Vantaa will invest 1 million euros to help unemployed youth

COVID-19 has doubled the number of young, unemployed people

The sudden and unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 left many young people feeling afraid, lost, and confused. Many freshly graduated students watched as their dreams and aspirations suddenly vanished. As such, both high school and university graduates found themselves wondering, "What happens now?"

According to a press release by the Finnish City of Vantaa, statistics from last October indicate that the number of young, unemployed people has almost doubled compared to the previous year. This, of course, is a direct result of the pandemic.

A project for the youth

The City of Vantaa has now received funding for a one-million-euro project aimed at reversing and reducing the youth unemployment caused by the pandemic. Funding for this project has been provided by the Finnish Centre for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment (Uusimaa ELY Centre).

Thanks to this, young people under the age of 25 will be able to receive individual support to return to work or study. Each person will be offered the necessary tools they need to pursue their goals (for example, strengthening certain skills or enhancing motivation). The Director of Youth Services at Vantaa Hannu Rusama explained, “Our goal is that in two years, we will be able to support 400 young people by walking alongside them to employment or studies.”

10 people, including youth bystanders and employment coordinators, will be employed to work on this youth-centred project. According to the City of Vantaa, the employees will provide the young people with holistic support.

This means that rather than focusing on a certain aspect, the project will provide support that considers all aspects of one’s wellbeing (i.e physical, emotional, social, mental, etc.) Taking this further, the holistic approach will also take into account the importance of leisure time and “life management challenges”.

The Uusimaa ELY Centre will allocate EUR 750,000 towards this youth-centred project – this will cover 75% of its total cost. It must be noted that various other groups have also contributed to the project: namely, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), entrepreneurs from Vantaa, and one of the city’s major employers Fazer and Tikkurila.