More than 70% of International Graduate Students See Little Prospect for Jobs in Tampere

A Tampere University study reported in Aamulehti found that more than 70% of international master's and doctoral students rate their chances of finding work in Tampere as low or non-existent after graduation.

Only about one third of respondents had secured study-related internships, and well over half had not found employment in Tampere after finishing their degrees. Professors Päivi Honkatukia and Tiina Rättilä say many international students want to stay. They warn that Pirkanmaa risks losing talent after investing in recruitment, pointing to a weak local job market and discrimination against non-Finnish jobseekers.

Employers surveyed were mostly positive, calling international hires motivated and innovative. Language remains a barrier. Finnish-language skills repeatedly emerged as an obstacle, with companies often considering Finnish necessary when serving Finnish-speaking customers.

The researchers say improving outcomes will require closer cooperation between the university, the city, employers and business organisations. The study was funded by the city of Tampere as part of a partnership to boost skilled labour in Pirkanmaa. It follows recent municipal initiatives to improve international recruitment and internships, including a regional shared-services pilot and a diversity voucher pilot aimed at helping international students land internships.