Top 10 In-Demand Skills in Finland

According to the European Union Survey, Finland is the most employee friendly country in the world. Despite having the highest living standard and good salaries, the country struggles to find young and skilled professionals.

Recent research on the Finnish labor market showed that a major portion of the old Finnish population is near retirement age. And that's why the country is lacking in young and skilled professionals.

The shortage of suitable employees in Finland is primarily attributed to the jobseekers' inadequate training or lack of relevant work experience or specialist skills. During this time, as Finnish companies seek skilled workers, learning a new skill can greatly boost your chances of securing a good job in the country.

So, in this article, we will talk about the top 10 in-demand skills in Finland.

Which Skills are in demand in Finland?

According to the latest report by the European Labour Authority Finland is facing a shortage of workers in 30+ professions in 2023-2024.

These are mostly healthcare, IT, teaching etc. Let's see some of the most in-demand skills in Finland.

1. Cybersecurity Skills

The Russia-Ukraine war has made cybersecurity more important in Finland, and there is a huge demand for professionals in this field. Despite the growing need there is a big shortage of skilled cybersecurity experts in Finland.

According to Statista, the Finnish cybersecurity market will grow significantly. However, Nucamp reports that Finland is facing a shortage of cybersecurity roles, including cybersecurity analysts, penetration testers, and network security engineers.

Cybersecurity Skills

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• Thycotic Secret Server
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Skills You Will Build

Network security, Risk management, Cyber threat detection

2. Nursing Skills

According to UNECE, Finland's ageing population is increasing the demand for healthcare workers, particularly nurses, who are currently in short supply. Experts in the healthcare industry say that the shortage of nurses is more about lack of specific skills than just labour shortage. Furthermore, they predict that the shortage will continue in the near future.

And on top of that the language barrier is also a big challenge as Finnish is required for effective communication in healthcare settings. This makes the shortage even worse. Therefore, healthcare organizations in Finland are actively looking for highly skilled nurses and other healthcare workers . 

3. AI Skills

The demand for AI skills in Finland is booming. Research says nearly 1.7 million jobs will be created by AI innovations like generative AI. And to do those jobs the workforce has to upskill and re-skill with Artificial Intelligence.

The report also highlighted that labor productivity in sectors such as education, healthcare, business services, real estate, and finance is expected to be significantly enhanced by Generative AI. In fact, Generative AI is projected to contribute an additional €20-25 billion to Finland's GDP in the coming years.

This shows the potential of AI in Finland's economy but there is a big gap in the availability of AI professionals with expertise in AI and ML. As the market grows the demand for these skills is outpacing supply so AI is one of the most in-demand skills in Finland.

AI & ML Skills

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• Quantum Machine Learning with TensorFlow Quantum
• Generative AI with Language Models

Skills You Will Build

Advanced machine learning algorithms, Data-driven decision-making, model building

4. Data Analysis Skills

According to the experts in the Finnish market, the healthcare sector is facing a big shortage of data analysts. And, this shortage is driven by the fact that the healthcare data is increasing rapidly and data driven decision making is becoming a norm in almost all the sectors in Finland. 

In fact, Finland is one of the top European countries in need of data analysts, and the number of job openings in this domain will grow heavily in the coming years. Which is why Data analysis is one of the most-sought after skills in Finland.

Data Analytics Skills

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• Data Analysis using Excel Pivot Tables

Skills You Will Build

Data analysis, Data visualisation, SQL, Data Mining

5. IT Skills

Although the Finnish workforce has the highest percentage of professionals in Europe (7.6%) in the IT sector, this is not enough to meet the growing demand, due to skill gaps.

Businesses are digitising and IT infrastructures are getting more complex and there is a shortage of skilled IT professionals.

Although there is a high concentration of IT talent, the Finnish market can't keep up with the pace of technology and therefore there is an urgent need for more IT specialists.

IT Operations Skills

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• IBM Tivoli
• TOGAF

Skills You Will Build

System Administration, Cloud Technologies, Programming, Cybersecurity

6. Childcare Skills

It is yet another skill in demand in Finland. In Helsinki's 2021-25 strategy, the staff shortage in daycares was listed as a major challenge, and the city will take measures to increase staff. In fact, cities like Helsinki are facing such a severe shortage that Mayor Vartiainen established a new coordination group tasked with resolving the availability issues of early childhood education staff.

Addressing in a press release, Mayor Vartiainen wrote, "Early childhood education needs our attention now; without concrete and sustainable solutions and strong cooperation with the state, we won't be able to turn this personnel shortage around."

In the coming years, more and more ECE professionals will be needed in Finland. 

7. Business Administration Skills

Business administration is a highly valued skill in Finland, where efficient management and strategic oversight are crucial for both local and global business competitiveness. As Finnish companies adapt to digital transformation, international trade, and evolving market demands, the need for skilled professionals who can manage operations, finances, and strategic planning has grown significantly. 

This skill is particularly sought after for roles in management, sales, and customer service, where leadership, organizational abilities, and effective communication are essential. In this context, business administration stands out as a vital skill driving the success of businesses in Finland.

Business Administration Skills

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Skills You Will Build

Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers, Organizational Development

8. Construction Skills

The Finnish construction industry is in a critical shortage of workers. The demand for construction workers will increase and thousands of job openings will be available in the coming years.

To be exact, the real estate and construction sector will see 130,000–140,000 new job openings between 2020 and 2040.

This need is driven by ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects and replacing an ageing workforce.

Construction industry is key to Finland's growth and solving the shortage of skills in this sector is crucial for the country's development. Which is why it's one of the most sought after skills in Finland.

9. Social Working Skills

The demand for social workers in Finland will increase significantly from 150,000 to 220,000 employees by 2025. This is driven by the ageing population, which increases the need for social services.

The sector also faces challenges such as high staff turnover, early retirements, and a lack of candidates with the right skills.

For example, the Occupational Barometer shows that while there are 809 unemployed jobseekers in social work, there are 359 open vacancies, which is a gap between supply and demand.

10. Teaching Skills

Shortage of qualified teachers is a big problem in all Nordic countries, including Finland. Finland has a big shortage of subject teachers and it's affecting the quality of education.

In Finland, subject areas like maths, science, and technology are the most affected, and there's a big gap between the number of qualified teachers and the demand for these subjects. This is the same in many other Nordic countries where they're facing the same challenge.

How to Boost your Skills for the Finnish Job Market?

As mentioned above some trades have more of a skill shortage than a labour shortage in the Finnish market. So upskilling could be very helpful in getting into these high paid professions. But how can you acquire these skills, right?

You can rely on vocational training institutes to master a specific trade and get hired by Finnish companies. Here are some of the institutions where you can learn these skills.

• Omnia Education Partnership 
• Helsinki vocational college and adult institute
• Tampere Vocational College Tredu
• Oulu Vocational College (Oulun seudun ammattiopisto)

Summary

The above-mentioned skills are key to being competitive in the changing Finnish job market. Master skills like, data analysis, AI, green technologies, cybersecurity, teaching and healthcare to boost your career, and contribute to global challenges.

To get these essential skills, explore vocational training programs that deliver specialised hands-on education that meets industry needs. Investing in vocational training makes you more employable and prepares you for the changing workforce.

For companies looking for a reliable partner in skill development, Edstellar is the way to go. They offer industry specific training to keep your team ahead.

Courses designed by experts and interactive learning Edstellar offers services, including skill gap analysis with our Skill Matrix Tool and personal executive coaching. 

Trust Edstellar to boost your team's skills and success.