OP to hire 300 IT experts to promote work-based immigration
Published : 24 Jul 2023, 11:41
OP Financial Group will hire 300 new IT professionals in Helsinki and Oulu as a part of its long-term investments in areas such as AI expertise, data utilisation and cloud services, said OP in a press release on Monday.
Promotion of employment-based immigration is a key element of the forthcoming recruitment drive.
“Transformational technology and, for example, artificial intelligence are playing a huge role in the financial sector’s rapid transition. OP Financial Group aims to be a responsible pioneer in the sector – that’s why we’re investing in IT expertise. New hires and investment in IT competence development will guarantee that we can continue providing our customers with the best possible services and stay competitive,” said Timo Ritakallio, President and Chief Executive Office of OP Financial Group.
To develop its IT competencies, OP will begin cooperation – as a founding partner – with the Sisu Coding School. OP and Sisu aim to reinforce Finnish IT skills and attract more international shapers of the future to Finland.
“Promotion of employment-based immigration is a key element of our forthcoming recruitment drive. In the future, we’ll need to attract more international IT professionals to Finland if we want to take full advantage of technology-based opportunities,” said Ritakallio.
About 1,100 of OP’s around 13,000 employees work in the development and technology organisation. OP employs around 4,900 technology-sector professionals, either directly or through partnerships.
At the end of 2022, OP Financial Group had employees representing 38 nationalities.
A range of solutions are needed to solve the IT labour shortage affecting Finland. OP is investing in career options for students and sector switchers, to provide as many talented people as possible with a smooth path to future working life.
“It’s important that people entering the sector have meaningful career paths befitting their skills and development. We maintain a developer-friendly atmosphere in which coders get to focus on programming, for example,” said Kasimir Hirn, Chief Information Officer of OP Financial Group.