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IMIB - Immigrants as Business Mentors

The IMIB Network supports the integration of international students and professionals into Finnish working life in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It aims to promote work-life skills, entrepreneurial competence, employment, and professional networking by offering concrete collaboration opportunities between internationals and companies.

The goal of the Immigrants as Business Mentors project is to promote the employment of international students and SIMHE clients by connecting them with Finnish companies to solve work-life-related assignments (projects). In doing so, the project aims to create a pathway for employing students and SIMHE clients in companies and to support entrepreneurial competence.

The IMIB Network, developed through the project, promotes the employment of international students and highly educated individuals by providing training in work-life skills and entrepreneurship skills, as well as by connecting them with companies operating in the Uusimaa region.

The target groups are international students, international professionals (SIMHE clients), and companies in the Uusimaa region.

The IMIB Network offers the following activities:

  • In the Business mentoring model small teams of international students/professionals work together on assignments defined by a company. During the three-month period, you will work in a team of 3–4 participants, supported by career coaches from Haaga-Helia and Metropolia UAS. The workload is approximately 50 hours/ participant.
  • Career Workshops: These workshops help participants recognize their own skills and increase their understanding of the Finnish job market.
  • Entrepreneurship Workshops: These sessions strengthen international professionals’ knowledge of entrepreneurship.
  • Employer Workshops: These workshops focus on workplace inclusivity and the benefits of diverse personnel.

The next round of business assignments (Business Mentoring Model) and workshops for internationals and employers will begin again in September 2025.

You can follow the activities of the IMIB Network on its LinkedIn channel.

Contacts

Jaana Vaittinen
Project Manager
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
jaana.vaittinen [at] metropolia.fi (jaana[dot]vaittinen[at]metropolia[dot]fi)

Inka Saarela
Career Coach
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
inka.saarela [at] metropolia.fi (inka[dot]saarela[at]metropolia[dot]fi)

The Immigrants as Business Mentors project is coordinated by Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and implemented in partnership with Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF+).

The IMIB Network, established as part of the project, promotes the employment of international students and highly educated by providing training in work-life and entrepreneurship skills, and by connecting them with companies operating in the Uusimaa region.

The project started in January 2024 and will end in May 2026.