We are pleased to welcome you as a participant in the Manager’s Training Programme in Finland. To help you acclimate to Finland and your traineeship, we have provided this booklet of general information on MTP in Finland and Finland in general. After reading it, if you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.

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The MTP programme as a whole is carried out by a consortium lead by DMAN, a German institute. In Finland the programme is the responsibility of the Finnish MTP partner, which is Finnish College for SME Business Administration (usually called just SMEBA or, in Finnish, “Suomen Yrittäjäopisto”). It is situated in Kauhava, in the Ostrobothnia area on the West Coast of Finland. It is specialised in training of entrepreneurs, business administration professionals and ADP-specialists. SMEBA has been involved in Tacis projects for several years, and is proud to represent MTP in Finland.

Because most of MTP participants in Finland do not spend the main part of their traineeship in the neighbourhood of SMEBA, a network of experts has been created to assist the participants elsewhere in Finland. It is the principle of MTP in Finland, that although the basic traineeship arrangements are taken care of centrally, the participants should have access to assistance in whatever area their Host Company is located. Generally each participant is assigned a Domestic Tutor, who lives in the same area, to provide support in daily practical issue. Each participant is also assigned a Project Coach, although (s)he may not always be local.

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Host Companies for MTP participants are found in Finland mainly based on the skills and Home Company profiles of the candidates selected from the database of MTP as potentially interesting for Finnish MTP. The Host Companies vary in size and sector considerably.

The Host Companies receive no financial benefit in return for accepting and hosting an MTP participant. They are generally motivated by interest in either the contacts that the participant might be able to establish or in a specific task which they hope the participant will be able to carry out during the traineeship for the Host Company. This means that although all Host Companies make the commitment to support the participants learning and provide opportunities for it, they also expect a similar commitment from the participants towards the tasks agreed upon.

All traineeships in Finland are based on forming a project for the participant for the duration of the traineeship. This means that the participant and the Host Company in the beginning of the traineeship agree on a draft schedule with assigned checkpoints for the whole traineeship. The traineeship concludes with a final report on what was accomplished.

The process of planning the traineeship, as well as carrying out the plan, is supported by the assistance of a Project Coach. The Project Coach is an MTP expert assigned to mediate and support both the Participant and the Host Company – to help make sure that the time spent in the Host Company is useful and beneficial.

The participants who are invited to Finland for their traineeship are usually accommodated either in apartments or in gasthaus-type accommodation, in some cases also in hotel accommodation. In Finland there is no long tradition of bed-and-breakfast type accommodation which exists in many European countries. The supply of furnished apartments for rent is also rather lower than the demand for them, and in many smaller cities non-existent. Therefore MTP Finland is not always able to provide for participants accommodation in an apartment, although this is the form of accommodation we primarily aim for.

If a participant is living in an apartment, there is no breakfast provided. In hotel or gasthaus accommodation, there is generally the possibility of having breakfast there. In hotels/gasthauses there is usually a cleaning service, but in apartments there is not.

Because of the lack of availability of suitable accommodation, it is not in all case possible to locate a place to stay that would be within walking distance of the Host Company; therefore the participants are often required to use public transportation for going to and from their Host Company. In this their situation is not, however, in any way different of that experienced by majority of Finns. Daily travel time exceeding 20 minutes has been very exceptional so far.

Pocket money for MTP participants is the same in every country in Europe: 5 euro per day. In addition to this, a meal allowance is provided for participants. It’s overall size is calculated according to whether the participant receives lunch or breakfast in his or her accommodation and host company. The rate of meal allowance is at maximum 20 euros per day, at minimum 9 euros per weekday and 16 on weekends. The system of distributing the pocket money and meal allowance is simple: for each participant a bank account is opened, in which the money is deposited for two weeks at a time. The participants can withdraw the money using a cash machine card.

The participants in Finland are also lent mobile phones for internal MTP communications. With them, the participants are able to contact MTP personnel or their Host Company without charge, and able to receive calls from anyone, even from Russia or Ukraine, without charge. It is not, however, possible to use the MTP phones for calling others, unless the participant acquires a separate SIM-card for that purpose (cost of such card is app. 300-400 Finnish marks).

