External evaluation of the Talent First project: A strong foundation has been built for future talent attraction efforts in North Savo

According to the external evaluation, the Talent First project has successfully laid the groundwork for regional talent attraction in North Savo, strengthened collaboration between stakeholders, and created concrete structures and tools to support data-driven management and communication. The evaluation identifies the most significant outcome of the project as the successful establishment of structures and networks for regional talent attraction work.

Talent First is an ESF+ co-funded project aimed at addressing the skills shortage in North Savo by strengthening the region’s attractiveness and retention capacity, as well as by building a permanent collaboration model that operates across municipal, organizational, and corporate boundaries. The project is managed by the City of Kuopio and runs from 1 September 2023 to 30 June 2026.

The external evaluation, completed in April 2026, examined the implementation of the project’s activities, its management, collaboration, results, and impact. The evaluation was carried out through document analysis, expert interviews, and an online survey. A total of 12 interviews were conducted with 13 participants, and the survey received 27 responses.

According to the evaluation, the most visible and significant achievement of the project has been the strengthening of regional cooperation. The project has brought stakeholders together, increased trust and shared understanding, and established structures that enable continued collaboration beyond the project period. The evaluation concludes that the project has successfully built the necessary foundation and structures for regional talent attraction work.

The evaluation also highlights the project’s work in data-driven management. During the project, a total of 11 studies and reports were produced (14 by the end of the project), including the Talent City Index analysis, an assessment of settlement services, and ecosystem descriptions of key sectors. In addition, six information webinars were organised with over 150 participants in total (and more than 300 views of the recordings). According to the evaluation, the knowledge produced by the project has refined the regional understanding of talent needs and the labour market situation and has created a strong foundation for data-driven decision-making.

The evaluation is highly positive regarding communication. The project’s communication is described as professional, successful, and high quality, and the Talent First brand is seen as an important platform that has made the region’s opportunities visible, particularly to international talent and students. The project developed, among other things, the Talentfirst.fi website, produced career stories targeted at international talent, Talent Talks content and videos, and implemented several large-scale digital marketing campaigns.

According to the evaluation, the project’s management and coordination have functioned excellently. Stakeholders gave particular praise for the project’s active, high-quality, and professional approach to implementation. Cooperation with the project was generally perceived as easy, active, and smooth.

However, the external evaluation also emphasises a key finding for the future: the long-term impact of the project’s results depends on how well the agreed operating model becomes embedded in practice and how strongly the business sector commits to it. According to the evaluation, the main challenge has been the limited operational and financial participation of employers and companies, even though the quantitative targets for company participation were achieved.

Towards the end of the evaluation period, an important structural milestone was reached. In a Round Table discussion held in February 2026, regional stakeholders reached a shared understanding of the need for a new centralised coordination model, and the initial responsibility for coordination was assigned to the City of Kuopio. According to the evaluation, this solution addressed a key challenge of the project: ensuring ownership and a clear “home base” for the activities.

The evaluation also notes that the effects on the region’s visibility and attractiveness will emerge gradually and require a longer time frame to be verified. While actions to increase international visibility have been carried out, the results are still partly limited, and further development is needed in the targeting of communication and the utilisation of international recruitment channels.

According to the evaluation’s recommendations, the next phase should focus on implementing the agreed coordination model, securing sustainable funding, ensuring truly region-wide operations, and strengthening cooperation with businesses. In addition, the evaluation recommends further refinement of the knowledge and materials produced in the project to better support organisational decision-making and corporate recruitment processes.

The external evaluation of the Talent First project demonstrates that substantial groundwork has already been carried out in North Savo—work that is essential for the long-term success of regional talent attraction efforts. The key question now is how effectively this foundation can be embedded into lasting, region-wide collaboration.