Finland’s Minister of Employment, Arto Satonen, will lead a delegation of stakeholders, to visit Manila from January 16 to 18, 2025 to strengthen ties between Finland and the Philippines. The visit will explore avenues for deeper cooperation and highlight career opportunities available in Finland for Filipino talents in sectors such as technology, industry, and healthcare. With a growing demand for skilled employees leading to more Finnish employers seeking professionals from abroad, Finland is positioning itself as a reliable partner in international recruitment, offering a high quality of life and diverse career opportunities.
This year holds special significance as Finland and the Philippines celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations. The longstanding Finnish-Filipino partnership continues to grow, bolstered by an expanding Filipino community in Finland. “Finland wants to enhance cooperation between our nations to help businesses and international experts connect. We are committed to supporting employers and experts to ensure they have favorable conditions for successful recruitment. Upholding ethical standards and smooth recruitment processes remain our top priorities,” Minister Satonen states.
The partnership between the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) of the Philippines and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE) of Finland was recently strengthened through the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) this morning which highlights both countries’ commitment to ensuring Filipino skilled workers’ safe and ethical deployment.
Accompanying Minister Satonen is a diverse delegation of stakeholders from cities, businesses, educational institutions, and labor market organizations. Among them is Juhana Vartiainen, the Mayor of the City of Helsinki. Helsinki is the fast-growing capital of Finland, in which the number of international professionals working in various fields and organizations is constantly increasing. “As a city, we welcome newcomers and offer a comprehensive range of information and public services to assist with settling into a new country. The city of Helsinki is a large employer in Finland, and we actively seek talented workforce from abroad, particularly in our healthcare sector. With our ethical recruitment principles, we ensure a transparent and fair recruitment process. Helsinki provides exciting opportunities for all and fosters an excellent work-life balance, “says Juhana Vartiainen.
Laura Lindeman, the director of the Work in Finland unit at Business Finland, expressed optimism about attracting more Filipino talents to Finland. “Finland is an equal society with exceptional work-life balance. Our high-quality companies offer vast opportunities for professional development and education,” Lindeman states. She encourages Filipino talents to explore working and living conditions in Finland through the national website, www.workinfinland.com.
About Business Finland
Business Finland is an organization for financing innovation and promoting trade, travel, and investment. Business Finland’s 760+ experts work in more than 40 offices around the world and 16 regional offices in Finland. www.businessfinland.com Work in Finland unit attracts talent and startup founders to Finland and helps companies recruit international professionals. www.workinfinland.com
Laura Lindeman works as Senior Director and Head of Work in Finland Unit in Business Finland. Work in Finland unit aims to attract experts and international startup companies to Finland and channel the expertise of international talents to boost growth, innovations and internationalization of companies.