better. Not to mention the possibility of students exploiting an “easy entry program” to achieve their goal of coming to Finland at any cost.

Recommendations

How can the Finnish education system ensure the harmonious and responsible development of its international workforce? To address the current systemic gaps, we propose the following points:

Transparent and Consistent Labor Market Communication. Finland must become more precise and consistent in communicating its specific labor needs. This would enable educational institutions to align their recruitment focus with national priorities. Following the example of countries like Australia, Finland should maintain and publicize “Priority Migration Skilled Occupation Lists” categorized by short, medium, and long-term demand. Establishing these lists as a matter of national policy — rather than just departmental guidance — would ensure a stable, long-term vision that remains resilient against short-term economic fluctuations or negative media cycles.

Categorization of Training Programs. A distinction should be made between General Academic Programs and Strategic Integration Programs (specifically designed for labor attraction). Integration Programs: Fields like Nursing or Social Care, which are in critical demand, would be classified here. These programs would include enhanced language support and direct pathways to employment. General Programs: Fields like Information Technology or Business, while popular, may be categorized differently due to higher market competition and different integration needs. This categorization should span vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels. Most importantly, prospective students must be made aware of these distinctions during the application process to align their expectations with the reality of the Finnish labor market.

Rigorous Vetting of International Recruitment Partners. From the perspective of a recruitment professional, we find the education consulting market in many countries quite chaotic. People are willing to “trample” on business ethics principles to snatch students. Meanwhile, not every school in Finland has experience in selecting partners; and in reality, schools do not have many choices because reputable recruitment businesses in other countries are not necessarily interested in promoting Finland as a study destination.

Finland’s educational institutions also needs to be more creative and learn from other countries to build recruitment models with stronger ties to the needs of local companies. This will be a pragmatic direction, but it will usher Finland into a new phase with even more challenges.

1 - Ministry of Interior

2 - FINEEC's evaluation

3 - YLE MOT

Share the Post: