Hilkka-Leena Orava, Regional Representative for Eastern Uusimaa at the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, outlines key areas for development in the upcoming council term.
Businesses are the foundation of municipal vitality and well-being: they create jobs, generate tax revenue, and enable high-quality services. Municipalities must build and maintain an environment where businesses can grow and thrive. When businesses prosper, the municipality benefits as well, and wise decisions by local policymakers accelerate growth, making it possible to finance new investments.
The Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce’s election priorities for Eastern Uusimaa include improving the availability of skilled labor and work-based immigration, promoting tourism in the region’s nature and archipelago areas, and ensuring efficient and well-developed transport connections within the commuting area. Another key goal is to establish Eastern Uusimaa as a pioneer in the green transition.
Since population growth in Eastern Uusimaa is largely driven by immigration, it is crucial to develop services that effectively support international professionals and their families. During the work permit application process, recruiting companies must work together to ensure that Eastern Uusimaa is not only an attractive place to work but also to live and settle in.
There must be sufficient early childhood education and school placements for children and young people, including vocational education in English. Employment opportunities for spouses should be explored in collaboration with businesses, and access to Finnish language education should be streamlined by working with employers—for instance, by offering digital language courses that immigrants can start before arriving in Finland. The new English-Finnish comprehensive school pathway soon opening in Porvoo will attract international professionals and their families to move to and work in the entire Eastern Uusimaa region.
As of this year, employment services have been transferred from the state to municipalities. It is now particularly important to develop employment services in close cooperation with local businesses and educational institutions. The needs of businesses must be heard, and employment services must be tailored to meet these demands.
Investments in Eastern Uusimaa must be supported through agile zoning and permit processes that attract both small and large companies to the region. Clear strategies and visions, a business-friendly environment, and the promotion of partnerships and cooperation are also necessary to achieve this.
Eastern Uusimaa is home to several significant green transition projects related to hydrogen production and solar energy. These initiatives should be brought under a unified framework to increase visibility, enhance regional awareness, and create new jobs in the area through strengthened collaboration.
This article was translated by an AI. Please find the original here.
