Sandra Slotte

Sandra Slotte is a distinguished expert in the field of internationalization within higher education. At Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, she coordinates initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining international talent in Finland. Sandra serves as the Secretary of Arcada's Internationalisation Group and is an elected member of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) Steering Group for Strategy and Management (2022-2024) and the Thematic Committee for Leadership, Strategy, and Policy (2024-2026).​

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As the Project Manager for the Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership INTERLOCALITY (2022-2025), Sandra collaborates with institutions across Europe to enhance the local employability of international degree students. Her research focuses on the concept of "employer-ability," examining how companies can adapt to effectively recruit and integrate international professionals.

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In her upcoming talk, "Employerability of Companies - Are They Ready to Hire International Talent?", Sandra will explore the readiness of organizations to embrace a diverse workforce and provide actionable strategies for businesses aiming to thrive in a globalized economy.
 

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 
-  Sandra Slotte about PLACExNordic

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What are you looking most forward to at PLACEx?

"What I look forward to most about the PLACEx conference is getting together with people from many different countries and regions facing similar challenges. Often, events on these topics are highly localised and this conference is an invaluable opportunity to share and learn more broadly. We might realize that we have more in common than we thought."
 

What is the key topic of your talk?

 

"They key topic of my talk is Employer-ability, by which I mean the willingness and ability of employers to employ international talent. All too often, talent attraction by other stakeholders assume companies want to hire them. Yet, highly qualified international talents struggle to find employment in all our countries. It is important to not only focus on the employability of individual talents, but also on the employer-ability of the intended receiving organisations."

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​What are you most eager to discuss with the audience related to your talk?

 

"I am most eager to discuss how the participants perceive the employer-ability of their local employers, with a focus on small and micro enterprises (MSEs). These comprise more than 99% of all private enterprises in Europe, but are rarely discussed."

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​From your job/organisation's point of view, what do you see as the most interesting industry developments or trends here 2025 when we talk about place attractiveness?

 
"The current and future geopolitical trends are incredibly important for place attractiveness. The competition especially among countries with declining populations is becoming fierce while simultaneously facing nationalist politics. Navigating these contexts requires broad and complex collaboration among multiple local stakeholders, such as higher education institutions, governments, municipalities, labour market organisations, and service providers. I find this aim for Collective Impact very exciting."  

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For the remainder of 2025, what do you see as the biggest challenge(s) for your place to be attractive to your main target audience?

 

"The unwillingness of Finnish employers to employ international talents is increasingly challenging the place and talent attraction efforts in Finland. That, and blatant racism and structural discrimination. As a small and remote country with a rapidly ageing and declining population, we simply cannot afford such attitudes among employers and politicians, or in society.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"