Living Lab Finland

In Finland, the SYNCLUSIVE project is conducted in cooperation with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) and the city of Kokkola. Kokkola is located on the west coast of Finland, and there are 48.200 inhabitants. Kokkola has the largest concentration of inorganic chemistry in the Nordic countries and plenty of companies producing metal, marine, food, and wood products. Most of the companies (83%) are micro-organizations having less than six employees. In Kokkola, about 650 persons have been unemployed for at least 12 months. The Living Lab will include actions for job seekers, employees, and employers. The goal is to support unemployed persons in job seeking and gaining employment. This will be done, for example, through “Taite” coaching, which is an evidence-based group training for supporting job seekers’ self-efficacy regarding re-employment, strengthening their job-seeking skills, and minimize the negative effects of unemployment, such as passivity. Another possible intervention will include well-proven actions to support the employees on subsidized work and their employers, for example, by offering job coaching services to both parties.