Tampere is developing an anticipatory cooperation model to address the labour shortage in early childhood education

In the cooperation model each employment service team has a Customer Service Specialist who is specializing in early childhood education. They are called as VAKA Agents. In addition to their core responsibilities, these agents deepen their expertise in the sector. The aim is that VAKA Agents working in Employment and Growth Services can match job seekers with available positions in early childhood education sector effectively. Through the collaboration, the city seeks to

• increase the number of skilled professionals in the daycare centers
• provide job seekers with information about the employer and career paths in the City of Tampere’s Early Childhood and Pre-primary Education services  
• enhance employment services by equipping Employment Service Specialists with the ability to give more detailed guidance to job seekers motivated to work in the sector.

Hands-on collaboration

The core of the cooperation model is in the VAKA Agents’ familiarization with the daily operations and recruitment needs of the early childhood education sector. They gain hands-on experience through job rotation called 'A Day at the Daycare', which provides them with a versatile and practical understanding of work environments, job roles, and the skills required in the field.

The experience they gain supports their work in employment services and can be shared with colleagues. The common goal is to be able to identify job seeker groups for whom the sector may be a suitable match, and to provide more detailed guidance to those interested in early childhood education.

Insights gained through this process are shared within employment service teams and in joint meetings of VAKA Agents. This way employment services and early childhood education find new solutions for connecting the right jobseekers with the right job opportunities.

Who benefits from the expertise of VAKA Agents?

The initiative represents a new demand-driven approach in employment services. In the new model the skills and recruitment needs of local employers are at the core of the service.

By building sector-specific networks within employment services, the likelihood to match the right job seeker with the right job increases. The goal is for VAKA Agents to gradually take on a senior role in early childhood education matters, including:

• advising their colleagues
• supporting the onboarding of junior staff and
• taking responsibility for job seekers interested in the early childhood education sector.

Many pathways to enter the sector

The VAKA Agents’ knowledge of the field, combined with insights gained through site visits to various daycare centres, help job seekers to identify the career opportunities and understand how to proceed towards them.

The career path can start in many ways, such as through work trials, training trials or temporary assignments. At the start, assistant roles may not require formal qualifications in the field. It is possible to study while working and to progress from assistant to childcarer of the early childhood eduction and care. The path may eventually lead to a master’s degree in education, which opens opportunities to work as a daycare centre director or deputy director.

Tampere as an employer promotes continuous learning

The early childhood education sector offers diverse opportunities for career development. As an employer, the City of Tampere’s Early Childhood and Pre-primary Education Services supports the studies of the permanent staff for example by providing paid study days. Furthermore, a new level-based salary model that will be introduced in October 2025 acknowledges acquired skills, education, and qualifications through salary supplements.

Text: Marja-Liisa Tuomisaari, Ulla Lukkari
English translation by Petra Mattila