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The MTP traineeship begins with an Introductory Seminar. The purpose of the 5-day seminar is to help participants adjust to working in Finnish company for the internship period and, more generally, to Finland and Finnish customs. In connection with the seminar, some leisure activities are also scheduled, as well as a company visit or two.

After the seminar, the participants travel to their Host Company location, where they are met by their Domestic Tutors and settle into the accommodation arranged for them. After that, the internship in the Host Company is begun. During the internship period, the participants meet regularly with the Project Coach to ensure that everything is going smoothly.

In the middle of the internship phase, a Midterm Review is arranged, where all participants and most Project Coaches meet. The Midterm Review takes one day, and it’s main content is the participant’s presentations of their experiences and further plans. Following the Midterm review, some joint voluntary leisure programme is generally arranged.

At the end of the internship in the Host Company, it is customary that one more joint meeting is arranged, with some leisure activities. After that the participants leave Finland to attend the three-day Europa seminar, which is arranged in a different country.

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In the following you will find a short general presentation of Finland. We hope that you will find it useful. If you have questions regarding MTP in Finland, please do not hesitate to contact MTP Office Finland.

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Mrs. Alec Tweedie, 1897

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Finland is the northernmost country in the world after Iceland. But the climate is not as freezing as that might suggest, partly because of the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. Summer temperatures encourage sunbathing, and the short but spectacular spring and autumn seasons help to counterbalance the effect of the winter. And at least inside it is never cold: Finns learned long ago how to build warm houses.

We have Sweden to the west, the tip of Norway in the north, a long border with Russia in the East, and Estonia to the south, across the Gulf of Finland.

Finland has a long coastline. The archipelago to the south and south west of the country contains around 30,000 islands, and is one of the world’s most beautiful marine areas. Finland is also a land of lakes: almost 200,000 at the last count. Two thirds of the country is covered by forest, which we like to call our ”green gold”.

Ours is a long, narrow country. In the early summer, when people are sunning themselves on the beaches in the south, others in the north are still skiing. In terms of land area, Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe; with a population of only five million, the sense of space is truly amazing.

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Finland and Finns have been moulded by the country’s location between East and West. From the 13th century Finland was part of the Swedish sphere of influence for several centuries, and actually part of the Swedish Realm from the 14th century. Finns fought in many a Swedish army, often against Russia. In 1809, after Sweden had lost the war with Russia, Finland was ceded to Russia and became an autonomous Grand Duchy within Tsarist Russia, its Grand duke being the Tsar himself. During the 19th century Finnish national feeling grew stronger. Finnish language and culture began to flourish, and demands for political independence were increasingly aired.

In 1906 Finland succeeded in establishing a new constitution based on equal and universal suffrage: Finnish women were the first in Europe to be given the vote. After the October Revolution in Russia in 1917, Finland declared itself independent in December of the same year. The first decades of independence were a period of rapid social and cultural construction.

During World War II Finland managed to retain its independence. Since the war, Finland has pursued a policy of neutrality, military non-alliance, and this has created the basis for the present welfare state. Finland has been a member of the European Union since the beginning of 1995 and joined the Monetary Union in the first group, in 1999.

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Finland has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish; the latter is the mother tongue of about 6% of the population. In addition to Finnish and Swedish, about two thousand people in Lapland speak the Sami language. We are proud of our literacy level, which is virtually 100%.

About 56% of Finns over the age of 15 have completed post-compulsory school education: 43% have a secondary level and 13% have a higher level degree. Overall, we are educationally well up front in Europe; young Finnish women, in particular, are exceptionally well educated. The most widely studied foreign language is English, followed by German, French and Russian. You will be able to deal with all your official business in English.

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Finland is a parliamentary republic with a multiparty political system. Legislative power lies with Parliament, with 200 members elected by direct proportional vote for a term of 4 years. Supreme executive power is exercised by the President, who is elected for a term of 6 years and may serve a maximum of only two consecutive terms, together with the Government, which must enjoy the confidence of Parliament. At present, the President of Finland is Tarja Halonen. Of the political parties, most influential are at present the Social Democrats who hold the office of Prime Minister.

