Intensive cooperation between the higher education community and the employment services of the city of Tampere is vital to make better use of the core expertise of different experts. Keeping this in mind, this project intends to develop a cooperation model that supports the rapid employment of university-educated unemployed people. The target groups of the project are:
- fresh graduates
- students in the process of graduating from Tampere University and TAMK, and
- the young (under 30) job seekers of Pirkanmaa’s unemployment office
This blog aims at demonstrating the experiences from the Job Club events. Data and information have been collected by attending and visiting Job Club events and interviewing participants through open-ended questionnaires. In addition, data has also been collected from the feedback of the participants and the project website.
From the perspective of the” Quickly to Work” project, Job Club is a valuable resource for job seekers. It plays a significant role in assisting job seekers navigate the challenges of the job market. It helps to find a job as quickly and effectively as possible using the best methods.
In spring 2023, the ‘Quickly to Work’ project organised several Job Club events/meetings with the target group. There were altogether four workshops, and the total number of participants was fifteen. The language of instruction was Finnish. Job club events consist of group discussion, sharing ideas, links, networks and experiences with small group members, expert visits and lectures. The members of a Job Club assist and cooperate with each other by conducting mock interviews, helping to create resumes and cover letters, providing job leads, and assisting with application processes. The events were implemented mainly as a coaching program with the cooperation of expert facilitators of The Spring House, Tampere.
As an expert on this project, I have attended the Job Club events. I found that the participants were very spontaneous and enthusiastic. They were very keen to learn the practical issues of job markets. Their activities were very encouraging during the events.
According to the feedback from the participants, small group discussion and sharing thoughts and ideas with others was a significant part of the events. Guest experts’ speeches were very encouraging and motivating, the participants claimed.
In summary, the impact of job club events is consequential. It leads to empowering the participants by cooperating with each other, building professional networks, enriching knowledge about job-related technical issues, providing emotional support, and thus finally finding a suitable job.
“Job club greatly humanised the world of employment and at its best offered the necessary support and perspectives when the walls seemed to be falling down.” ………. Comments from a participant.
Text: Nasrin Jahan Jinia, Lecturer of Social Services & Health Care at TAMK & Expert in Quickly to work -project
Pictures: Shutterstock
