Project Manager Fulvio Rizzo

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.