1. HOW CAN WE ENGAGE
MILLENNIALS TO TAKE
ACTION?
YouthSpeak Insights report for Finland

2. AIESEC is the world’s largest youth-led non-profit organization developing the
leadership potential in young people. AIESEC envisions peace and fulfillment of
humankind's potential. We believe that this vision can be achieved if there are more
responsible, self-aware, solution-oriented leaders in the world. The young leaders who
are aware of the global issues believe in their ability to change the world to a better
place and have skills to empower others for achieving a greater common goal. We
place our confidence in youth - the generations that are our future - and provide them
opportunities to develop their leadership skills through practical cross-cultural
experiences.
Launched in October 2015, embraced the learnings from the previous survey
(YouthSpeak Survey Millennial Insight Report: Improving the Journey from Education
to Employment), and included the research topics on leadership, future vision, ways of
engagement, drivers in life, and awareness and commitment towards achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals. There are currently over 1.8 billion young people in
the world, whose decisions and actions in next 15 years will determine how the world
will be shaped. AIESEC, as the largest youth-run organization, aims at engaging and
developing these 1.8 billion young people to become the better leaders who can build a
better world.
YouthSpeak allows young people to engage and take action over issues that matter to
them. We have gathered 173 421 responses from over 125 countries and territories by
May 2016, aiming at finding the insights on the question: “How can we engage
Millennials to take action?”
Powered by
AIESEC
YouthSpeak
Survey 2.0
www.aiesec.fi
www.youthspeak.aiesec.org
PAGE 2

3. FOREWORD: WHY SHALL WE CARE ABOUT THE GLOBAL GOALS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
On September 25th, The 193-Member United Nations General Assembly
has formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
along with a set of bold, new Global Goals. Just three months after,
AIESEC became the first NGO to organize a 3-days event at the UN
Headquarters -The Youth Action Summit, uniting young people with the
private, public and civil society sector to define the role of youth in
achieving the SDGs and AIESEC’s commitment towards to make it
happen.
The world where the Global Goals are achieved is the environment where
the vision of AIESEC can become real - achieving peace and fulfillment of
humankind's potential. Therefore, AIESEC committed itself through own
operations and expertise to contribute to the achievement of the Global
Goals.
AIESEC globally has done an incredible work launching YouthSpeak
initiative, raising awareness about the Global Goals, at the same time
seeking to understand what factors would support young people to take
an action on issues that truly matter to them. AIESEC in Finland had only
0.2 percent of contribution to the global youth voice. However, it is just
the first step. With the plan to reach out to 1 million youth voices globally,
we take our learnings forward for improving our approach of outreaching
to young people in Finland during this year. The Global YouthSpeak
Insights report will represent more detailed insights with a comprehensive
big data analysis for the global and regional levels. The YouthSpeak Insight
report for Finland might reflect some similarities, yet it seeks the
understanding the Millennials in the context of Finnish society.
The findings of this YouthSpeak Insights report shall support AIESEC in
Finland to engage other stakeholders for purposeful collaboration, to be
the first knock on the door for opening up the conversations between
youth, educational, governmental or corporate institutions. Taking into
account the research findings about Millennials and their challenges from
Universum (Millennials: the six part series report), Deloitte (The 2016
Deloitte Millennial Survey: Winning over the next generation of leaders)
and others, with YouthSpeak Survey we aimed not on replicating the
information, but rather focusing on more in-depth understanding of what
actions shall be taken.
With that being said, this report is a great start of even more significant
findings on how we [youth] can take the actions towards a better future,
and how these findings will support the stakeholders in the decision-
making process. AIESEC in Finland invites you to continue the
conversation and take the questions raised in this report as a topic for the
further research and in-depth discussion during YouthSpeak Forum.
By Maria Strelkova
Director of Business Development term 2015 – 2016
AIESEC in Finland
PAGE 3

4. YOUTHSPEAK INITIATIVE
The YouthSpeak Survey collects youth opinion from around the world for a
better understand what young people care about. The survey also has a role
to make young people reflect – do they really care about the future of the
world, education and leadership?
The YouthSpeak Insights reflect the data gathered from the YouthSpeak
Survey. Applying the insight from the survey to local context and reality, it
will allow decision makers to take actions that influence strategies and
operations of the organizations.
The YouthSpeak Forum is an event that brings the leaders and the experts
in the field of chosen topic together with young people. The forum aims to
create a platform for bringing different perspectives on the topic and more
in-depth discussions. The topic and the theme of the event connect with
the insights gathered from the YouthSpeak Survey.
The YouthSpeak Projects are the actionable ideas that were generated
during YouthSpeak Forum. Involving partner organizations, AIESEC takes
responsibility that created ideas are being implemented.
PAGE 4
YouthSpeak is an
initiative powered
by AIESEC across
the globe.

