On 24 April 2026, the Kokkola Living Lab brought together coalition partners for a new activation meeting aimed at strengthening collaboration, renewing engagement, and transforming shared goals into concrete actions. The meeting was part of a series of activities launched during winter and spring 2026 to support stronger long-term commitment among local partners and stakeholders.
Following earlier discussions held in January and March, the April meeting marked an important step forward — moving from defining common priorities towards building practical working structures for future cooperation.
The session opened with a welcome from the Director of Employment Services, who serves as the chair of the coalition. This was followed by a presentation from a researcher from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), highlighting the progress made in coalition building throughout spring 2026. The presentation revisited the coalition’s shared mission, vision, objectives, and the key themes identified as priorities for collaboration.
The work of the coalition focuses on four important areas: employment, supporting the employment of vulnerable groups, including people with partial work ability, continuous learning, and internationalisation. These themes reflect the ambition of the Living Lab to create more inclusive and sustainable pathways for skills development and employment.
A central part of the meeting was dedicated to interactive group work. Participants joined thematic working groups where they explored how cooperation could continue in practice — identifying relevant partners, defining ways to start collaboration, and planning the first steps for each group. To encourage new ideas and wider perspectives, participants also rotated between groups, contributing their expertise across different themes.
The results of the discussions were presented and reviewed together in a joint session facilitated by FIOH. As a concrete outcome, each thematic working group appointed a chair, identified key partner organisations, and agreed on representatives who will contribute to the next phase of activities.
The meeting concluded with a discussion on establishing a coalition agreement to support long-term cooperation and clarify shared commitments. Participants agreed that such an agreement would provide a valuable foundation for future work, and Employment Services committed to preparing the first draft by summer 2026.
Through these renewed activation activities, the Kokkola Living Lab continues to build stronger partnerships and create a collaborative environment where organisations can work together towards more inclusive employment opportunities and lifelong learning.
