Work Ability Programme

The Work Ability Programme aimed to eliminate obstacles to the employment of people with partial work ability and develop services to support their work ability and employability. The programme was implemented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The programme covered the unemployed with partial work ability and the long-term unemployed in Finland. The programme sought to prevent prolonged unemployment and incapacity for work and increase labour market involvement of those with a weak labour market position. The programme had seven aims, such as identifying the need for work ability support, providing individual and timely services, strengthening the expertise of professionals, promoting the creation of jobs, developing services for employers, reforming the rehabilitation paths and services, and seeking solutions to lower the recruitment threshold. The programme developed work ability support services in the well-being services counties' health and social services centres, which are new regional entities that provide social and health services in Finland. The programme ran from 2019 to 2023.