Career services provided support when it was needed most

– For the first time, people realized that someone cared about them. The union stepped in just when jobs were about to disappear, is how Tarja Kaunismäki describes the feelings of her former colleagues from a year and a half ago.

Kaunismäki worked as the chief union representative at Ifolor, a company that produced photo products.

Her comment refers to a March 2023 event organized by PAM, where the union provided information to Ifolor members who were being laid off, outlining the support offered by PAM, including career services and the unemployment fund.

A month earlier, Ifolor had announced it would relocate all its production from Kerava to Switzerland. This move resulted in layoffs for about 40 people.

The news of the factory closure was a shock to the staff. Although demand had slightly decreased, the factory was still profitable. The fact that production was moving to Switzerland, rather than a country with cheaper labor, also stirred various emotions.

Ifolor was a workplace where people enjoyed working. Many joined the company intending to stay. The average age of the employees was around fifty.

– Many of us hadn’t applied for a job in years or even decades. Some had never even created a CV. You could get a job by calling and asking. We were in a totally new situation, Kaunismäki explains.

Career coaching brought hope

After the event, Coolla, the company providing PAM’s career services, rolled up its sleeves and began helping 15 PAM members from Ifolor transition to new careers.

Each employee had slightly different starting points, but one thing united them: there were no identical jobs available. To find employment, people had to change industries, possibly even study something new.

– Career coaching is always personal. We met with each employee an average of four times. We assessed their skills and interests. We also updated their CVs. At the same time, we considered what their own path could be and how they could pursue it, says Coolla’s CEO, Susan Calonius.

Many of the employees also received statutory transition coaching paid for by the employer in addition to PAM’s career services.

According to Calonius, the feelings of those laid off varied at the start of the coaching. Younger employees might have seen the layoff as the beginning of something new.

Older employees, however, felt more hopeless and uncertain about their chances of finding new jobs. Many wondered if they were still marketable. Had their skills become outdated, and were employers’ requirements now beyond their reach?

However, as the coaching progressed, the sense of hopelessness faded.

– For example, seeing a colleague who had just become a grandmother find a job during the second coaching session boosted everyone’s confidence, Calonius says.

The Coolla team actively searched for jobs for those laid off. They called companies and asked if there was a need for workers.

By the end of the coaching, everyone except one person had found a job. Most of them found employment through hidden job opportunities identified by Coolla’s outreach. Some studied alongside their work or entered apprenticeship programs.

– Recently, I learned that the last person who hadn’t yet found a job secured a position they were happy with just before retirement, Calonius shares.

Finding your path

Tarja Kaunismäki has received nothing but praise from her colleagues about the career services. She is also very satisfied.

– For example, I got invaluable help with creating my CV. I had never made a CV before, and I couldn’t have made one this well on my own, she praises.

According to Kaunismäki, it felt like the career services staff were genuinely helpful during the coaching. Responses to messages were prompt, and the coaches themselves initiated contact. Meetings were arranged flexibly.

Coolla’s job search specialists also found a hidden job opportunity for Kaunismäki. However, the job didn’t feel right for her.

Now, the former chief union representative is studying to become a practical nurse while on earnings-related unemployment benefits.

Keep your CV updated just in case

The closure of the Ifolor factory came as a surprise to its employees. Even now, the job market remains uncertain.

Calonius encourages everyone to update their job-seeking skills as a precaution.

– At the very least, it’s worth having your CV in top shape. That way, you don’t have to start from scratch if something unexpected happens.

Text: Anu Vallinkoski
Pictures: Eeva Anundi