Software Finland, the umbrella organization for the software industry, has proposed workforce training programs for 2,000 unemployed individuals in the IT sector and 4,000 women participating in the "Mimmit koodaa" program. "Providing workforce training to these 6,000 individuals would bring Finland substantial benefits in the billion-dollar range. We can make this promise because the employment rate after such training has been as high as 90%," emphasized Rasmus Roiha, CEO of Software Finland.
"We are pleased that the informal feedback we received from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment encourages us to make this proposal," Roiha added.
A central goal of the Finnish government is to create 100,000 new jobs. The software industry is already a significant employer and an increasingly important export sector. However, a recent study reveals an opportunity to generate exceptional value for both society and industry.
"The software industry already employs 64,000 people in Finland, and we have a long-standing shortage of skilled workers. That's why we got excited when research confirmed that workforce training for unemployed IT professionals was highly effective. We realized that we need a lot more training quickly," emphasized Rasmus Roiha, CEO of the industry's umbrella organization, Software Finland.
The valuable discovery about the effectiveness of workforce training was made by Lingonberry Island, under the leadership of Petri Niiranen, as part of a broader study on career prospects in the field.
"Of the unemployed in the IT sector who received training, 226 out of 442 were employed within three months, which is over 50%. This very promising finding from Statistics Finland data inspired us to dig deeper," Niiranen explained.
The jackpot was found within Software Finland's own territory: Sarasen has already conducted training for participants in the "Mimmit koodaa" program, led by the organization itself. The results of this examination were astonishing.
"An astounding 90% of women trained through the 'Mimmit koodaa' program found employment. The result is so remarkable that we felt compelled to act in the best interest of society as a whole," Roiha described.
Interest at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (TEM)
Under Roiha's leadership, Software Finland decided to refine its insights into a concrete proposal. In the entire IT sector (64,000 coders and 21,000 other IT professionals), there are 4,000 unemployed individuals, and in addition to that, 4,000 women within the "Mimmit koodaa" program who wish to quickly enter the field. Software Finland's leadership of the "Mimmit koodaa" program involves a total of 10,000 women.
"The starting point is that, with TEM's support, we could provide training for half of the unemployed and all the women in the 'Mimmit koodaa' program who are actively interested in the field. Workforce training for these 6,000 Finns aspiring to work in the IT sector would bring Finland benefits in the billion-dollar range. We can promise this because the employment rate after such training has been as high as 90%. It cannot be stressed enough: this is precisely what the government is striving for, and according to the evidence, billion-dollar benefits are in store," Roiha emphasized.
Roiha has engaged in constructive discussions with the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on this matter.
"We are pleased that the informal feedback we received from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment encourages us to make this proposal. In TEM's view, the value of such training is well understood, although any potential decisions are still to come. Every job is valuable, and jobs created in our industry, in particular, support the digitization of society as a whole and significantly improve our overall productivity," Roiha described.
Reliable Results and Billion-Dollar Potential
Janne Lindfors, CEO of Sarasen Consulting Ltd., is very pleased that Sarasen's work is bearing fruit for the benefit of society as a whole.
"The results speak for themselves. We recently reviewed the situation of the 'Mimmit koodaa' program, which ended this spring. An impressive 90.9% of participants are now working in various software industry expert positions. It's an honor for us that the results of our collaboration with labor authorities could now possibly serve Finland more broadly," Lindfors explained.
Niiranen's Lingonberry Island calculations verify the proposal's potential for creating several billion euros in benefits.
"Based on Statistics Finland data alone, the positive economic impact of over 200 people employed annually is already 10 million euros. Training the proposed 6,000 individuals would generate benefits in the billions over this decade. Our observation could thus lead to much good for all of Finland," Niiranen rejoiced.
The proposal will be further developed and refined in collaboration with TEM and the government as needed.
You can find the research here.
HT
