Project part-funded by the EU a success in Finland: More than 90 per cent of those made redundant by Broadcom found employment

The project undertaken by means of EGF support to promote the employment of people made redundant in Finland by the ICT company Broadcom has met its target. After the project was completed, 94 per cent of those who had been made redundant had found a job.

Broadcom Communications Finland closed down in autumn 2014, which led to the redundancy of 568 employees. The Oulu region was hit particularly hard. In the same year Finland made use of a grant from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for a project where services were provided to those who had been made redundant to help them find new employment.

The measures to support this included customised training and coaching. A total of 374 took advantage of the services offered. By June 2017, 94 per cent of the people who had been made redundant had found a job, two per cent were in education or training, and three per cent were still unemployed. Of those who participated in the measures 90 per cent had found employment.

– Without the support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund it would have been difficult to secure support for all those who needed it, but all the honours for finding employment should go to the people who had lost their jobs. With their world-class expertise they attracted new international companies to Oulu, bringing new jobs and positive vibrations to the region which still carries on, says Minister of Employment Jari Lindström.

One of the keys to the success of the project was the close collaboration between all those involved, including cooperation among different types of the employers across sectoral borders. ICT experts find demand on the labour market in a variety of fields.

Of the total funding of EUR 1.5 million the EU contributed 60 per cent and the State of Finland 40 per cent, in line with the EGF principles.

Finland applies for support for those made redundant in the trade sector

In mid-June 2017 Finland submitted an application to the European Commission concerning a grant of EUR 2.5 million to support the employment of people made redundant by Anttila and Stockmann. With a total funding of EUR 4.2 million, support would be provided to about 1,500 persons. The decision on the funding is expected to take about six months.

This is the first time when Finland applies for support for those made redundant in the retail sector.

The key rationale for the support stated by Finland includes the growing trend towards online trading and the long-term economic recession in Finland, reflected as lower purchasing power of consumers.

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund assists those made redundant due to globalisation and changes in world trade to find new jobs and acquire new skills. In cases of major redundancies, EGF support is granted for active employment policy measures, such as different forms of training, education, promotion of mobility, pay subsidies and start-up grants.

Read more about the fund at www.egr.fi/en   

Inquiries:
Tapani Kojonsaari, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 456 2547
Juha Halttunen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel. +358 50 574 0236
Eine Kela, Head of Unit, North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, tel. +358 400 461 191