Minding the Gaps: The Role of Finnish Civil Society Organizations in the Labour Market Integration of Migrants

Abstract The growing role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in welfare service provision is sometimes portrayed as a threat to state universalism Nordic societies. In Finland, CSOs co-produce integration services alongside comprehensive official programmes, compensating for gaps and shortcomings those services. We identify three “gaps”, which are (1) limited availability terms time target group, (2) lack direct labour market contacts (3) flexibility serve individual needs. assess how these with their offerings through qualitative interviews policy implementers, CSO workers migrants. However, CSOs’ inherently by being small scale, short term project based. find that due independence role, operate synergistically services, extending rather than undermining universalism.