Swedish in the Capital Region
Martin-Eric asked me a long while ago if Luckan would be offering Swedish classes financed by the TE-central. The answer is no. And no again – there are no Swedish courses in the capital region that would be eligible as integrationtraining classes for immigrants. Immigrants with a permanent residency, who are entitled to unemployment benefits and have lived in Finland under three years are entitled to an integration plan. The client agrees with the employment office about which course they should attend. Often it is agreed that they should take Finnish courses. The courses should be about 20 hours per week in order to qualify as sufficient courses and for the client to receive its unemployment benefit. But there are none in Swedish. Others who are not entitled to the integrationtraining but to the unemployment benefit can also attend these courses and receive receive the benefit but in that case your spouse’s income might affect the amount.
The enrolment to the ARBIS courses is the 26th August. Luckan has one beginners course in Swedish arranged by ARBIS that starts in October. ARBIS offers intensive courses for free. These are usually on day-time. For more information see Bridge website: www.luckan.fi/bridge. New for this semester is a swedish course to learn swedish children’s songs and stories. The course also starts in October and is held in Luckan. The Helsinki University offers some Swedish courses as well. They cost around 100€. To look for those you have to go in on the kielikeskus homepage or by going to Bridge homepage. I have tried to gather all the courses in offered to learn Swedish on them.
I have met persons, with a will made of steel, who have managed to sew together a sufficient amount of Swedish courses (by attending loads of different courses) to qualify as a course accepted by the Employment office. And in theory it should be possible to learn Swedish instead of Finnish but usually you are greatly discouraged by the Employment office to do so.
However!
Welcome – Välkommen to the courses available at the moment!
[Original finns här]
Any changes of Luckan or Arbis delivering handouts for immigrants? The handout could include f.e. english translation of the first paragraph of the language act and a following citat from the Act on the Integration of Immigrants and Reception of Asylum Seekers (1999).
"The integration plan may be an agreement on providing support for studies in Finnish or Swedish.."
http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990493.pdf
What's needed instead needed is to summon the Minister of Labor personally, in writing, and demand to see their implementation plan for those said laws. Insist on demanding that the implementation plan includes a report on where and how it has been implemented, by whom and request copies of the forms that an immigrant must fill to enroll for integration measures in Swedish. Also request a list of TE-offices that offer the integration program in Swedish, with names of the bureaucrats in charge for each office.
My best guess is, neither the Minister nor anyone else in this country will be able to provide you with any of the above because, surprise, it was only implemented for Finnish, in practice.