Finland is divided into provinces (administered by the State) and municipalities (with local self-government). The municipalities levy their own taxes, manage their own economic affairs and maintain public order. One of the provinces, the Åland Islands (between Finland and Sweden), enjoys a special autonomous status.

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Before World War II Finland was predominantly an agricultural country with a rather narrow industrial sector; exports came only from the wood processing industry. The subsequent development into a complex market economy took place very rapidly after World War II. Alongside the wood industry the main manufacturing areas are now the metal industry, chemicals, textiles and construction. The overall structural change of the economy has brought about a dramatic expansion in the service sector: two thirds of the total output is generated in the service sector.

Certain high tech fields, such as computers and communications equipment, have also grown spectacularly. Finland is a world leader in the development of mobile phones and their networks--and Finns are also avid users of these. Finnish design, too, is well known: classical examples are Marimekko textiles, Iittala glass and Fiskars scissors. Finland’s main trading partners are Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, the United States and Russia.

Agriculture and forestry 6.7%
Industry 21.4%
Construction 6.4%
Commerce 14.8%
Transport and communication 7.5%
Financial services 11.5%
Miscellaneous services 31.3%

A large majority of Finnish enterprises are very small. In 1997, there were only 100 enterprises with personnel over 1000. At the same time, 94% of all Finnish enterprises have less than 10 employees.

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Population: 5.1 million. Population density is approx. 17 inhabitants/sq.km. Percentage of urban population is about 62%.

Major cities: Helsinki, the capital, pop. 539,000 (the metropolitan area including the neighbouring towns of Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa has a population of 920,000); Tampere, pop. 189,000; Turku, pop. 169,000

Monetary unit: the Finnish mark, (markka), divided into 100 pennies (penni). Markka is now a euro currency. The value is determined as a fixed relation to euro. The conversion rate is 1 EUR = 5,94573 markka. In 2002, the markka will cease to be used and Finland will adopt the common European currency for all transactions. Even now, it is possible to have euro as account currency, although euro as a cash currency does not exist yet.

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Finland lies between the west winds and the arctic front, so the weather is hard to predict. Winter is cold, but 6 C warmer than most other regions of world that are as far north. Summer is as warm as in England, Netherlands and Belgium, and there is generally less rain. Winter snow cover in coastal regions is often scant but, in the east and the north, the skiing season lasts a good six months.

January is the coldest month: The coldest ever in Finland was on the 28 January 1998, when the temperature fell to – 51,5 C in Kittilä, Lapland. The average midday temperature in Helsinki in January is – 6 C. July is the warmest month, when the average midday temperature is over 20 C in the south of the country and just below it in the north.

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Some foreign visitors may feel that Finns are shy, reserved and difficult to get acquainted with. According to a traditional saying Finns smile and laugh only when they are drunk. One has to be careful making such generalisations, though; Finns are not all alike and times change!

The younger generation, consisting of well-travelled, multilingual people, does not differ from their counterparts in other countries. Older people, especially in the rural areas, may appear a bit reserved, partly because they seldom speak other languages than Finnish. However, once the ”ice is broken” you will experience the unpretentious sincere hospitality that characterises the Finnish countryside.

Finns are a fairly straightforward people: we say what we mean, and we mean what we say. You can trust a Finn’s word.

Life in Finland has a relaxed feel. In fact, the older generation is occasionally of the opinion that things are becoming a bit too lax. The more formal forms of address are rarely heard among the young, although older people still appreciate more formality, such as a polite handshake on being introduced. Handshaking is also common in business meetings, both on arrival and departure. At work the atmosphere tends to be informal, first names are used and people often dress informally.

Equality between the sexes is considered important in Finland. A lot of progress has been made both at work and home, although no one, least of all Finns, are satisfied that the equality is now perfect. Nevertheless women are quite likely to have careers even after having children, and are also equally likely to hold positions of responsibility. It is not safe to make assumptions about rank or status on basis of gender; in private corporations the very highest level of leadership is often in the hands of men, but women often hold key positions in middle management. Beware of all generalisations, including this one!

