HERO Training Info Days held in Lahti – The Programme Starts Soon

At the end of September, two unique events were held at the Pentecostal churches of Lahti and Nastola in Finland: information sessions about Fida’s new HERO training project, designed for people with Roma backgrounds living in the Lahti region.

Representatives of the local Roma community were invited to join for discussion and networking. The aim of the event was to get to know potential participants and share more details about the new joint initiative.

“The info day sparked great interest and enthusiasm to join the training. We’ve received so many applications that participants for the first course will be selected through interviews,” says Fida’s project coordinator Keijo Baltzar.

The HERO project offers participants with Roma backgrounds an opportunity to strengthen their employment skills and everyday competencies. The training is organised in both Finland (Lahti) and Latvia (Valmiera region).

The Lahti training will take place in two parts – in autumn 2025 and spring 2026. The autumn session starts on Tuesday, 28th October and is held at Lahti.

The programme covers topics such as labour market and career skills, communication and teamwork, digital and financial literacy, as well as other useful everyday skills. Those who complete the training will have the opportunity to take part in a work placement in local companies, helping them to gain experience and improve their employment prospects.

This activity was supported as part of HERO, an InterregCentral Baltic Programme 2021-2027 project co-funded by the European Union.