Promoting a hybrid service model and integrated governance solutions for international comers
As a Project
manager, my main duty is to coordinate and manage the KATE project. As well, my
task - along with the KATE team - is to promote the development of a hybrid
service model whereas face-to-face and digital services work side by side to
best serve international comers, and companies which would like to
internationalize their workforce and gaining access to new markets abroad. This
is a pioneering endeavour in the region of South Savo, and for that matter in
the larger finnish and european context. Both the results of many local
projects at the national level, and scholarly research suggest how a
tailored and guided approach is one of the main success factors in
international comers’ access to employment, education, and
entrepreneurship.
On the one
hand, face-to-face interaction is key for building international
comers’ social networks with the encompassing social, cultural and economic
context of the local society. On the other hand, digital services
represent an important tool for assessing and testing previous education and
skills and gaining access to employment and education opportunities. In
addition, they facilitate and widen the range of communication tools with our
clients. This is an added value especially in the sparsely populated region of
South Savo, where long distances from the main urban centers may represent a
hindrance to face to face interaction. Developing digital services for
international comers not only requires a user-friendly interface, but also
needs to take into account the professional and educational background of our
clients.
Another
important task I carry on with the KATE team is to build and strengthen
national and international networks with public authorities, entrepreneurs, as
well as the third sector. At the end of October 2019 we will for instance have
a bench-marking trip in the German city of Nuremberg, where we are going to
acquire information on local practices concerning testing and validation of
formal and informal competencies. In order to elaborate effective policy
recommendations, as well as integrated governance solutions concerning
international comers’ employment, we need to gather best cases both in the
finnish, and in the wider european context. In turn, this will minimize
overlapping and fragmentation of tasks and responsibilities which still
characterize to a large extent migrants’ integration policies. The situation
has been improving substantially in the last few years; for instance in South
Finland centers of expertise giving a wide array of services to international
comers are emerging and getting institutionalized.
The work
started in KATE follows the one in MESVO Project (Migrants as a Resource for
the Companies of South Savo -MESVO ESF 2016-2018), where I have been involved
in various tasks starting from February 2018 both as a project worker, and as a
project manager in the last four months of the project. These have included
migrants’ counseling and support in their job search, migrants’ skills mapping
through interviews and questionnaires, report writing, as well as building and
strengthening networks with a variety of regional stakeholders.
My academic background is in human geography, with a Doctorate in Social
Science on european rural and agricultural policy and development. My master
has focused on Finnish regional policy. I have been involved in the
preparation and design of various national and international applications, such
as Horizon 2020 projects, and COST Action Calls. I have also experience in
applied research, specifically innovation in the education sector, which I have
acquired as a R&D Advisor at Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. Last
but not least, I have a proven track record at publishing in academic journals,
including sole authored publications. I have also demonstrated experience of
international conference presentations, lecturing, expert interviews and wider
research dissemination.
If you would
like to know more about KATE and its services, our you would like to establish
cooperation or develop innovative models on international comers’ employment,
education, and entrepreneurship, do not hesitate to contact me at fulvio.rizzo@otavia.fi, or +358401294987.