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There are four national television channels in Finland. Two of these are operated by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, which is a non-commercial public service broadcaster. The two others are provided by commercial providers of which Commercial MTV3 is the larger. Radio broadcasts are provided both by YLE and numerous commercial broadcasters. Most local radio stations are commercially funded. Local and cable stations, where available, predominantly relay foreign and domestic programming, as the production costs are prohibitive in the small market.

Total circulation of all newspapers is 3,6 million. Relative to population, this gives Finland the ranking of third in the world, after Norway and Japan. Most newspapers are bought on subscription and delivered home; only two depend entirely on newsstand sales.

Most towns with a population of over 10 000 have movie theatres. Foreign films are subtitled, not dubbed, so it easy to follow for example American movies. Movie tickets in evenings and weekends cost about 35 – 50 marks. During working days it is possible to find cheaper rates in larger cities.

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There are about four cars in Finland for every ten inhabitants. The average age of cars is rather high by western European standards because of the high sales tax on private cars. There are 75 000 km of public roads. The rail network has been reduced somewhat to 5.8 thousand km, of which about third is now electrified.

In the urban areas the public transportation systems is generally efficient, extensive and very popular, because in Finland driving a private car is a thoroughly taxed activity. Especially the price of petrol for consumers is high because of the taxes.

All towns and cities have local bus services. Helsinki has busses, trams, local trains and a metro. Tickets in Helsinki are valid for any form of transport. Single tickets can be bought on buses and trams at R-kiosks and at the entrance to metro stations. There is a nation-wide network of trains, bus and air services. The railway goes as far as Kemijärvi and Kolari.

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The country code for Finland is 358. The regional codes begin with 0, which is dropped when calling Finland from abroad. For example, if calling the number 123 4567 in Helsinki from abroad, the number would be +358 9 123 4567 and if calling from another area in Finland, the number would be 09 123 4568. Similarly, for calls from abroad, the first 0 of a gsm or nmt mobile phone number is dropped. The area codes can be found in the telephone books. Approximately 57% of Finns have also a mobile phone.

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The usual office hours in Finland are 8.00 or 9.00 to 16.00 or 17.00. There is a lot of variety, since in the recent years many offices have adopted mixed schedules and have one or two days a week later hours in order to provide better service. The banks are generally open from 9.00 - 9.15 to 16.00 - 16.30. In some rural areas, municipal and government offices may be closed for a lunch break around noon.

In general employees have a short lunch break and one or two brief coffee breaks during the working day, but much depends on the culture and practises of the company in questions.

The time in Finland is one hour ahead of Central European time and one hour behind Moscow time.

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Finns typically eat a substantial breakfast – coffee, bread, milk, yoghurt and maybe porridge. There is a mid-day meal, and then an evening meal at home at 17.00 or 18.00. Home cooking is held in high regard: this would include meat or fish, potatoes, vegetables, bread and dairy products.

Water and milk are the usual drinks to enjoy with a meal, and beer and wine are also possible. In restaurants the prices vary a great deal. Pizza and hamburger restaurants – very popular among the younger generation - offer complete meals at prizes ranging from 25 to 40 marks. Otherwise a restaurant meal may cost anything from 35 to 350 marks, depending on the restaurant. Most restaurants have a reasonably prized, more limited, lunch menu between 11.00 and 14.00.

There is no shortage of pubs and bars. Going out for a drink with friends is very popular. The custom is for everyone to pay for himself or herself. Cafés are also a popular way to spend time.

Closing times vary; some places close at 01.00, some bars and discos remain open until 04.00. About half-an-hour before closing they flash the lights for the last call and then stop serving.

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Tips are customary only for hotel and restaurant doormen and porters. Prices in restaurants include a service charge; a few extra coins may also be left on the table. Hotel bills include a 15% service charge. Barbers and hairdressers do not expect tips.

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It is safe to assume that smoking is not allowed unless you are told otherwise. Offices and other working environments are, by law, smoke-free. If you are a smoker, you should ask where you can smoke. Some offices have a separate smoking room, in others smoking is only allowed outdoors.

