Chamara Dissanayake
Education
 08.05.2023

“I have to build my network and learn the language” – Chamara Dissanayake is determined to settle in Finland

Mariia Kravchenko
Sini Heinoja
Chamara Dissanayake from Sri Lanka wants to settle down in Finland with his wife. He has decided to learn both national languages, Finnish and Swedish, to improve his employability in the Finnish job market. To help him get started, he has joined the free online language courses offered by the University of Vaasa SIMHE services.

Chamara Dissanayake came to Finland in September 2022 with his wife who got the opportunity to do her Master's Degree in International Business at the University of Vaasa. Their main goal is to settle down, obtain a permanent residence permit at first, and further the Finnish citizenship.

At first, getting accustomed to the new country was challenging.

– We did not know a lot of things about Finland, the culture is different and the language is the main barrier for us, Chamara says.

The University of Vaasa supports international talents
SIMHE Career guidance for Immigrants
Vaasa Spouse Programme

Despite having a Bachelor’s degree in banking and finance and vast work experience in hospitality services and retail in his home country, finding work proved to be difficult for Chamara during the first months. Rather than waiting around, Chamara was determined to improve his opportunities.

– I have to build my network and learn the language, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to succeed, Chamara summarises his thoughts at the time.

While looking for work, Chamara joined the Vaasa Spouse Programme that supports spouses of full-time students and employees in the Vaasa region.

– It is an ideal programme for spouses to get information and a network. It has been really useful for me, Chamara says.

Through the Vaasa Spouse Programme, Chamara found information about SIMHE Finnish and Swedish online language courses and enrolled.

– After completing the first Finnish language class, I can conduct a conversation about daily stuff and know the basic things like words of greeting.

Knowing the local languages is an asset on the job market

Even if most Finns speak English and there are several international companies in the Vaasa region, Chamara knows that employers value Finnish and Swedish skills.

– When you apply for a job, they will always ask you whether you have any knowledge of either Finnish or Swedish.

He is really happy with the quality of the first Finnish course he completed and the teaching methods the teacher used – simple examples, a lot of practice and group work helped to catch the basics of a new language.

– It's a good beginner programme for the all the immigrants who have recently arrived. It will help to get the basic language skills, Chamara says.

– Despite Finnish being a difficult language, I still want to study more. We immigrants need to learn the language and we need to have more practice.
Chamara Dissanayake

Studying the local languages has paid off, as Chamara found a job as a pastry chef and barista. At the café, some of the clients, especially the elderly, cannot speak English. Many of them speak Swedish as their mother tongue, so Chamara’s decision to take up the Swedish course as well proved to be a good one.

A positive mindset is the key to stay motivated 

Chamara has noticed that Finnish is not the easiest language to learn for him.

– Despite Finnish being a difficult language, I still want to study more. We immigrants need to learn the language and we need to have more practice.

Chamara says that having a good, positive mindset is the key to stay motivated when settling into a new country and learning a new language. You shouldn’t be too afraid of making mistakes.

What also keeps Chamara motivated is his ultimate goal, the Finnish citizenship. For that, he must meet certain requirements, such as have at least satisfactory skills in either spoken and written Finnish or spoken and written Swedish.

As Chamara has started his language studies straight after arriving to Finland, he has time to practice and become fluent before he meets the other requirements for citizenship. In most cases, a person has to live in Finland for five years without interruption before applying for a citizenship. If a person has sufficient language skills, the requirement is only four years.

Support for international talents


The University of Vaasa helps talented and educated immigrants to settle in.

SIMHE – Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education services

SIMHE – Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education services include free career guidance, language courses and support in getting prior studies recognised in Finland for those who have already completed university studies or are interested in studying at a higher education institution in Finland.

Vaasa Spouse Programme

The Vaasa Spouse Programme offers activities for spouses of full-time students and employees in the Vaasa region. The aim of the programme is to help spouses to find both social and work-related networks to help them to settle in.

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