Education and language skills

In the library

Education increases employment opportunities and reduces inequalities. At the same time, it promotes integration and prevents exclusion.

The educational structure of those of foreign origin is significantly polarised: there are many highly educated people and also many with little education. According to the 2014 Survey on work and well-being among people of foreign origin (UTH), 40% of immigrants aged between 25 and 54 were academic degree holders. On the other hand, close to 25% had not gone beyond comprehensive schooling.

The educational structure is influenced by

Country of origin

Those with EU, EFTA, North American and Russian backgrounds are the most highly educated. Two thirds of those of Estonian origin have completed upper secondary education. Estonians often come to work in Finland in manual professions, which may explain the small share of higher education degrees.

Reason for immigration

The majority of immigrants who have come to study are academic degree holders. One fifth of people with a refugee background have completed a higher education degree, while two fifths only have a qualification corresponding to comprehensive schooling.

Age at arrival

Almost all of those who have arrived in Finland aged under 20 have completed comprehensive school. More than half of them have completed upper secondary education, meaning either a matriculation examination or a vocational upper secondary qualification.

Length of residence

The numbers of those who have gone beyond basic level education increases among those who have been in the country longer, as do the numbers of those who have obtained an upper secondary level qualification. Forty per cent of people of foreign origin who have lived in Finland for more than ten years have completed in Finland an upper secondary qualification or higher education degree.

Young immigrants are in a hurry to find work and start a family

Young people with immigrant backgrounds complete basic education, but less often go on to upper secondary education. The most common reason for stopping studying is the desire to move into working life. In addition, factors preventing young people with an immigrant background from moving on to further education include a lack of language skills, difficulties in obtaining a study place, and their belief that they are already sufficiently educated.

Young women with an immigrant background often start a family at a young age, leading to an interruption of their studies and difficulties in finding employment later on.

Education is important, however, because the number of jobs requiring only basic education will decrease in the future. The education of young people can be supported, for example, through guidance provided at home and school, the youth guarantee, and child care arrangements.

Education is also passed on to the next generation among the population with a foreign background, and it is therefore important to invest in cooperation between home and school.

Parents and students must be informed about the educational opportunities within Finnish society and the importance of education.
Less-educated parents must be guided to support their children in the transition between basic and upper secondary education.
Schools must ensure that parents with an immigrant background receive sufficient information about the school and the Finnish education system, even if they do not understand Finnish or know how to use digital communication channels.

Language skills are an important part of integration

The native languages spoken by the Finnish population that were born abroad total more than 200. In addition, more than half are fluent in at least three languages.

Finnish and Swedish language skills facilitate the use of services, access to employment, study opportunities and adaptation. Less than a third of those born abroad speak Finnish or Swedish at an advanced level. At the same time, more than one third have no higher than a beginner’s level in either language. It has been found that one fifth of those who have moved to Finland feel that language training is insufficient.

Students and employed people are not covered by integration services, so new solutions must be found for developing language skills. Poor Finnish and Swedish skills are also linked to early school leaving and unemployment.

Services in Swedish must also be guaranteed. It is estimated that 15% of first generation immigrants speak Swedish better than Finnish.