Romako for Higher Education

Romako Towards Higher Education Project (1 March 2025 – 31 August 2027)

Romako Towards Higher Education?is a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting access to higher education for individuals with a Roma background and supporting their educational pathways. The project is led by Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak), with Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) as a partner.

The Roma are among the most marginalized minorities in Europe, and in Finland, they also face challenges in their educational and career paths. In recent years, interest in higher education has grown within the Roma community, but information about application routes and different fields of study is needed. Additionally, there is a need to strengthen study skills and provide individual support, especially at the beginning of studies.

This project addresses these needs by increasing awareness of higher education among Roma individuals, enhancing the competence of staff in higher education institutions and schools, and developing models for guidance and support. The goal is also to broaden the range of study fields pursued by Roma students and improve their opportunities to find internships.

The Romako project supports collaboration between higher education institutions and the Roma work sector, produces educational materials, and builds employer networks that promote the employment of Roma students. In the long term, the project aims to strengthen the position of Roma in education and working life and increase their visibility as part of the higher education community.

Romako korkeakoulutukseen -hanke on jatkoa aiemmalle pääkaupunkiseudulla toteutetulle Romako-hankkeelle, joka on lisännyt romaniväestön kiinnostusta korkeakoulutusta kohtaan. Suomessa romanien osuus korkeakoulutetuista on edelleen hyvin pieni, ja korkeakoulutukseen hakeutuminen on romanijärjestöissä ja -yhteisöissä vielä uusi ilmiö. Hankkeen taustalla on tarve vastata tähän kasvavaan kiinnostukseen ja tukea romanien koulutuspolkuja valtakunnallisesti.
Romanit kohtaavat edelleen ennakkoluuloja sekä haasteita koulutuksessa ja työelämässä. Romako-hankkeen kokemusten perusteella on havaittu, että romanit tarvitsevat erityisesti tukea korkeakouluun hakeutumisessa, opiskelutaitojen vahvistamisessa ja korkeakouluyhteisöön integroitumisessa. Lisäksi korkeakoulujen ohjaushenkilöstön osaamista romanien tukemisessa on tarpeen kehittää. Romanit kohtaavat edelleen ennakkoluuloja sekä haasteita koulutuksessa ja työelämässä. He tarvitsevat erityisesti tukea korkeakouluun hakeutumisessa, opiskelutaitojen vahvistamisessa ja korkeakouluyhteisöön integroitumisessa. Myös korkeakoulujen ohjaushenkilöstön osaamista romanien tukemisessa on tarpeen kehittää.
Tässä uudessa hankkeessa toimintaa laajennetaan valtakunnalliseksi. Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu toimii päätoteuttajana ja Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu (TAMK) osatoteuttajana, joka vastaa erityisesti Keski- ja Länsi-Suomen alueesta. Hankkeessa kehitetään koulutuksia, ohjausmalleja ja materiaaleja, jotka tukevat romanien hakeutumista korkeakoulutukseen ja heidän opintojensa etenemistä. Samalla vahvistetaan korkeakoulujen, romanijärjestöjen ja työnantajien välistä yhteistyötä ja osaamista romanien koulutuspolkujen tukemisessa.

The central goal of the “Romako to Higher Education” project is to promote access to and success in higher education for students with a Roma background. The project aims to address challenges related to educational equity through concrete actions that span from individual-level support to broader societal structures.
The project seeks to increase the number of Roma-background students in higher education. This will be achieved by developing support structures for educational pathways, such as guidance services and academic support during studies, as well as by expanding awareness of different fields of study. The project also focuses on strengthening the competence of study counselors and counseling students in supporting Roma-background students. Through training, the project enhances culturally sensitive counseling skills, enabling individual and respectful encounters.
In addition, the project supports actors in the Roma field so they can more effectively guide their community members toward higher education. Simultaneously, the competence of higher education staff is developed by producing teaching materials and organizing training sessions that improve their ability to support Roma-background students both during studies and in working life.

The impact of the project is particularly evident in the fact that, for the first time on a national level, it provides structural and targeted support for Roma-background students in accessing and completing higher education. The project enhances the capacity of education providers, guidance professionals, and higher education institutions to support Roma students in an individualized and culturally sensitive manner. Roma individuals’ awareness of higher education opportunities increases, and their visibility within academic communities and communications is strengthened. Through collaboration with employers, the transition of Roma students into working life is facilitated. The project promotes equality, inclusion, and diversity in education and society more broadly.

ESR+ Euroopan sosiaalirahasto 2021-2027

Pohjois-Pohjanmaan ELY-keskus