Job coaching for young persons – support for entering working life

Are you outside working life? Do you need personal support to help you find a job? Job coaching can help you take the next step towards working life. Job coaching is intended for young persons aged 16–29.

Job coaching is one of the many vocational rehabilitation services Kela can offer to young persons. If your functional capacity has declined due to a medical condition, vocational rehabilitation services may be the right option for you.

What is job coaching?

During job coaching, your coach will help you find a job you can do that matches your education and life situation.

The coaching is tailored to your needs, and you will work together with your coach to make a plan on how to achieve your goals.

Job coaching is free of charge for you.

Who can get job coaching?

Job coaching may be a good option for you if you need support to enter working life.

What is job coaching like?

Job coaching can last for up to 13 months. The service includes

• up to 25 meetings with your job coach
• up to 95 days of work in paid employment.

You will be paid for the work you do during your job coaching.

During the coaching, you will get help for example with

• your job search
• developing your workplace skills
• learning about healthy work practices.
• staying on at work.

Your job coach will also help you get support from other actors, such as

• social services
• employment services
• youth services.

How to apply

1. Fill in the form Vocational rehabilitation for young persons (KU 143e, PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Tell us in the application which service provider’s rehabilitation you want to participate in. Use Kela’s service provider search to look up rehabilitation service providers (available in Finnish and Swedish).
   • Save the completed application form on your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
2. Send the application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (Submit an application).
   • First select Sairastaminen ja kuntoutus (Sickness and rehabilitation). Then select Kuntoutus – tee hakemus (Rehabilitation – Submit an application). Finally, select Ammatillinen kuntoutus (Vocational rehabilitation).
   • If you send your application in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
3. Visit OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on your application. We will also send the decision notice to the rehabilitation service provider. This tells the service provider that Kela will pay for your rehabilitation, and the service provider will reserve a place for you on the rehabilitation course.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the form to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

Let us know if you cannot attend job coaching

Remember to tell Kela immediately if you cannot participate in job coaching. Let us know that you have to cancel by sending a message to us in the OmaKela e-service or by calling our customer service number for rehabilitation clients.

We recommend that you also contact the service provider to let them know you have to cancel.

Check if you can get rehabilitation allowance and travel cost reimbursements

Kela pays rehabilitation allowance to give you financial security during rehabilitation. Kela may also reimburse you for rehabilitation-related travel costs.