Of the academic engineers and architects who graduated in 2024, 24% think it’s likely that they’ll be working abroad five years after graduation. This is according to TEK’s Graduate Survey, which examines the experiences of recent graduates in the field of technology in relation to their studies and work.
The figures are particularly high for those with a nationality other than Finnish. As many as 45% of them see their future elsewhere, despite being largely satisfied with their degree. Newly graduated Finns were also slightly more interested in working abroad than before.
Difficulty in transitioning to the Finnish labour market is hampering the employment of new international graduates. And there are lots of them, as already about one in four tech students are non-Finnish.
"The difficulties arise already when looking for places to conduct thesis work. 66% of Finns completed their thesis in collaboration with a company, compared to only one third of international students. Of that one third, 18% received no financial compensation for their work, while the same figure for Finns was 6%. There’s room for improvement here," says Juhani Nokela, TEK’s Director of Public Affairs.
The employment situation among recent graduates also varied by nationality. 18% of Finns were looking for work, while the figure for international graduates was 42%. EU nationals fared better than non-EU nationals in terms of both thesis work collaboration and employment in general.
"It’s clear that if the employment situation of international students and graduates is not improved, we’ll lose a huge amount of expertise and potential. The interest new graduates show in international careers is positive in itself. Working abroad should be a matter of choice, however, not due to issues with employment," Nokela emphasises.
TEK Graduate Survey maps experiences of recent graduates in technology and architecture relating to expertise and skills, study progress, work experience and employment situation as well as overall satisfaction with their degree. The survey is conducted at universities offering education in technology, and it reaches almost all academic engineers and architects graduating in Finland.
TEK Graduate Survey results 2024
TEK has also examined the situation of international tech experts with a survey conducted in 2024 together with the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland. According to the survey, only 52% of the international tech experts would recommend Finland to foreigners as a place to live and work.