Giving a voice for the youth

Finland’s Slot Machine Association RAY’s Paikka auki – Nuoret työelämään, (Eng.: Open vacancy – Youth into work life) programme had a goal of building a strong communications concept that would stand out from others. The point was not for adults higher in work hierarchy to preach to their youngers, but to let the youth connect with and talk to their peers.

The main goal of the campaign is to help unemployed youth up to 29-year-old to find work within social and health care organisations and provide them with skills supporting their employability.

Paikka auki support programme was RAY’s first line communication project for 2014.

We’re done talking – work, please!

Work, please! concept has a forward and constructing approach the issue of youth unemployment. The basis of communication was to give voice to the youth themselves, and influence through brave, positive attitude and actions. We are done with talking – work, please! In collaboration with Bob the Robot, we planned and created the visual identity and website, that make the project stand out from the rest with its fresh design and style.

The new support programme was launched widely to reach all target groups. The first line targets were social and health care organisations, unemployed youth and youth that for personal reasons have troubles getting employed, as well as public and business sector influencers.

According to RAY’s decisions on social aid, the campaign was launched for the public early 2014. The launch was supported by data from together with Nuorten Johtoryhmä (Eng.: Youth Leaders) conducted nationwide Työttömien nuorten ääni (Eng.: Voice of the unemployed youth) study. The study provides insights beyond unemployment statistics: what is unemployed youth population really thinking about and what kind of expectations does it have? The study was a great source of inspiration for a variety of contents that were crafted to support the campaign’s message.

Nuorten Johtoryhmä visited EK, SAK, Talouselämä and Helsingin Sanomat. During the visits a video showing the key findings of the study was presented and a poster illustrating the results was given out. Content collaboration with Basso Radio supported the programme’s launch, too.

We must give a chance to the youth. They must be able to contribute to and be part of the community. Work plays an important role in this – in addition to providing a living, of course.

Jutta Urpilainen, Minister of Finance

The campaign’s communication was largely based on actively engaging all stakeholders. On the May Day 2014, the campaign got into the streets along Basso Radio and invited the festive folks to join their Instagram competition with theme Dream Work. In August, a panel discussion with Nuorten Johtoryhmä and representatives of the business world was organised. In Future Work think tank the common theses were constructed to answer how work life should change so that the youth had better employment prospects. A compilation of the work was visualised with live-illustrations.

Work for a hundred youths

The campaign was successful in creating youth employment and discussion. Some important things achieved include:

• Launching the programme for organisations exceeded RAY’s expectations: 192 applications were received to hire unemployed youth
• Within 2014, ca. 100 young people were employed through the programme
• Programme’s communication directed the attention of national medias, decision makers and employment organisations to the programme’s point of view of youth unemployment and how to reduce it
• Nuorten Johtoryhmä members were invited to talk to numerous events organised by involved organisations
• RAY’s role as a social influencer has further strengthened and organisational work has gained increased visibility within the youth