Employment model for people with partial ability on cards

The government has taken an initiative to develop a model for employing people with partial work ability.

The employment ministry has tasked Finnish Customs Director-General Hannu Mäkinen with developing the model, including defining its content, its operation and organising funding, said the ministry in a press release on Tuesday.

The initiative was taken to improve the job opportunities of people with partial work-ability and other persons who are in a difficult position to find employment.

Earlier, in the autumn budget session, the government decided on actions to build a Finnish model for employment in the intermediate labour market.

The model to be developed will be based on the good experiences from Sweden’s Samhall Company and the results of the Finnish job bank’s experiment.

“We should be able to make even better use of the skills and expertise of all people in the labour market. The aim of the work that is now getting started is to construct a concrete operating model that will facilitate the employment of people with partial work-ability,” said Employment Minister Tuula Haatainen.

The purpose of the model is to increase employment opportunities where the person is in an employment relationship with an intermediate labour market actor.

Along with the improved employment opportunities, a certain percentage of the employees would move to the service of other employers.

The model would also include the training and other support needed for the transition to the open labour market.

Hannu Mäkinen will be assisted by a secretariat and he will engage in close cooperation with different ministries and relevant stakeholders.

The work on the model is to be completed by 31 January 2021.