50% of Finland’s international graduates who remain find jobs within a year

Half of Finland’s foreign students who graduated from its higher education institutions and chose to stay on found work within a year, reported CIMO, a national organization specializing in international mobility and co-operation.

A study conducted by CIMO found that a high percentage of students from overseas choose to remain in the country after graduating, with 50 percent getting jobs within a year, while the percentage by five years after graduation was 44 percent.

A small number stayed on to further their studies, while one-fifth of foreign students remained in the country for other reasons, such as trying to find a job, reported the Finland Times.

The study, which used data from Statistics Finland, covered 1,700 foreign higher education graduates who have their Finnish personal identity number. Of those 1,700 graduates, 1,270 remained in Finland a year after graduation.

Based on another survey by CIMO, up to 89 percent of international students in Finland are generally happy or very happy with their decision to study in the country.

Student satisfaction was measured in four main areas: learning, living and accommodation, support services, and services at arrival.

Students were most happy with the facilities available at their institution, such as libraries, lecture rooms, laboratories, computer facilities, IT services and support services, while students also felt that the country was “safe and socially stable”.

Besides that, Finnish institutions scored higher than average for services at arrival and while staff at the international offices and the accommodation services were recognized for their excellent levels of service.

The happiest students were those from India, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Russia, while students who reported the least satisfaction were among those from Ukraine, Mexico, the United States, and Hungary.

Nearly 84 percent of respondents said they would recommend their Finnish higher education institution and Finland in general as a study destination to other students, which is higher than the average European figure of 80.5 percent.

However, some of the main concerns of foreign students in the country is managing with the high cost of living, and finding a job after completing their studies.

Pasi Sahlberg, Director General of CIMO, said: “That the students need careers guidance, that they wish to find their place on the Finnish job market and perhaps make their home here is something that the Finnish institutions of higher education and working life in particular should consider.”

Finland attracts overseas students from all around the world, with an increasing majority coming from outside of Europe.

Currently, around 40 percent of the country’s foreign students come from Asia. The top countries of origin are Russia, China, Vietnam, Nepal, and Nigeria.

Image via Shutterstock

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