Work try-out – help with finding work that you can do

Are you looking for a field of work or study that is a good fit for you, but your medical condition or disability is making it difficult for you? A work try-out gives you the chance to find out what kind of work you can do in practice.

A work try-out is one of the many vocational rehabilitation services Kela can offer. Read more about vocational rehabilitation for young persons if you are 16–29 and your functional capacity has declined significantly for some other reason than a medical condition or disability and you do not have a job or a place of study.

What is a work try-out?

When you participate in a work try-out, you get support from a mentor while you try out a specific job. You will work together with your mentor to see which industry or job feels right for you and supports your wellbeing and plans for the future. Your mentor will help you find a workplace where you can try out work that is suitable for you.

The work try-out is free of charge for you.

Who can participate in a work try-out?

A work try-out may be a good option for you if

• you want to ensure that you have enough functional capacity to work in your chosen industry or job
• you are unsure about what it actually takes to work in a specific industry or job in practice
• you need to make sure that you have chosen the right field of study before you apply
• you have completed a degree, but you need help with finding suitable work before you start working for an employer
• you have little work experience or you have not worked in recent years and you want to see what kind of work you can do.

What is a work try-out like? 

When you participate in a work try-out, your mentor will help you find a workplace where you can try out work that is suitable for you. You will also work together with your mentor to make a plan on how you can enter working life.

The work try-out includes

• up to 15 meetings with your mentor
• up to 45 days of rehabilitation at the chosen workplace.

A work try-out can last for a maximum of 5 months in total.

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

• healthcare providers
• employment services
• other actors that can help you succeed.

How to apply

If you want to apply for vocational rehabilitation in the form of a work try-out, you need a medical statement B (B-lausunto) from a doctor or some other kind of medical documentation that has the same information as a medical statement B.

Once you have a medical statement B or other medical documentation, do as follows:

1. Fill in the application form for vocational rehabilitation KU 101e (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. If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

   • Send us a copy of your medical statement B or other medical documentation as a supporting document with your application.
4. 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 your work try-out

Remember to tell Kela immediately if you cannot participate in the work try-out. 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.