Hello all - me and my husband will be finishing with our schooling next year and we are considering what we will do afterwards. I will be obtaining my master's degree in wildlife biology (I study caribou and reindeer specifically), and my husband is currently in a union apprenticeship for construction. If it happens that I am able to find some sort of position in Finland, we would only be able to relocate there if my husband was able to find work as well. Thus, my questions:
1. How difficult is it to find work as a construction worker in Finland?
2. Would training completed in an American construction union translate equally to a Finnish union?
3. What is it like to work for a union in Finland? I.e., are workers treated respectfully? Are they expected to provide their own tools? Etc...
4. Granted, he would need to learn Finnish, but how difficult would it be to find a position at first speaking primarily English?
Thank you for taking the time to read and answer this!
Working in construction in Finland
Re: Working in construction in Finland
Quite difficult. Much of the construction work is outsourced to intermediates which recruit in Estonia. (lower wages, tax benefits)lvansomeren wrote:Hello all - me and my husband will be finishing with our schooling next year and we are considering what we will do afterwards. I will be obtaining my master's degree in wildlife biology (I study caribou and reindeer specifically), and my husband is currently in a union apprenticeship for construction. If it happens that I am able to find some sort of position in Finland, we would only be able to relocate there if my husband was able to find work as well. Thus, my questions:
1. How difficult is it to find work as a construction worker in Finland?
Unions don't train people they only represent them in negotiations. The school/training system probably don't match.2. Would training completed in an American construction union translate equally to a Finnish union?
Unions don't employ construction workers, private companies do. But everybody is treated with respect and the tools are mostly company owned.3. What is it like to work for a union in Finland? I.e., are workers treated respectfully? Are they expected to provide their own tools? Etc...
Since your field is reindeer you're probably looking to locate to Lapland. There the job situation is really bad. So his chances without Finnish language skills will be close to zero.4. Granted, he would need to learn Finnish, but how difficult would it be to find a position at first speaking primarily English?
Re: Working in construction in Finland
I heard Estonia government is demanding Finnish wage conditions in Finland, for Estonians, that is.. Won't that change things considerably..?
I would like to know what, if any ,trades ARE in demand there..?
What about training courses ect.. I can find information on uni degrees, but nothing much about vocational schools or even if foreigners can attend them... Anyone know about this..? ( The relevant official vocational training websites I found are not exactly brimming with information for foreigners, not in English anyway..)
( I am talking here about starting from scratch or apprenticeship ect, not visiting short term.. )
As a non EU native English speaker, who has a degree, I am wondering if it's even possible to immigrate there...? ( whatever I do...) ( don't suppose fluent Japanese helps..? No, huh...? Sigh...)
I have looked around a bit, but don't see many jobs except computer ones for English only speakers, and I don't have computer skills like these.. ( basic user maybe..) anyone know of anything simpler that ll get a work visa for a native Englih speaker..?
I am willing to work, if allowed to, and study or train ect, and learn Finnish too, but will I be able to stay permanently in the end or not....?.! ....... ( ....If not, then I'd be just wasting precious time, and money, I think...)
( I hear horror stories that Scandinavians use language as excuse to keep foreigners out of their job market..Even if they have residency...! That isn't the deal there too, is it..? Finland is different, right ..? Considering you guys also want us to learn Swedish..? ( seriously..? THEY all speak perfect english, anyway..!!) its a scary idea... Which seems useless, even if you DO speak it perfectly in S/ N/ Denmark, as a foreigner... )
( ps having a bilingual internal policy is one thing, but as a condition of immigration, it looks and smells like a barrier we are meant to fail a, literally, doubly so... IS it...? ) in effect this is true in S/N/D, it seems( vis a vie language requirements for Swedish..) .. ( which is vicious and cruel, I think.. Surely Finns are more sincere, right..?! ..... I hope so.. )
Is there a point system type immigration system, ( i cant find such on immigration site, yet..) or is learning Finnish ect just one huge gamble that won't get one anywhere in the end..? ( no offence guys but it's not exactly a world language of choice, is it.?. It d be worth it for a new permanent home country, but not a general career move, otherwise..all I'm saying..)
( Having daily experience with being second class ( non) citizen due to prejudice here in Japan, I'd rather not repeat such an experience there.. Is Finland any of the following, by the way, for reference.. 1 racist 2 bigoted nationalist ( think tyranny of the majority..) 3 sexist 4 ageist..? Any one know..? I gotta live with all 4 here in Japan.. Hence the question.. Also are foreigners exploited and denied citizenship by extreme barriers there..? ..no, seriously.. Are they..? Especially the barriers part.. I just dream of being able to vote one day again, which is dumb, I know...)
Anyone have any thoughts or advice about these topics..?
Also, any idea what the skills shortages are, there, except medical staff..especially in lower level skills areas..? ( I mean like trades, not that it's "lower" just not uni degree stuff, and might be simple to be employed for, as a fresh start...)
