Part of a regular series of industry collaborations, Design Solution Day brought together 28 highly skilled international spouses that worked together to find solutions for real challenges faced by partner companies Berlitz, Epicenter Helsinki, and Forum Virium Helsinki.
“This is the perfect moment to get actual new, fresh ideas from all around the world.” That’s how Satu Reijonen, a Project Manager from Forum Virium Helsinki, summed up the energy at Design Solution Day – a one-day hackathon-style event hosted in Helsinki on 10 April by the Spouse Program.
Held in collaboration with Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and facilitated by Crazy Town, the day offered more than just innovative ideas. It also created new connections between companies and spouses looking to kickstart the next chapter of their careers in Finland.
International spouses in Finland
As international recruitment increases in Finland, investing in talent means investing in their families too – and especially their spouses, whose fulfilment is essential for long-term talent retention.
Often, spouses who arrive with their partners face a tough career transition despite being talents themselves. If they don’t find fulfilling opportunities, the entire family unit may eventually decide to relocate away from Finland – jeopardising the talent investment.
Karolina Sveiby, a Cultural Consultant from Berlitz, commented on the current spouse employment situation, saying “the fact is that we have many highly educated, highly competent people who have moved here as a spouse, and find it very difficult to get employed”.
Being highly skilled, motivated, and experienced, many spouses arrive in Finland with impressive backgrounds but are met with barriers to finding meaningful work or building new professional networks. This is where the Spouse Program steps in.
The Spouse Program is offered by the City of Helsinki as part of International House Helsinki’s services. The program aims to help international spouses feel more at home in the Helsinki region by offering a variety of events, webinars, activities, and career support. The career support helps spouses navigate the local job market, build networks, and better understand Finnish work culture.
Innovation in action
Design Solution Day is one career-support opportunity which connects spouses directly with local companies under a format benefiting both parties.
In this year’s event, challenges from companies ranged from service design and user experience to language and culture pathways in the future of Ukraine. Participants were divided into six different teams with two teams per company and were guided by alumni tutors who participated in last year’s Tech Solution Day.
After an initial briefing from each partner company, teams worked closely to understand the problem and find creative ways to solve it. Kristian Nieminen, the Country Manager from Epicenter Helsinki, was happily surprised at the intensity and concentration found in his teams, who were asking all the right questions as they formulated their solution.
After hours of brainstorming, problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration, the teams had the opportunity to pitch their solution. Each company team, though working on the same challenge, proposed a unique and fresh solution that impressed the companies.
“They related to the problem because it probably touches them very closely” noted Minna Ilva, a Senior Advisor from the City of Helsinki, whose challenge in partnership with Forum Virium Helsinki related to user experience on Helsinki’s website.
Reijonen noted how participants’ fresh perspectives and experiences from other countries were very valuable, especially because these services are built with the user in mind.
All three companies were impressed by the participants. “The way that they’ve worked in unison with each other has been great to see, and they’re from all around the world” commented Niilo Vesanen, a Sales Consultant from Berlitz.
“I kinda wish we could hire them all” said Sveiby.
Looking Ahead
As Finland continues to attract more international talent, ensuring that their families are supported will be key to long-term retention and integration. Crucially, there remains a lot of untapped potential in this space.
For companies, the event was an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and access a pool of highly motivated and talented professionals. For participants, it offered hands-on experience, employer visibility, and the chance to showcase their skills in a professional, fast-paced environment.
Events like Design Solution Day are just a glimpse of how much energy, creativity, and skill international spouses can offer to the Finnish workforce. As the Spouse Program looks ahead, future events will continue building on career support and offer new ways for spouses to engage, connect, and thrive in their new home, Helsinki.