5. 1. DRIVERS IN LIFE | PAGE 7
3. YOUTH FOR GLOBAL GOALS | PAGE 20
THE CONCEPT
The YouthSpeak
Survey and the
YouthSpeak Insights
are designed in 6
blocks
What is the decision making process for
the millennials? What do they consider
first? What drives them in life?
Global Goals Agenda is the plan for
humanity to build the better world in the
future. Do young people know about this
plan? What’s their attitude towards
the SDGs?
6. EDUCATION | PAGE 35
Education is the most important issue for
young people (based on YouthSpeak 1.0).
Yet what kind of education young people
need? What does experiential
learning mean for them?
2. WORLD IN 2030 | PAGE 12
How do young people envision their
future? What’s the state of the world in
2030? What is important for young
people in next 15 years?
4. LEADERSHIP | PAGE 27
To mobilize young people to take action
certain type of leadership is needed.
What are the characteristics young
people want to see in leaders of today?
5. ENGAGEMENT | PAGE 30
Whom millennials trust the most? What’s
their attitude towards the technology and
increasing amount of information?
PAGE 5

6. 1. READ THE INSIGHTS THROUGH THE ANCHOR QUESTIONS
How to use this
YouthSpeak Insights
report
Each of six blocks of the questions contains one anchor question (marked by *). The anchor
questions are the primary set of the data. Usually, an anchor question is a very simple statement.
You could take all the anchor questions across the blocks to see the “general sensing” of youth
opinion on each of these six fields. It is quite a broad framework, and it is suitable the best for
creating general themes for the discussions.
2. READ THE DATA WITHIN EACH OF THE BLOCKS
Take each of the blocks of the questions separately – this is the secondary set of the data. Use the
anchor question as leverage to build some specific discussion around the topic. This approach is
suitable the best for forming a problem question and involving experts on the field for further
conversation.
3. SEEK FOR CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE BLOCKS
The tertiary set of the data allows looking for the connection in between the blocks. There might
be one or more anchor questions used as a base for an assumption, which is being proved right or
wrong by insights from other blocks. This approach is the best for forming a discussion about a
specific field and particular phenomena. It is important to remember that majority of the opinions
in one set of the questions might not be represented in the majority of the views in another set of
the questions.
3. CONSIDER DEMOGRAPHICS AND METHODOLOGY
The YouthSpeak Insights is not a scientific report. There are some limitations for outreach,
demographics, and sample representation. Therefore, it is important to use the YouthSpeak
Insights report as a tool for activating young people to hear their opinion, and engaging various
stakeholders for the conversations.
PAGE 6

7. DRIVERS IN LIFE

8. WHICH 3 MOTIVES (BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL) DRIVE YOU THE MOST IN LIFE?*
Comparing to the tendencies
globally and in WENA region,
young people in Finland have a
relatively balanced opinion on
what drives them in life. Drivers
related to the feeling of
belonging (love, family, friends)
and purpose in life and
achievements are on top of
their list. In quite many research
papers about millennials, it was
discussed that young people
value work-life balance at the
most. Yet from the results of
our study we see that they
pursuit not necessarily “free
hours from work” but the
feeling of love and purpose in
life.
Youth in Finland is driven less
by family and friends than their
fellow in other parts of the
world. We explain it partly by
the cultural aspects, and partly
by the influence of other drivers
– such as the sense of
adventure and curiosity.
Interestingly, the youth is more
driven by the purpose and
achievement, rather by the
financial success. Social status
became less desirable than
personal accomplishments.
For further discussion:
In the culture where privacy of
personal life is valued, how can
an employer, educational
institution or society fulfill the
need of love and discovering /
supporting young people’s
purpose in life?
What kind of environment the
future employers need to build,
if young people are driven by
financial remuneration and
social status less?
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18%
Love
Purpose in life
Family
Achievement
Friends
Curiosity
Sense of adventure
Freedom
Sense of contribution
Work-life balance
Satisfaction
Financial success
Responsibility
Recognition
Spiritual and Transcendental values
Social status
Power and Authority
Other
Finland
WENA
Global
* Block’s primary questionPAGE 8