Thanks...
Scott
Ps, I saw Finland has around 10 percent unemployed.. I wonder what that means... That is, does this reflect a hard situation, in job market or is it some other factors..?
..... Why the skills shortages, if Finns can get such nice ( fantastic..?) education..? I don't get it.. I'd be on my second doctorate by now if I were you guys, or something more practical maybe.. ( even if I gotta sweep floors to do it... Lol..)
Well, thanks, bye for now..
I would like to know what, if any ,trades ARE in demand there..?
What about training courses ect.. I can find information on uni degrees, but nothing much about vocational schools or even if foreigners can attend them... Anyone know about this..? ( The relevant official vocational training websites I found are not exactly brimming with information for foreigners, not in English anyway..)
( I am talking here about starting from scratch or apprenticeship ect, not visiting short term.. )
As a non EU native English speaker, who has a degree, I am wondering if it's even possible to immigrate there...? ( whatever I do...) ( don't suppose fluent Japanese helps..? No, huh...? Sigh...)
I have looked around a bit, but don't see many jobs except computer ones for English only speakers, and I don't have computer skills like these.. ( basic user maybe..) anyone know of anything simpler that ll get a work visa for a native Englih speaker..?
I am willing to work, if allowed to, and study or train ect, and learn Finnish too, but will I be able to stay permanently in the end or not....?.! ....... ( ....If not, then I'd be just wasting precious time, and money, I think...)
( I hear horror stories that Scandinavians use language as excuse to keep foreigners out of their job market..Even if they have residency...! That isn't the deal there too, is it..? Finland is different, right ..? Considering you guys also want us to learn Swedish..? ( seriously..? THEY all speak perfect english, anyway..!!) its a scary idea... Which seems useless, even if you DO speak it perfectly in S/ N/ Denmark, as a foreigner... )
( ps having a bilingual internal policy is one thing, but as a condition of immigration, it looks and smells like a barrier we are meant to fail a, literally, doubly so... IS it...? ) in effect this is true in S/N/D, it seems( vis a vie language requirements for Swedish..) .. ( which is vicious and cruel, I think.. Surely Finns are more sincere, right..?! ..... I hope so.. )
Is there a point system type immigration system, ( i cant find such on immigration site, yet..) or is learning Finnish ect just one huge gamble that won't get one anywhere in the end..? ( no offence guys but it's not exactly a world language of choice, is it.?. It d be worth it for a new permanent home country, but not a general career move, otherwise..all I'm saying..)
( Having daily experience with being second class ( non) citizen due to prejudice here in Japan, I'd rather not repeat such an experience there.. Is Finland any of the following, by the way, for reference.. 1 racist 2 bigoted nationalist ( think tyranny of the majority..) 3 sexist 4 ageist..? Any one know..? I gotta live with all 4 here in Japan.. Hence the question.. Also are foreigners exploited and denied citizenship by extreme barriers there..? ..no, seriously.. Are they..? Especially the barriers part.. I just dream of being able to vote one day again, which is dumb, I know...)
Anyone have any thoughts or advice about these topics..?
Also, any idea what the skills shortages are, there, except medical staff..especially in lower level skills areas..? ( I mean like trades, not that it's "lower" just not uni degree stuff, and might be simple to be employed for, as a fresh start...)
Thanks...
Scott
Ps, I saw Finland has around 10 percent unemployed.. I wonder what that means... That is, does this reflect a hard situation, in job market or is it some other factors..?
..... Why the skills shortages, if Finns can get such nice ( fantastic..?) education..? I don't get it.. I'd be on my second doctorate by now if I were you guys, or something more practical maybe.. ( even if I gotta sweep floors to do it... Lol..)
Well, thanks, bye for now..
Re: Working in construction in Finland
Simple job require Finnish most of the time. Also as non-EU it might be difficult to get a residence permit for an unskilled job.I have looked around a bit, but don't see many jobs except computer ones for English only speakers, and I don't have computer skills like these.. ( basic user maybe..) anyone know of anything simpler that ll get a work visa for a native Englih speaker..?
Finland is probably in the masterclass for frustrating job seeking foreigners.I hear horror stories that Scandinavians use language as excuse to keep foreigners out of their job market..Even if they have residency...! That isn't the deal there too, is it..? Finland is different, right ..?
1- yes but not openly, 2- depends on the situation, 3- no, 4- no.Is Finland any of the following, by the way, for reference.. 1 racist 2 bigoted nationalist ( think tyranny of the majority..) 3 sexist 4 ageist..?
Connections are very important. On your own you're a nobody.
Only barriers are time and a good command of the language.denied citizenship by extreme barriers there..?
Read this forum.Anyone have any thoughts or advice about these topics..?
It's the job market. It is even worse since the definition of unemployed is very narrow.That is, does this reflect a hard situation, in job market or is it some other factors..?