In Oulu there are over 1 700 unemployed persons under the age of 25. At the same time, the city of Oulu offers temporary work training opportunities for young people aged 17–24.
At present, approximately 100 positions are open such as jobs caring for the elderly, cleaning, working as teaching assistants or bustling about with children at the city’s day care centers.
“Some positions might be open long term. Some are more limited in scope,” says Satu Mäki, who is in charge of recruiting trainees for the city.
The positions are filled as quickly as suitable trainees are found, and any unemployed job seeker living in Oulu can apply so long as they fit the age criteria. No education or working experience is required and during the training the trainees are entitled to the full government income security benefits. So why aren’t youngsters jumping at the chance to work for the city? Aren’t the offered positions good enough?
For starters, location matters. Training positions in the city center are more desirable than those positions further afield on the outskirts of town. But the nature of the work itself also seems to be a deciding factor. Cleaning jobs, for instance, don’t seem to interest anybody.
“But then again there are also those who find it difficult to thrive in a social environment and are better suited to independent work such as the cleaning positions,” says Harri Haastola, who provides guidance to prospective recruits.
The cleaning positions and positions caring for the elderly tend to be filled by young immigrants. “This is clearly an example of cultural differences and the fact that in their home countries respect for family and the elderly is on a different level than here.”
The training positions in the fields of culture and physical exercise tend to fill the fastest, as do the outdoor jobs with Oulu Technical Public Utilities.
The school and day care center places are also highly sought after, but then again they represent most of the open positions: to date there are over 70 openings.
