Study & work in Finland · Practical nurse and care assistant programmes
Study to become a caregiver or practical nurse in Finland. Free of charge.
HSS is a Finnish training organisation owned by the Mehiläinen group. We train international students for the Finnish practical nurse and care assistant professions. Language, vocational studies and paid clinical practice. Always free to accepted students.
Why HSS
Three reasons applicants trust HSS.
We are not a recruitment agency. We build training pathways. Real teachers, real materials, real accountability.
01
Owned by the Mehiläinen group
HSS is part of Finland’s Mehiläinen group. That means we work within long-term contracts, supervision and quality accountability, not a short-lived recruitment scheme that could disappear tomorrow.
02
Our own learning platform
We built our own e-learning platform for the specific vocabulary of Finnish healthcare. AI marks written exercises, produces the audio you hear, and lets your named coordinator watch your progress every single week.
03
Over 1000 students since 2020
More than a thousand students have completed our programme. Retention in the first Finnish workplace has been close to 100 percent. We take the programme to completion, we do not let students drop out midway.
Two programmes, one destination
Choose the pathway that matches your goal.
Both programmes start with intensive Finnish for healthcare and end with paid clinical practice in a Finnish partner care facility. Choose based on how far into the profession you want to go.
Practical Nurse
The full lähihoitaja qualification
The complete practical nurse pathway. HSS teaches, a Finnish vocational college validates the qualification so it is recognised by Valvira (the national supervisory authority). Eleven weeks of vocational study on our platform plus paid clinical practice.
Total duration typically 12–24 months, depending on starting level.
Care Assistant
Faster route into care work
A shorter route for candidates who already have healthcare experience abroad and want the fastest sanctioned entry into Finnish care work. Finnish language, hygiene passport, workplace safety and a paid clinical placement.
Total duration typically 10 months. Can lead into the full Practical Nurse pathway later.
Student stories
Every graduate arrived from somewhere.
Applications are currently closed.
The current intake is full. Read through the programme so you know what to prepare for, and check back for the next application window.