Vakavahva: Barriers to Employment for International Students in Early Childhood Education and Care
Duration of the project
Source of funding
Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Central Finland
Total funding
50 000 €
The aim of the Vakavahva project is to investigate why students with an international background specialising in early childhood education in their Bachelor of Social Services degree find it difficult to secure employment or internship placements in Finland. Additionally, the project aims to identify measures that would best support their employment in the field.
The aim of the Vakavahva project is to investigate why students with an international background specialising in early childhood education in their Bachelor of Social Services degree find it difficult to secure employment or internship placements in Finland. Additionally, the project aims to identify measures that would best support their employment in the field.
The outcome of the project will be a report and recommendations that provide a clear understanding and concrete solutions to support the employment of students graduating from international degree programs and other individuals with an immigrant background. The focus of the study is on the early childhood education job market, particularly in Southwest Finland.
The project activities are divided into two main parts:
1
Investigation of Employment Barriers: Data will be collected from daycare managers, early childhood education workers, and international students. Various methods will be used for datacollection, including group interviews, questionnaires, vignette-scenario work, learning diaries, and observations. The goal is to obtain a comprehensive picture of the employment challenges and the factors influencing them.
2
Recommendations for Action: Based on the investigation, recommendations will be formulated for early childhood education employers, higher education institutions providing early childhood education training, and international students. The recommendations will be presented in a co-development workshop where participants can provide feedback and influence the refinement of the recommendations.
Contact us
Partners
- City of Turku
- Rainbow Koto ry
Meet the research team
See all our projects
We carry out nearly 200 RDI projects annually together with working life and our international partner networks.