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The wellbeing services county of Vantaa and Kerava (VAKE) offers unemployed care assistants the possibility to educate themselves to practical nurses. The education is for persons, who have finnish as second language.
The education is carried out in collaboration with Vantaa skills centre and integration services competence centre and Vantaa vocational college Varia. The application is open 12.9–28.11.2025 and the studies start in the beginning of 2026. 20 students will be selected for the education.
The reason for the education is both improvement of employment situation as well as the aging of the population.
- Vantaa is one of the fastest aging cities and for example many of our staff in nursing homes will be retiring during the coming years, tells the executive director for Vantaa and Kerava wellbeing services county´s nursing homes Armi Hyry.
- At the same time, we want to improve employment and answer to the needs of the multicultural population.
The education is intended for unemployed care assistants, whose mother tongue is not finnish or swedish. The applicants are required to have an educational background as care assistant and language skills in finnish on at least A2.2 level.
- Vantaa is one of Finland´s most multicultural cities and language skills can have a significant impact on employment. We want to support the integration and employment of persons speaking a foreign language, says Hyry.
The applicants are also expected to be motivated to study to practical nurse in the services for elderly.
- We are going to increase the educated staff especially in nursing home services, justifies Hyry.
A large proportion of Vantaa´s residents speak some other language than finnish or swedish as mother tongue, why more professionals with language skills are needed in the services for elderly.
The studies start in the beginning of 2026 with a preparatory period, where work life skills will be strengthened, such as digital skills and finnish language skills. The actual practical nurse studies start in march.
The education combines studies and workplace learning. Vocational college Varia is responsible for the tuition and the wellbeing services county provides the workplaces and the professional learning environment.
The students are supported by coordinators from the competence centre and a S2-coach at the workplaces. The coordinator and coach give support in everyday challenges and strengthen the student´s language skills in finnish.
- Those who have completed the education will have good possibilities to be employed in the future in VAKEs units as a practical nurse specialized in the elderly services, if the studies goes well and there are open jobs, Hyry tells.
You can apply to the education through Vantaa skills centre and integration services.
You get more information about the education and how to apply for the education by contacting the employment experts Jaana Weckman (jaana.weckman@vantaa.fi) and Anne Kotkavuori-Rossi (anne.kotkavuori-rossi@vantaa.fi) at Vantaa skills centre and integration services competence centre by email.