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IBM - Maahanmuuttajat yritysten mentorina (Immigrants as Business Mentors).

  • Implementation date1/1/2024 - 5/31/2026
  • FunderESR+ 2021-2027
  • Research programmeService Business and Circular Economy
  • Project typeKansallinen TK
  • ThemesEntrepreneurship
  • Project managerBerenice Rivera-Macias

The Immigrants as Business Mentors project boosts the employment of international talents in Finland. International talents may face challenges in finding employment in Finland, and on the other hand, skills shortage can slow down the development and growth of companies. The project solves these challenges by facilitating the employment of international talents in Finland.

International students and SIMHE customers are the target group, and the project strengthens their career opportunities in three different ways:

  • In the Business Mentoring model developed by the IMIB network, international students get acquainted with companies operating in Uusimaa. Supported by career coaches from the participating UAS, small teams of international talents work on assignments defined by the companies. This gives the participants a great opportunity to showcase their skills and competences to the companies and to learn more about the Finnish working life. You can register to the Business Mentoring model via this link.
  • The creative and interactive Entrepreneurship Workshops strengthen the entrepreneurship competences of the participants. Entrepreneurship is an important form of work for international talents, but having an entrepreneurial mindset can boost other career opportunities as well. You can sign up to the workshops for autumn 2025 via this link.
  • In the Career Coaching workshops, international talents can strengthen their job searching skills in Finland and learn more about how to benefit from their international background when searching for work. More information on signing up for the career coaching workshops is coming in August.
  • The International talents, flourishing businesses -workshops are a great opportunity for companies and international talents to meet. In the creative and interactive workshops, you can learn and discuss about diversity and internationalization and share good practices.

Companies operating in Uusimaa also benefit from the project. In the Business Mentoring model, companies meet international talents who bring new perspectives into developing the business. Moreover, the project raises awareness about the benefits of recruiting international talents and influences attitudes affecting the recruiting decisions of companies.

The Immigrants as Business Mentors project is coordinated by Haaga-Helia UAS with Laurea UAS and Metropolia UAS acting as project partners. In the project, Laurea is responsible for implementing the entrepreneurship path.

The IMIB Network has been developed by involving experts and lecturers from the participating UAS, international students and SIMHE customers as well as companies from various sectors operating in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Interested in participating or collaborating in the project? Please contact project manager Berenice Rivera-Macias, Berenice.Rivera-Macias@laurea.fi

More information about the project

  • Entrepreneurship path 

    The entrepreneurship path consists of workshops supporting international students in strengthening their entrepreneurship competences and developing their working life skills. The objective is to encourage international talents to see entrepreneurship as an opportunity in their career. However, if that is not their aim, the workshops also provide the participants with useful skills and tools that are useful in working life.

    Focusing on developing entrepreneurship competences is important because entrepreneurship is an important form of employment for international talents. Moreover, entrepreneurship has an increasingly important role as part of a person’s career, and having an entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurship competences is useful in working life in general.

    The workshops in the entrepreneurship path are interactive, and creative methods are utilized. In the workshops, the participants learn about identifying and developing their skills and competences, start to develop their business ideation and learn how to communicate their ideas and strengths.

    You can sign up for the workshops via this link.

     

  • Business Mentoring model 

    In the Business Mentoring model developed by the IMIB network, small teams of international talents work on assignments defined by a company. During a three-month period, the participants are supported by career coaches from Haaga-Helia and Metropolia UAS. The workload is approximately 50 hours/participant for the mentioned period.

    The Business Mentoring model helps international talents to get acquainted with Finnish working life and to showcase their skills and competences to companies. In the Business Mentoring model, international talents get valuable experiences as they work together on real-life business challenges and have a great opportunity to network with Finnish companies. Moreover, the participants have the possibility to participate in personalized career coaching.

  • Career coaching 

    In the career coaching workshops, the participants can develop their working life skills and strengthen their prospects of finding employment in Finland. These workshops complement the Business Mentoring Model and the Entrepreneurship Path workshops, but it is also possible to participate in the career coaching workshops without taking part in the other activities.

    The next career coaching workshops are organized in autumn 2025.

     

  • International talents, flourishing businesses -workshops 

    The International talents, flourishing businesses workshops are a great opportunity for companies and international talents to meet. In the creative and interactive workshops, you can learn and discuss about diversity and internationalization and share good practices.

    Workshops in autumn 2025:

    International talents, flourishing businesses - why does international recruiting pay off? 
    Date: 11 September, 16:00–18:00h
    Location: Haaga-Helia Pasila campus

    International talents, flourishing businesses - how to make it happen?
    Date: 18 September, 16:00–18.00h
    Location: Haaga-Helia Pasila campus

    More information on the workshops and the link for signing up is coming in August.

  • Publications 

    Articles

    Rivera-Macias, B. 2025. Project and library collaboration to increase the outreach to students. Laurea Journal.

    Bethell, S. & Pöyry, P. 2025. Creative methods and collaborative learning as enablers of entrepreneurial spirit. Laurea Journal.

    Saarela, I. 2025. Kansainväliset opiskelijat tarvitsevat aitoja työelämäyhteyksiä opintojen aikana. Metrospektiivi Pop.

     

    News

    5.3.2024 International students and students with an immigrant background offered coaching to boost Finnish business life. News article.

    27.12.2024 Growth Without Borders Event Highlighted International Talents as Key to Business Growth. News article.

 

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