Novia Plays a Key Role in New Leadership Training in Civic Orientation

In January 2025, major reforms were implemented in Finland’s labour market and integration services. The new Integration Act requires municipalities and employment services to offer 70 hours of civic orientation in the participants’ native languages — support designed to ease newcomers’ path into Finnish society.

The need for Swedish‑speaking civic orientation leaders grew rapidly. Novia University of Applied Sciences (Health and Welfare) received funding from the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland and the Konstsamfundet (now the Amos Anderson Foundation), enabling the launch of the project Leadership Training for Multilingual Civic Orientation. A pilot group began their studies in spring 2025.

Novia Offered Practical Training and Cross‑Language Encounters
A central component of the programme was the practical training period, where Novia played an important role. Four participants completed their placement at Novia in English and met students from several degree programmes. In Raseborg, Natural Resources students learned about working life and job seeking, while students in Nursing, Beauty Care, and Biomedical Laboratory Science in Vaasa received practical civic information and everyday tips.

Novia’s international environment gave course participants the opportunity to practise leadership and communication in real situations — and Novia’s students gained useful insights into Finnish society.

Fourteen Languages Represented
The training covered topics such as legislation, rights, the labour market, studies, finances, and Finnish history. Participants came from across Swedish‑speaking Finland and can now offer civic orientation in fourteen languages. Seven of them completed the programme in autumn 2025, becoming the first Swedish‑speaking civic orientation leaders of their kind.

A new training round began in February 2026, and an additional group may start in autumn 2026 if the need remains.