Project
Towards Agency and Dreams – Coaching for Future Planning in Times of Transition
Project sponsors
Towards Agency and Dreams – Coaching for Future Planning in Times of Transition
The project supports unemployed jobseekers and individuals facing career transitions in Central Finland to find their direction in working life and strengthen their agency – that is, their ability to influence their own future. In practice, this means coaching sessions where participants receive support for life and career planning, self-awareness, and recognizing their own skills and strengths.
During the coaching sessions, participants explore their strengths, interests, and values, practice digital job search skills, network with employers, and build a concrete plan towards employment or a new career path.
The project also develops a new Agency Survey, which helps identify how participants' confidence, goals, and sense of control over their lives develop during the coaching process. In addition, good practices will be collected and shared with employment and guidance professionals so that the coaching model can be applied more widely in other regions.
The project is implemented in close cooperation with regional employment actors, employers, and as part of the post-negotiation support following Metsä Wood's change negotiations.
Further information:
Johanna Pitkänen, RDI Specialist, Project Manager
Jamk University of Applied Sciences, School of Professional Teacher Education
[email protected]
Project results
The project develops a coaching model that strengthens participants' agency, self-confidence, and goal orientation in career transition situations. Unemployed individuals and those facing changes in their working life receive support in recognizing their competences, planning their careers, and improving their job-seeking skills. Many participants find employment or study opportunities after the coaching or gain a clearer sense of direction toward a new career path.
During the project, an Agency Survey is developed to measure participants' experiences of their sense of influence and life management before and after the coaching. The results are used to further develop the coaching model and to support its wider implementation among employment and guidance professionals.
In addition, the project strengthens regional cooperation between employment, education, and business actors. This collaboration creates new networks and practices that enhance the development of transition security measures in the Central Finland region.
Updated 21 October 2025