The aim of the Path to entrepreneurship for immigrants -project was to support entrepreneurship, self-employment and employment of people with an immigrant background, especially in sectors with a labour shortage and in sectors in transition. The target sectors in the project were in particular the construction sector, the ICT sector and the service sectors, especially the social and health care sectors. The project also aimed to provide a clear, single comprehensive entrepreneurship path for people with an immigrant background.
A comprehensive entrepreneurship path was found to be impossible during the project, because the path of an individual entrepreneur depends significantly on the planned sector, level of competence, permit issues and many more. Instead, the project developed one general basic entrepreneurship path and six sector-specific pathways. The pathways were produced for the following sectors: ICT, service sectors, food, construction, social and health and startups.
The pathways were tested both with project participants and in cooperation with business advisors in the capital region.
Based on customer feedback, the pathways together with business advisory services are a precise solution for the guidance and transparency immigrants need.
The quantitative targets of the project were 200 people participating in business advice and 200 participants in the project’s various events and trainings. The project carried out a total of 729 consultations for clients with a different immigrant background. Of these, 549 consultations were provided to starting entrepreneurs and 180 consultations to operating companies. With the help of the project’s support, a total of 85 new companies were established and four were assisted in the termination of business operations. The project also advised 25 operating companies, all of which are continuing their business under better conditions thanks to the project’s advice.
The project also carried out 20 entrepreneurship information webinars, two Pathways to Entrepreneurship events and several smaller events related to entrepreneurship together with the main project implementer. 338 people participated in the webinars and a total of about 450 people participated in the events. The main objectives of the events were networking, increasing entrepreneurial awareness, providing information about services and increasing project visibility. In addition, we emphasized sustainable development and the consideration of the green transition when planning business activities. To ensure longer-term impact, the project also renewed the business plan template, which now guides users to take these aspects into account more effectively than before.
Downloadable files:
- General Pathway
- Food Pathway
- Social, Health Care and Welfare Pathway
- Construction Pathway
- ICT Pathway
- Services Pathway
- Startup Pathway
- Business Plan template
In addition, a significant output of the project is a substantial number of open short courses designed for immigrants but supporting entrepreneurship more broadly. Smart Laurea MYP entrepreneurship courses
On the behalf of the project,
Nikke Vainikka,
Project Coordinator
Senior Business Advisor
