Foreign trainees
You can recruit a foreign trainee through, for example, organisations that arrange international traineeships. Note that a foreign trainee has the same rights as a Finnish trainee.
Recruiting a foreign trainee increases your company’s multiculturalism and provides you with new viewpoints and approaches. Recruiting a foreign trainee is also a good way to start internalisation and the expansion of your company’s business to other countries.
A foreign trainee can help your Finnish employees to improve their language and culture skills as well as to increase their tolerance. At best, they may invigorate and energise your work community. In addition, the foreign trainee knows how their home country’s market operates which enables them to help your company to open channels to a new country.
It is recommended to recruit trainees from your customers’ home countries – especially if your company operates in the tourist industry. If your trainee’s way of thinking is similar to that of your customers, they can improve your company’s capacity to meet your customers’ expectations and needs.
You can recruit a foreign trainee either through your own networks or by applying for assistance from organisations that arrange international traineeships.
In Finland, international training opportunities are organised by, for example, the Finnish National Agency for Education, the career and recruitment services of various educational institutions and numerous student organisations. You may also find a foreign trainee through the TE Services, staffing companies or social media. Contact an organisation that organises international traineeships to initiate the recruitment process.
The duration of a traineeship may vary from three weeks to up to 18 months. Typically, traineeships last from three to six months and take place between May and September. It is easiest to recruit a foreign trainee for a summer traineeship of two to three months. Often your company can also propose a certain duration for the traineeship.
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At the beginning of a traineeship, make sure that your trainee’s insurances and permits are in order. If your trainee comes from an EU or an EEA country, they do not require a residence permit. However, they must register at a service location of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (a local register office) if their stay in Finland lasts more than three months. If your trainee comes from outside of the EU or the EEA, they must obtain a residence permit prior to arriving in Finland regardless of the traineeship’s duration.
Your foreign trainee has the same rights as a Finnish trainee. Conclude with the foreign trainee a written employment contract that corresponds to your Finnish trainees’ contracts. In addition, prepare a written training plan. Ensure that your trainee has opened a Finnish bank account and pay their salary in compliance with the collective agreement. Arrange at least preventive occupational health care for the foreign trainee.
At the end of the traineeship, provide your trainee with a certificate of employment written in English so that they can demonstrate their international work experience to their future employers. In addition, provide them with a pay statement and a statement of the tax withheld at source written in English.