A Step Closer to Working Life in Finland
Hygienepassport.fi organized a test for Ukrainian students
Moving to a new country often means learning a new language, culture, and working life all at the same time. The "Minusta osaaja" project, carried out by the educational institution Careeria, has been a training program funded by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE). Its goal has been to support the employment of Ukrainians who have moved to Finland. Careeria wanted to ensure that participants could take a concrete step toward the Finnish labor market. One such step in the food service sector is obtaining the hygiene passport, which is why Careeria brought the hygiene passport test to its own facilities in Vantaa.
We interviewed Careeria’s training coordinator, Mia Niinikoski, to learn more about the project and the experience of organizing a translated hygiene passport test in cooperation with Hygienepassport.fi.
What is the "Minusta osaaja" project, and who is it for?
The goal of the project is to help Ukrainians who have moved to Finland find their path into Finnish working life. The project is carried out by Careeria and funded by SECLE.
In simple terms, the ultimate goal of the training is employment. The project focuses on three sectors: retail, cleaning services, and food service. Some participants may already have previous work experience in these fields in their home country, in which case they often wish to continue on a familiar career path. For those without such a background, the training introduces different options so that everyone can find the most suitable direction for themselves.
The training presents different occupational tasks and practices the working life skills needed in Finland. These include, for example, the hygiene passport and the alcohol serving license, both of which are particularly important in the food service sector and therefore part of the training.
What skills and competencies have been especially important to strengthen so participants could enter the food service sector smoothly?
The aim of the training is to give participants the abilities to function in Finnish working life. One of the biggest challenges at the beginning is insufficient language skills. For this reason, Finnish language learning runs throughout the training, and interpreters are also used when needed to ensure mutual understanding.
In addition to language, the training strengthens participants’ readiness to function in Finnish working life so that employment in the sector will be as smooth as possible. The training emphasizes especially customer service, digital skills for working life, occupational safety and well-being, ergonomics, and environmental responsibility.
What made you decide to order a private Ukrainian-language hygiene passport test from Hygienepassport.fi?
In our institution, we have a teacher responsible for teaching the basics of food hygiene. She tipped us off that Hygienepassport.fi also offers hygiene passport tests in Ukrainian. Since many students’ Finnish skills are not yet sufficient to take the test in Finnish, the Ukrainian-language test has been an excellent alternative for them.
How would you evaluate your experience with Hygienepassport.fi?
Although I was not personally present at the test event, based on the feedback I received everything went very well. The test instructor arrived as agreed, the arrangements ran smoothly, and communication as well as the ordering process by email have been seamless. We are pleased!
Careeria is a multidisciplinary vocational education provider for young people, adults, companies, and organizations. At Careeria, you can study a profession, supplement your skills, change careers, or advance in your current career. Through vocational training and active cooperation with working life, Careeria offers solutions for developing competence and meeting labor market needs.
"Minusta osaaja" project has been a training program funded by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE). Its aim has been to support the employment of Ukrainians who have moved to Finland. The target group has been people who have received temporary protection but are not in integration training, as well as those working in jobs not matching their profession or in atypical employment relationships.
While the project is now coming to an end at Careeria, you can read more about Careeria’s activities and training here!