During the autumn of 2023, efforts have been initiated to assess the language and cultural awareness of private-sector healthcare providers in the Satakunta region. Surveys to be conducted by the "Welcome to Work!" project will be directed towards both the project collaborators and participating healthcare students in SAMK (Satakunta University of Applied Sciences) and secondary education.
The surveys conducted in the project aim to gather information about respondents' experiences, perceptions, and attitudes regarding language and culture in their work and internships. For instance, the focus of one survey will include students' perspectives on internship opportunities and their experiences with support of cultural diversity and language in internships. In a separate survey, workplace representatives will be asked about their views on multilingualism, potential training needs, and the implementation of diversity in workplaces.
Tailored support for a diverse working life
The "Welcome to work!" project uses the survey responses to develop tailored training and support for diverse workplaces and internships for partner units. Where possible, piloting of the MUNDO training model will be continued and refined. Tools to support language awareness will include language agreements between students and internship supervisors, expressing language skill levels, and setting goals appropriate to the language skill level.
Similar surveys will be conducted again towards the end of the project in 2025 to assess the impact of the activities on the skills related to diverse work environments for both workplaces and students. Information derived from survey responses and project activities will be disseminated through various forums.
The project's main objective is to increase the recruitment of non-native speakers of Finnish in the private sector of social and health care in Satakunta. The goal is to increase linguistic and cultural awareness to make it easier for non-Finnish professionals to find employment in the future. Surveys to be conducted by the "Welcome to Work!" project will be directed towards the project collaborators and participating healthcare students. The project aims to make Satakunta a more attractive region for social and healthcare professionals.
Did you know?
- SAMK has 1,015 international students, of which one-third (339) are enrolled in the Nursing and Physiotherapy degree programs.
- There are over 80 nationalities represented on the campuses.
- SAMK was selected as the winner in the "International Employer of the Year" competition in the public organizations category.
- The "Welcome to Work!" project will collaborate with 20 partners from the private healthcare sector.