Turku employment services close to the people

Turku residents have had access to employment services as a basic municipal service for over a year now. Customers can meet with employment services at Monitori Market Square and by appointment at Sampotalo on Yliopistonkatu. Young people have their own service point at Turun Ohjaamo on the edge of the Old Great Square.

Clients from different backgrounds and stages of life

A diverse group of Turku residents use the employment services: both the young and the old, people with immigrant backgrounds and people with different educational backgrounds. The majority of customers are unemployed, but there are also job seekers who are currently employed.

Employment specialists Riitta Ahlqvist and Marco Herlín meet young people who need guidance and encouragement in their daily lives.

Ahlqvist works in services supporting young people’s ability to work. This support is provided in cooperation with Varha, Kela and social welfare services.

Herlín, on the other hand, helps job seekers interested in the industrial and construction sectors.

– Young people are a special group in that if you can help them achieve their goals, the effects will last for decades. The societal impact is also considerable, Ahlqvist reflects.

In her work, she emphasises supporting the most vulnerable, walking alongside them and engaging with them in a genuine way. Some job seekers are in such a stressful situation that it is difficult for them to accept help. When young people are supported in moving forward, it also makes the employee happy.

Herlín has worked with many client groups, but comments that helping young people and immigrants requires special attention and a personal touch.

– Having lived abroad, I know what it feels like to be a stranger in a new country. It involves a unique need for support and understanding, Herlín recalls.

He encourages immigrants and those who work with them to use the local language.

Personal encounters are very important

The work of an employment specialist is independent and responsible and includes a wide range of tasks mandated by law. The client's access to unemployment security is always clarified first so that they receive all the benefits they need.

Where there is plenty of administrative work, it is balanced out by meetings with clients.

– The work is varied, but interacting with people is the best part of the job, Herlín sums up.

In employment services, client meetings are conducted either face-to-face or by telephone. There is also an increasing focus on electronic services.

– Having a personal contact can lead to better results. It's not easy to replace, Herlín notes.

– When you meet young people in person, you see and hear things that you wouldn’t notice remotely. Face-to-face contact creates a stronger feeling of being seen, adds Ahlqvist.

Free services for many needs

Ahlqvist and Herlín hope that young people will feel comfortable contacting the services.

– It's worth coming in for a chat and asking for advice even before registering as a jobseeker. Ohjaamo offers young people an easy way to access the right kind of support, emphasises Ahlqvist.

– It's not worth worrying about things on your own, as they become more complicated when they pile up. We provide a wide range of good, free services, both personal and group-based, Herlín reminds us.

The services allow you to try out different options and find the solution that suits you best.

– Job seekers are the best experts on their own situation, and we can provide help for making the decisions that are best for them, says Ahlqvist.

Herlín says that now is a good time to develop both your job search skills and your expertise.

– You will be better prepared when the job market picks up again.
 

TEXT: AINO-LIINA ISONIEMI

The article has been published in Finnish in Turkuposti 1, 2026.