Juttuklubi is a language club for immigrants and guests from the business sector which is organised once a month in Joensuu. The business guests are actors in business life who come to the club to provide information about Finnish working life. The club is held in English and simple Finnish. Participating is free of charge and open to all immigrant Joensuu residents.
The main objective of the Joensuu Juttuklubi is to offer those who have moved to Finland a place for networking with employers and club members and to provide information on the Finnish working culture. The club is organised bilingually in English and simple Finnish, which helps learn Finnish at a low threshold. On 23 October 2024, the club broke its attendance record with 48 participants.
Taru Väisänen and Juha Forsblom have been running Juttuklubi since spring 2022. Taru Väisänen, an expert in immigrant work and a SIMHE counsellor, worked in a project at the Karelia University of Applied Sciences that developed various support services for international students from many perspectives. While working in the project, Väisänen read an article on Yle about the Jyväskylä Juttuklubi and started planning to bring the concept to Joensuu. After looking for suitable partners, Luotsi was selected to support the educational institution. Business agent Juha Forsblom joined from Luotsi, and that was the start of Juttuklubi.
The Joensuu Juttuklubi is inspired by the Jyväskylä Juttuklubi, but there are clear practical differences between the two clubs. The differences between the clubs are the fixed location and company visits. In Joensuu, business guests come to Juttuklubi’s own permanent premises, while in Jyväskylä, the club participants tour local companies. Väisänen and Forsblom wanted a permanent location in Luotsi in the premises of Joensuu’s employment services as they believed that the central location would make it easier for participants to come.
The club is organised once a month in Luotsi in the premises of Joensuu’s employment services. Each time, the meet-up has a different work-related theme and an expert talking about it. The expert guests present their information in Finnish and English to make it possible to understand and learn the language. Concepts in Finnish are naturally translated into English and explained. Club members can ask questions from the experts during or after the club.
Finding employment for immigrants is a relevant topic in North Karelia, as companies are becoming aware of its potential and necessity.
Forsblom believes that the advantage of Juttuklubi is precisely the interactions between the participants and the expert guests. They get to talk to employers face-to-face, which makes them easier to reach.
–Think about recruitment events which are noisy and busy, you cannot have in-depth discussions there. The good thing about Juttuklubi is that we can talk and ask questions in peace, says Forsblom.
Juttuklubi is open to all immigrant Joensuu residents. Most of the participants are students in Karelia, UEF and Riveria. The number of participants varies, but there are already some regulars. Väisänen and Forsblom want to make coming to the club easy and inviting. Coffee, tea and a little snack are always offered. The aim is for the club to provide the participants with new knowledge and self-confidence for their career paths.
–We want visitors to get facts, networks and contacts. I would also say that we want to offer encouragement and self-confidence. Faith that things will be okay, says Väisänen.
It was nice to see so many people listening.
–Finding employment for immigrants is a relevant topic in North Karelia, as companies are becoming aware of its potential and necessity. Many workplaces must be able to employ immigrants. It is also an opportunity for companies, says Forsblom on the employment of immigrants.
The theme of October’s club was ‘What is important in an employment relationship — what do you need to know?’ and the expert guest was HR Specialist Hanna Asikainen from the Northern Karelia Cooperative Society (PKO). Her visit focused on introducing PKO as a company and working in Finland. Last summer, Asikainen was involved in training international PKO employees, so she had a lot to offer on the topic.
The aim of the visit was to provide information on PKO: its company form, jobs, sectors and extensive career opportunities around North Karelia. What she was most looking forward to was holding her presentation in English. The number of visitors surprised Asikainen positively.
–I was left with a laid-back feeling. It was nice to see so many people listening, says Asikainen.
Career guidance for international students and immigrants is not new in Joensuu. Karelia University of Applied Sciences has been organising the International Career Guidance 2021–2023 project and SIMHE services (Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education) since 2017. The Joensuu Juttuklubi was launched as part of the International Career Counselling project, and it is now part of the SIMHE services.
The last Juttuklubi meeting this autumn is on Wednesday 27 November at 17–19 in Luotsi in the premises of Joensuu employment services, Plaza Centrum Kauppakatu 29. From the beginning of next year, the meeting place will be in Carelicum, Koskikatu 5.