9. IF YOU COULD BE PAID FOR ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
CONTRIBUTE
TRAVEL CREATE
TEACH
EXPLORE
& LEARN
PAGE 9
The analysis was done based on the
keyword search.
Category “contribute” includes all
the statements that meant
committing to something bigger
than personal interest; helping to
other people or developing
communities; establishing a business
that would solve some social issue,
or running a social enterprise. It was
by far the biggest block of keywords.
The second biggest block in Finland
is “travel”. It contains the
understanding of travel to see the
world and new cultures and
experience new places.
The second biggest in Finland is
“travel”. It contains the
understanding of travel to see the
world, understand new cultures,
and experience new places.
The third popular opinion was
“create” – create apiece of art;
produce or build something new
that hasn’t existed before.
“Explore and learn” includes
researches, discoveries, practical or
theoretical constant learning and
personal development.
“Teach” keyword in this context
meant educating other people on
something that a young person is
good at, or desire to eradicate
illiteracy in some parts of the world.
We shall admit that they key words
cannot identify the reasons of the
behaviors. However, the number of
respondents that answered that
they wouldn’t do anything or they
don’t know what they would do, was
extremely insignificant.
For further discussion:
It is not motivating enough any more
to young people to just follow
routine. Either in educational
institution or at the work place –
driven by purpose in life, the seek
for bigger contribution. Thus, the
Why of every activity shall be very
clear to the young people in order to
keep them interested and motivated.

10. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CAREER IN THE FIRST 5 YEARS AFTER GRADUATION?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Meaningful work
Constant learning
Work-life balance
Global opportunities
Training opportunities
Challenging work
Alignment with area of study
Salary / Compensation
Employer with a strong brand
Finland
WENA
Global
Supported by the drivers in life, young
people in Finland seek for meaningful
work and opportunities for constant
learning more often than their fellows
from other parts of the world. Work-
life balance is the third priority in their
list. However we did make earlier an
assumption that it shall not mean the
avoidance of work overload, but the
opportunity for purposeful work and
ability to contribute.
One of the Universum’s six-part report
about millennials, “Understanding a
misunderstood generation” discusses
whether the millennials tend to resist
hard work and demand more support
and opportunities from the employers.
We agree that there might be such a
perception. However, we see that
young people in Finland do
demonstrate curiosity and need of
contribution at the work that they see
a clear purpose for. Thus, the attitude
shall be adjusted accordingly. Our
observation is that the success of
achieving the results is not in the hard-
work routine, but purpose-driven
attitude for completing the hard work.
For further discussion:
Only some minority of young people
mentioned alignment with their studies
as one of the most important criteria in
the first 5 years after graduation. Does
it mean that they do not see their
future career in the field that they
study? Young people don’t tend to see
the straight path of “education – work
experience in the field of education –
permanent job in the field of
education” as the only one truth.
However, what needs to be done by
government and educational
institutions to ensure that young
people acquire relevant skills for the
meaningful work and contribution that
they are seeking for.
How significant role the employer
branding plays in its traditional
understanding?
PAGE 10

11. Young people are still driven by more “human”
factors rather by financial or social status gain.
They see a high significance in meaningful work
that would support their purpose in life, a need
for contribution and constant learning.
Taking into account the context of youth
unemployment and phenomena of “lost youth” in
Finland, could employers and educational
institutions appeal better to young people’s
drivers in life?

12. THE WORLD IN 2030

13. DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR SOCIETY WILL BE IN A BETTER OR IN A WORSE STATE BY 2030?
58%
42%
51%
49%
68%
32%
Better
Worse
Finland WENA Global
Such a simple question
definitely cannot embrace all
the individual factors that
influenced on such opinion.
However, we found it rather
alarming that young people are
split almost equally between
the optimistic and pessimistic
view of their society.
Comparing to more developing
countries and the rest of the
world, youth in Finland tend
not to see significant
improvements.
Despite all the real factors
influenced on forming such an
opinion, young people also
mentioned that they see the
need for more positive and
solution-oriented approach for
their personal in professional
behavior.
For further discussion:
Does such an attitude cause
other issues, or the issues in the
society cause the attitude?
What shall be done and factors
could lead to more positive and
solution-oriented attitude of
youth in Finland?
* Block’s primary questionPAGE 13

14. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WORKING IN 10 YEARS?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Small or Medium Enterprise
Multinational Corporation
Business Start up
NGO's / Foundations
Academia / Educational institutions
National Corporation
Government
Social Start up
Culture / Art
Sports
Finland
WENA
Global
There is an insignificant
difference in the preference of
the future workplace size –
either in a SME or multinational
corporation. Referring to the
block of the questions about
drivers in life and the most
important condition within 5
year after graduation, we draw
the conclusion that young
people do not necessarily look
for the standard “social
benefits” corporate package,
but rather for an employer who
would fulfill their criteria of
providing meaningful work and
opportunities for constant
learning.
Interestingly, youth in Finland
relatively seeks less for global
opportunities in the
multinational corporations
comparing to the young people
the global level.
Start-up opportunities are also
in the top-3 most desirable
workplaces in next ten years.
Proving our observation on
drivers in life that young people
do not prioritize authority and
power, the government did not
become as one of the most
attractive workplaces.
For further discussion:
Most of the young people think
that education could solve
world’s issues, as well as they
are willing to learn and educate
others. Yet educational
institutions are not the most
attractive workplace. At the
same time educational
institutions are the ones that
provide the space for higher
contribution, which was such
valued by young people. Or is it
so?
PAGE 14

15. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD, WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
LACK OF
HUMANITY
ECONOMICAL
ECOLOGICAL
NOT BEING
SUCCESSFUL
The analysis is done based on
the keyword search.
“Lack of humanity” included all
the fears related to intolerance,
greed, inequalities and
ignorance, cultural
misunderstanding and war
threatening. “Not being
successful” meant not fulfilling
the life purpose, not living up to
one’s potential and feeling of
disappointment. Economical
and ecological fears included
the factors that influence on
young people’s living conditions
and the state of the world.
Currently we cannot compare
the biggest fears of young
people in Finland to the global
data. Yet, taking the preliminary
global findings from Global
YouthSpeak Insights report, we
could see the similarities in
expressed fears. Despite of
diverse cultural backgrounds,
economical and political
situations in different parts of
the world – increasing lack of
humanity is still one of the
biggest fears.
For further discussion:
Lack of humanity was by far the
biggest fear that young people
have. With the world’s refugee
crisis, intolerance and war
danger – what societies need to
do in order to decrease this
fear? Empathy was named one
of the greatest qualities of a
leader. What young people
need to do in order to nurture
empathy?
PAGE 15

16. BIGGEST ISSUES IN FINLAND
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%
Racism and intolerance
Stress and depression
Youth unemployment
Unemployment
Alcoholism
Lack of awareness about global issues
Refugees and asylum seekers
Lack of awareness about global opportunities
Bullying at studying and working places
Inequality
Lost youth
Demographic change
Health and well-being
Immigration for work and studies
Transition between education and employment
Financial illiteracy among youth
Social gap
Work-life balance
Nationalization as political focus
Domestic violence
Infrastructure
Other
Followed by the question about
specific issues that Finnish
society faces, we discovered
that intolerance still ranked by
young people in Finland as the
highest, followed by health
(stress and depression) and
economical (youth
unemployment). For more in-
depth understanding of how
young people perceive their
own society, more data shall be
collected. Taking into account
the demographics, almost half
of the respondents did not have
Finnish origins.
For further discussion:
Understanding the fears of
young people of decreasing
humanity, their will to
contribute to a bigger purpose
and seeing empathy as a
greatest quality of a leader,
what shall be done in order to
decrease intolerance in Finnish
society?
Cynicism and
hopelessness, social
isolation and alienation,
and loneliness. These are
the biggest issues
Finland is facing.
- Female, Finland
Attitude. We
think we are
great.
- Male, Finland
PAGE 16

17. SOLUTIONS: WHAT COULD HELP TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Education
International experience
Social project
Entrepreneurship
Informal education
Volunteering
Extra curriculum
Other
Donations
The respondents expressed that
their education could solve the
issues of intolerance, racism, stress
and youth unemployment.
However, education is quite a
broad topic, and by this specific
question solely we cannot provide
the answer what kind of education
can tackle these issues.
International experience was
named as the second solution that
most likely in young people
opinion can help.
Asking this question, we didn’t aim
at finding one golden “cure pill” to
all of the issues, but rather we
tried to challenge young people to
think about possible solutions.
For further discussion:
Taking into account that almost
half of youth in Finland within this
survey expressed a pessimistic
view on the future within next 15
years, yet demonstrated will to
contribute and develop their
communities, what needs to be
done in order to engage youth in
Finland to take an action?
How can entrepreneurship and
start-up scene support society in
solving these issues?
Government
supports now the
wrong persons
with money. That
should be more
strict.
Community-based, community-
run development/empowerment
projects in the neighborhood
level, especially through 12-15
year olds (junior youth) because
they are a generation that's
ready to act!
PAGE 17

