integration programm

vincebel · Post by **vincebel** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:46 pm

hi all. maybe this topic has been discussed or explained already but i would like to know what is exactly the integration program in the unemployment agency.

Do they give you finnish lessons?
They help you finding a job?
They pay your holidays in Cancun?

thanks even if I know the answer for the last one

Vince

**Sponsor:**

mCowboy · Post by **mCowboy** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:49 pm

it starts by reading the stickies on this forum.

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:58 pm

Info on the integration programme on the unemployment office's website:

http://www.mol.fi/mol/en/04_migration/0 ... /index.jsp

As far as I have heard (myself not having been in the programme since was not eligible) is that it's basically a full-time Finnish course and in between there's some more or less useless using-a-computer and text editing software lessons or general cultural lessons and they agree on some kind of personal intergration programme and personal goals with you. But it's mainly about learning Finnish and I think people really learn it to a decent level on these courses.

vincebel · Post by **vincebel** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:03 pm

I heard (and I dont want to be call a lazy foreigner who wants money doing nothing) that you get some money as part of the unemployment policy.

I guess this is not a huge ammount of money. So is it better to find (try) a job without speaking finnish and earn more money or learn finnish and hope these lessons will help me find a job if my finnish skills improve?

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:15 pm

yes of course you get money as well as housing support (paying parts of your rent) if i'm not mistaken. Your existence should by and large be secured when your on this programme. I think it's the best idea to get on it, there might be a waiting time involved anyway, and nothing stops you from looking for a job while your on the programme of course, and should you find a really good one you can still drop out. They want to make you labour-market-fit, which is learning Finnish in the first place, but they'll be happy if you find a job without it of course. So i wouldnt approach this as an either/or decision, I think the smartest thing is to try to get in at any rate.

vincebel · Post by **vincebel** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:48 pm

ok thanks and do you know how much is the wage?

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:03 pm

15 Euros/day (Monday-Saturday)

vincebel · Post by **vincebel** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:28 pm

wooowwww its not a lot. is it in addition of the unemployment money or its all i get?

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:33 pm

When I got it whilst attending Finnish language courses about 5 years ago, the huge difference was that before I was entitled to unemployment benifit where my wife and I were assessed jointly, which resulted in the princely sum of about 20€/month. When I got integration allowance, I was entitled to the full unemployment benefit without means testing (about 500€/month).

vincebel · Post by **vincebel** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:39 pm

500 euros s not a lot neither even if its already very nice for a foreigner in Finland. I think I will try to find a job and learn finnish by myself-

Also I read on mol.fi that it lasts one year. I s it true? Do we have to do the whole year or we can stop whenever we want and put the finnish lessons stuff in the cv even if not finished?

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:42 pm

vincebel wrote:500 euros s not a lot neither even if its already very nice for a foreigner in Finland. I think I will try to find a job and learn finnish by myself-

Well yeah, the Finnish government are not trying to entice people

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:05 am

I'm curious how your job hunt will go if you decide to not do the course. My estimation is that by teaching yourself finnish at home, you won't get near job-level finnish (even for cleaning jobs) within the next year(s). If you find a job relevant to your degree, then maybe you won't need Finnish, but for everything else, you will. But probably biologists' jobs (iirc you are a biologist?) are easier to find close to the bigger cities..
I have an inkling that you badly underestimate the time it might take until you find a job that pays sufficiently, therefore it seems to me that you face a great risk of not being efficient/successful with either finding a job or making progress in Finnish. So the way I see it, you might as well go to a Finnish class if you have the chance while you're still looking for jobs, and the nice one about this one (the integration programme) is that instead of paying them, they pay you..!

I'm not quite sure why you insist to look at this job/course issue as an either-or question, instead of a first/next step issue. Why don't you try to get on the course until you've found a job? As I said, the programme is intended as "labour market training for immigrants", e.g. they want you to be able to find a job, that's why they teach you Finnish very intensively. If you find a job before the course is over, you surely won't be chained to the course, since Kela will be very happy to stop paying your rent and labour market subsidy!

I think there's another option, that you are the stay-at-home dad and your girlfriend takes up working, I think there's some Kela support for that too. She will most probably be able to find jobs easier and earn more money than you at this stage.

EDIT: Read the Kela pages, there's more info in the Finnish version, eg. that the daily allowance nowadays is about 23,91 euro a day and that you get 4,53 euro a day extra when you have a child. In addition, the money is not means tested if you're on a labour market training programme and that there's an increased accommodation allowance for those on courses. Best is to look at the Finnish KELA-sites (http://www.kela.fi), maybe your girlfriend can help you get the information out of it. Or you could go to the unemployment office and ask for advice from one of the international advisers there!!

vincebel · Post by **vincebel** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:09 pm

just to know what are the conditions to get into this programm?
do we have to get a kela card or be assimilated as a resident or to be a finnish citizen or to get the finnish id number?

thanks

Meri-Tuuli · Post by **Meri-Tuuli** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:52 pm

Boo hoo, I'm going to drop out of my studies, I would get more if I were on unemployment benefit! Don't worry, only joking..........

Still, it seems slightly strange you get more money being unemployed and on this programme, than you do being a student.

BTW, I think 500euros is quite alot for an unemployment benefit -- I manage to make do with alot less with my student benefit (around 200 euro after rent (inc bills) is taken care of, although I do get some ad hoc help from my mother but not much). So don't be sniffy about the unemployment benefit! Be grateful that there is some at all! How much would you get if you were back home (wherever that is)? I bet not as much.

Meri-Tuuli · Post by **Meri-Tuuli** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:55 pm

PS I echo Blaugrau's advice. I think your best bet (if you qualify) is to get on the training programme.

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