Today’s young people are set to enter a new kind of working life as increasing numbers of people from around the world move to Finland for work. What kind of country is Finland for immigrants who come here to work? How do people who are born and raised in Finland experience the effects of immigration on working life? What is needed to ensure people from different backgrounds can build a shared working life and society in Finland?    

Work-based immigration will shape the nature of working life, services and local communities in the years to come. It is also closely connected to people’s experiences of belonging, perceptions of fairness, and the overall direction our country is taking. People moving to Finland bring with them new perspectives and resources. At the same time, changes in society and working life may also create tensions and deepen social divisions. This makes it important to develop a broad understanding of how to build an equal, sustainable and thriving working life in the Finland of tomorrow.  

 The Working Life Tomorrow dialogues are part of this spring’s National Dialogues on Young Peoples’ Tomorrow. The dialogues will explore the impact of work-based immigration in Finland and on Finnish society. The aim is to gather a wide range of experiences from both those who have moved to Finland for work and those who have lived here all their lives. We would also like to hear about the experiences of employers and others in the business community.  

How to get involved? 

1. Link the theme to a target group or topic that is important to you, for example: “Working life tomorrow in Oulu / for immigrants / for those starting their careers / in our workplace / for international talent at our company.“
2. Pre-register as a discussion organiser by 8th May by 2026 using this form. 

The discussions will form part of the Young Peoples’ Tomorrow summary report, which will be made freely available for everyone to use. It will also be made available to public administration and decision-makers. In addition, the discussion records will be utilised in a project coordinated by Sitra and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which will adress issues raised by work-based immigration through various democratic innovations.  

The aim is to organise a large number of dialogues across Finland, involving a wide range of stakeholders, where people living in Finland can engage in diverse discussions, hear each other’s views, share observations, break down barriers between different perspectives, gain new insights, and build mutual trust.    

The dialogues can be organised as 1.5–, 2– or 3-hour sessions, either in person or remotely. 

We provide discussion organisers with a comprehensive materials package and free training sessions, making it easy to organise a dialogue. Read more here. 

The dialogue organiser commits to:

• Defining a more specific topic and pre-register as the dialogue organiser by the 8th of May using this form
• Reserving a venue or creating a link for the virtual meeting
• Inviting the participants
• Facilitating the dialogue
• Reserving a person to act as the note-taker for the dialogue
• Submitting as accurate a record of the dialogue as possible using this form immediately after the conversation

You can view the discussions that have already been registered here.

If you would like to participate as a discussion participant rather than organise one, choose a suitable open discussion at the bottom of the above page and register directly with the discussion organiser.

The national dialogues on Working Life Tomorrow are coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Finance and Sitra. 

The national dialogues on Working Life Tomorrow are part of a broader citizen participation process focusing on the future of work-based immigration. People living in Finland are invited to discuss and form views using a range of participatory methods. The national dialogues will be followed by a broader discussion on the digital Voxit participation platform, launching in August 2026. More information will be available soon! 

Warmly welcome!