Most restaurants have non-smoking areas. If there is no ashtray on the table, you are probably not allowed to smoke at that table. Smoking is also prohibited in the immediate vicinity of the service bar in bars and restaurants. In a table at a restaurant, if you are the first in your party to take out a pack of cigarettes, it is polite to ask the others if you may smoke.

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Most shops are open Monday-Friday from 9.00 or 10.00 to 17.00 or 18.00, and on Saturdays until about 15.00. Some shops, especially grocery shops and department stores stay open later, till 20.00 or 21.00 on weekdays and 18.00 on Saturdays. Shopping centers with dozens of shops are open even later, till 22.00. Sometimes shops are also open on Sundays.

VAT (Value Added Tax) in Finland is 22% for most products and services. Some products like books and public transportation, have a lower tax. The tax is included in the prices. For non-EU residents, tax-free shopping is possible in in stores that display the Tax-free Shopping sign. The tax refund is received upon leaving EU.

For good bargains, it is wise to talk to people who know the area, as prices can vary quite a lot from one shop to another.

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The average Finnish family has 2.9 persons. The number of families with just one child is decreasing. Although the divorce rate has risen, and although more couples are living together without marrying, 68% of families with children contain a married couple.

Finnish children do not start school until the age of seven, but a child below school age is entitled to day-care under the supervision of the municipality. Compulsory schooling lasts till 16.

The vast majority of children continue to senior secondary school. 57% of the whole population has senior secondary or university-level education. Education and science account for 18% of government expenditure.

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The sauna is a form of sweat bath, with dry air at a temperature of 80-90 degrees Celsius (175-195F). To increase sweating, water is thrown on the stove. The people taking a sauna bath are seated naked, or in towels, on tiers of wooden benches, the highest being the hottest. The traditional form, the smoke sauna, has almost died out. It had a fireplace with no chimney, the smoke exiting through a small hole near the roof. These disappeared with the development of new sauna stoves, which have a metal casing and a chimney.

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It is common to visit the sauna at least once a week. There are more saunas in Finland than cars, an average of one for every four people. In modern city apartments the sauna is part of the bathroom and is heated by electricity. In the countryside it is likely to be a separate wooden building heated by a wood stove. The sauna is, in fact, a lot like the Russian “banja”.

• If you are a smoker, bring with you the 200 cigarettes that Customs allows you. Cigarettes are very expensive in Finland.
• Bring a Russian/English dictionary. Lots of Finns speak English, practically no one speaks Russian.
• It is useful to have a Hotmail.com email address, or something similar.
• For the winter, bring warm clothes, especially if you come from South yourself.
• Bring business cards
• Bring your swimsuit
• Do not bring dishes (plates or knives or things like that)

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On the Internet: For almost all practical information, first check the Internet address http://www.mek.fi (Finnish tourist information) which offers a lot of detailed information on travel, costs, activities etc. and a number of useful links to other sites of interest. For statistical information, try http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/ or the netsite of the Bank of Finland at http://www.bof.fi/. For current affairs and general information, a good site is the ’Virtual Finland’ at http://virtual.finland.fi/ .

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In person: Of course you are also always welcome to call on the MTP Office Finland at Suomen Yrittäjäopisto (in English, Finnish College for SME Business Administration or SMEBA). Here’s our contact information:

Suomen Yrittäjäopisto

Kauppatie 109

62200 Kauhava

Tel. exchange +358 6 431 5111

Fax: +358 6 434 2240

Email: mtp@smek.fi

The MTP team at Suomen Yrittäjäopisto:

Mrs. Anu Pyyhtinen, Domestic Tutor Coordinator (+358 6 431 5363 or +358 400 518 828)

Mrs. Tuija Pekkinen, Logistics, Matching & placements (+358 6 431 5255 or +358 50 381 4229)

Mrs. Anmari Viljamaa Country Manager (+358 6 431 5360 or +358 40 561 5468)

Once your participation in MTP in Finland is confirmed, you will receive contact information for your Project Coach and your Host Company. Upon arrival in Finland, you will also receive contact information for your Domestic Tutor.

We look forward to meeting you in person!