Independent studies with unemployment benefit means that you can complete full-time studies at an educational institution as a client of employment services. Sometimes independent study can help you find work and integrate faster.

Independent studies can be

• completion of comprehensive school
• preparatory education for upper secondary school
• preparatory vocational education
• qualifying studies for example for physicians
• Finnish or Swedish language studies.

The studies must be in Finnish or Swedish. If the studies are included in social orientation, they may be in your native language.

Support can be granted for studies that constitute a coherent whole for a maximum of 24 months. If the aim of the studies is to complete the syllabus of basic education, support can be granted for up to 48 months. To receive unemployment benefit, you must make progress in your studies as agreed in your integration plan.

You can use the training trial to explore career choices and career options. The purpose of the try-out is to determine whether the field and training are suitable for you. The training try-out is organised at an educational institution and is planned individually according to your needs.

The training try-out is agreed upon in the employment plan or other equivalent plan.

You will receive the same unemployment benefits during training trial as you do while you are unemployed.

If the costs of participating in the training try-out are incurred, you can receive expense allowance for the days of participation. If you do not receive expense allowance from the payer of the unemployment benefit, that is, an unemployment fund or Kela, the employment authority can pay a discretionary expense allowance.