A story of innovation through learning at the City of Joensuu Employment Services

The transcript of our customer video interview

My name is Marianne Immonen, and I am a Service Coordinator in the Luotsi project.

In our employment services, we operate with two key components: Taitamo and the municipal experiment known as Ohjaamo, alongside our employment project, Luotsi. Our team comprises individuals with diverse backgrounds in terms of education and work experience. Despite our differences, we share a common objective: assisting individuals in their journey towards employment and education.

The Luotsi Joensuu project has been both innovative and impactful, with the initial goal of significantly reducing unemployment in Joensuu, which it successfully achieved, halving the unemployment rate. However, the unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily adjusted our targets. Nevertheless, this experience has yielded positive results, as we continuously strive to explore and experiment with various strategies to enhance employment prospects.

We had a need to start exploring alternatives to our previous eLearning platform. We conducted an evaluation of various suppliers to assess the available options. Following a thorough tendering process, the decision was reached to adopt the Valamis Learning Management System (LMS).

A dedicated project team was formed, consisting of approximately 5-6 individuals who oversaw the process. My colleague Katja, who specializes in service coordination within our team, collaborated with North Karelia Procurement to initiate the tendering process.

This was an entirely new venture for us in Joensuu. We hadn’t previously implemented learning management system like this. The decision stemmed from a practical need; not all clients could be effectively assisted through one-on-one coaching. Instead, we aimed to provide digital resources to at least some clients, enabling them to receive assistance and learn independently. Even though I’ve always jokingly referred to myself as a ‘basic-Pirkko’ when it comes to computer matters, I must admit that I’ve learned a great deal through this process. It’s a continuous learning experience, both for us and our clients, and it’s been valuable. Additionally, we’ve implemented an onboarding program for our staff in this context.”

If you’ve ever made PowerPoints, it’s pretty easy to move on to doing learning paths.

It’s been incredibly enlightening for me as well to discover that I can undertake a project like this, and it’s not rocket science. Creating these resources has been enjoyable. Last spring, I had the privilege of having a couple of online pedagogical interns as colleagues for a month and a half. Since I lack a pedagogical background myself, they provided valuable insights and suggestions on structuring the content. They emphasized the importance of maintaining a steady flow of tasks and activities to keep learners engaged.

It has addressed learning requirements effectively and is beneficial, as it encourages customers not only to rely on pre-prepared solutions but also to actively engage and learn while accomplishing tasks independently.

If you have a 45-minute coaching session with a client, and they have already prepared their learning paths at home, you can efficiently review the tasks during the meeting. This means you don’t have to spend the entire session on tasks such as composing a CV. We have a dedicated learning path for that, including the task of creating a resume. During the meeting, we can review it together to determine if it meets the client’s needs. This approach allows the client to learn at their own pace, and during the coaching session, we can focus on the most critical aspects.

As an example, we offer a learning path called ‘Succeed in a Job Interview.’ The concept involves the customer initially going through this learning path in Valamis, which covers job interview preparation across various areas. After completing the preliminary tasks, they can then participate in our ‘Success in a Job Interview’ service, held weekly. This service includes a 30-minute practice job interview tailored to a specific area or job role, with subsequent feedback provided to the customer. This approach has proven highly beneficial for individuals dealing with interview-related anxiety.

We also offer a similar coaching service for LinkedIn. In this case, customers first enrol in a course on the Valamis platform, where they can watch videos and study materials to create their LinkedIn profile. After they’ve developed their own profile, they have the opportunity to engage in individual coaching sessions with us, during which we review their profile and offer guidance on its optimal use.

While most of our learning paths are open and self-paced, our LinkedIn course operates differently. It’s a more structured course where we gradually add participants as they join. This course is not publicly accessible.

In addition to our focus on employment and training, our project encompasses business agents who play various roles. Within this category, we have human resources specialists, known as ‘duuni-agents,’ and company agents. The company agents assist and support businesses in their search for employees. They also share valuable insights into what are often referred to as ‘hidden jobs,’ which we then identify for our clients. Occasionally, we advertise these opportunities online when searching for individuals with specific qualifications.

Furthermore, we offer an entrepreneurship learning path within Valamis. This path provides valuable guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs, offering insights into the steps to take when starting a business.

Indeed, the project is nearing its conclusion, but our work will carry on into the future. We are committed to maintaining a learning management system, especially to support us during periods of reduced staffing, enabling more self-directed learning. This approach allows us to assist a significant number of customers through the platform, reducing the necessity for individual coaching.

At Luotsi, our foundation relies on volunteering, although the majority of our clients exhibit strong motivation to actively pursue opportunities for their employment or training.

With the team, we typically maintain contact a few times a year, give or take.

Our collaboration has been exceptionally positive. I’ve frequently sought and received substantial assistance and support from your team. The other contact persons have also been very responsive and welcoming whenever I’ve required their assistance. It’s evident that they are genuinely committed to helping us succeed in this environment.

I highly recommend it; it’s an exceptionally well-designed implementation. During our last meeting, there was a discussion about Zendesk being primarily in English. I provided feedback as a local customer, expressing that my proficiency in IT vocabulary isn’t the strongest. I was delighted to learn that they are adding Finnish subtitles to help videos and are in the process of creating Finnish instructions. Zendesk offers a wealth of valuable resources with tips and guidance on how to navigate and what steps to take.