The goal of the recruitment subsidy is to help young people find employment. If certain conditions are met, employers can receive a recruitment subsidy for six months to cover the wage costs of job seekers between the age of 18 and 29. The monthly amount is half of the wage costs, up to a maximum of 1,500 euros.
C2 SmartLight Oy, a company that develops and implements smart outdoor lighting control systems, is in a very busy phase. At the end of last year Väylävirasto, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency selected the company to supply the lighting control system for Finland’s road network. Installation of the system began in the spring of 2026.
“We needed employees for the control system service team who are trained as electrical and automation technicians. They support the installers and ensure the proper functioning of the installed control components,” explains Katriina Dunn, HR and Quality Manager at C2 SmartLight Oy.
Discussions with the City of Jyväskylä’s Business and Employer Services revealed that the youth recruitment support program could be a good fit for C2 SmartLight’s staffing needs.
“We searched for and presented the company with job seekers suitable for the role. This sped up the recruitment process,” says Laila Ohra-aho, a business specialist with the City of Jyväskylä.
How does the support work?
“The young person to be hired must 18- to 29-year-old and a resident of Jyväskylä or Muurame and has registered as an unemployed job seeker,” Ohra-aho clarifies.
The location of the employer's registered office is irrelevant when applying for the youth recruitment subsidy.
The youth recruitment subsidy is available for a period of six months. The subsidy amounts to half of the young person’s wage costs, up to a maximum of 1,500 euros.
“Another condition is that the employment relationship must last at least three months. The subsidy is also available for part-time work and work performed under an apprenticeship agreement.”
The employer also receives a one-time bonus if the employment relationship lasts more than a year or is made permanent.
“In those cases, the company receives a 3,500-euro bonus,” Ohra-aho notes.
Ohra-aho sees many benefits in the recruitment subsidy and hopes that employers will actively take advantage of it. By the end of June, 20 positive subsidy decisions had been made in the Jyväskylä and Muurame employment areas.
“Even if a three-month work period doesn’t lead to a longer-term employment relationship, every work experience on a young person’s resume is valuable and helps with future employment.”
In the Jyväskylä and Muurame employment area, employers apply for the subsidy through the City of Jyväskylä’s eAsiointi portal. Ohra-aho says that applying for the subsidy is a simple process.
“Different from a traditional electrician's job”
Smart lighting control is important because it helps save energy and protect nature from the strain caused by artificial light.
C2 SmartLight hired four electrical and automation technician with recruitment support. Three of them started in mid-April, and the fourth in early June. The young people hired are in their early 20s.
Katriina Dunn believes that subsidies promoting youth employment are important. The subsidy is also important for the company, as significant investments are needed to accelerate growth.
“The employment situation for young people is really challenging. I hope that the Jyväskylä region will be able to employ as many professionals as possible who are graduating from local educational institutions and universities. We have a lot of unused professional skills among our young people.”
Dunn has extensive experience in recruitment, particularly in the IT sector.
“The challenge is that employers primarily hire experienced senior professionals. Youth unemployment is becoming prolonged, the barrier to entering the workforce is rising, and—especially in the IT sector—skills become outdated. They can’t gain the necessary work experience if they can’t get a foothold in the job market,” Dunn reflects.
Dunn says that C2 SmartLight is currently on a steady growth trajectory. The company has 46 employees—twice as many as it did about three years ago. In June, in addition to hiring installers, the company used recruitment subsidies to hire a young professional for logistics roles.
“This shows that we’ve had positive experiences with recruitment subsidies.”
Read more about the youth recruitment subsidy on its website.