18. WHO DO YOU THINK HAS THE STRONGEST ABILITY TO INFLUENCE SOCIETY?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Government
Individuals
Private sector (Business)
Youth led organisations
Other
NGO's
No one
Finland
WENA
Global
Young people in Finland see
government as the one with the
highest ability to influence
society. Yet this question did
not ask about an ideal sector of
influence, but rather indicated
the current state. Young people
in Finland do not see as much
influence of a private sector on
the society in comparison to
the opinion of youth in WENA
region. The influential role of
the youth-led organization in
Finland is not seen high,
especially comparing to the
global data.
For further discussion:
The government is seen as an
institution with the strongest
ability to influence on society.
Pursuing a will to contribute to
some bigger purpose and
develop their communities, do
young people in Finland
actually take actions for
improving their society? Do
they feel the responsibility of
doing it or relying on the
government to solve all the
social issues?
PAGE 18

19. Young people in Finland tend to see their society
more pessimistically than young people globally.
Is it caused by a belief that more developed
country cannot keep the same pace of
improvement?
Do young people able to take an action towards
the improvement of their society themselves, or
do they rely on other institutions to solve the
issues for them?

20. YOUTH FOR GLOBAL GOALS

21. ARE YOU A VOLUNTEER?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Yes
No
Finland
WENA
Global
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Yes
I've already volunteered
abroad
No
Finland
WENA
Global
WOULD YOU VOLUNTEER ABROAD?
Volunteering is one of the ways
to contribute to society.
Volunteering also was named
as one of the ways to solve the
social issues in Finland, even
though it did not have a high
priority in the list.
At the same time volunteering
is seen by young people as a
way to develop themselves
personally and professionally
(Education – block), as well as a
way to feel contributions
(Drivers in life – block).
Not specifying the scope of
volunteering, we wanted to
identify how many of young
people actually see themselves
as volunteers?
In order to decrease
intolerance, young people see
that international experience
can help them to develop
empathy and cultural
understanding. How many
young people though a ready to
combine the volunteering and
international experience by
going for a volunteering project
abroad?
For further discussion:
Solely by a fact that a young
person is a volunteer or not, we
cannot draw any conclusions.
However, do young people see
volunteering as a way of
developing their personal and
professional skills, or as a
contribution to the society?
Why is volunteering important
to Finnish society?
PAGE 21

22. WHICH ISSUES WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN TACKLING THROUGH VOLUNTEERING ABROAD?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Education
Peace and Justice
Health
Gender Equality
Jobs and economic growth
Inequality
Protect the planet
Clean Energy
Sustainable cities and communities
Poverty
Infrastructure
Hunger
Clean Water and Sanitation
Responsible consumption
Life on land
Partnerships for the SDGs
Life below water
Other
Finland
WENA
Global
Volunteering for a short period
of time abroad can serve many
purposes. Travelling and
contribution were named as
one of the top things that
young people would do if they
were paid for anything. At the
same time it is a way to develop
cultural understanding,
empathy (qualities of a leader
that were named as one of the
most important), and view on
the world. So, what issues
young people feel the most
committed to solving globally?
For further discussion:
Education was named as one of
the ways to eradicate world’s
issues. Most of the respondents
also expressed willingness to
work on education while
volunteering abroad. What
tools and opportunities the
society or educational
institutions need to create in
order foster this cause?
PAGE 22

23. WHAT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES WOULD HELP YOU TO GROW PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%
Awareness about global issues
Positive and solution-oriented attitude
Belief in ability to make a difference in the world
Effective communication in diverse environment
Exploration of personal passions
Engaging with others for achieving a bigger purpose
Empowering others
Responsibility for improving the world
Understanding of personal values
Taking risks
Demonstrate resilience in a face of challenges
Focus on strength over weaknesses
Most of the young people in Finland
expressed as one of the most important
condition for their work after graduation
is an opportunity for constant learning. At
the same time understanding their fears
and hopes, acquiring what skills and
experience would help them to develop
themselves personally and professionally?
For further discussion:
What are the ways of gaining these skills
and experiences by young people?
How can educational institutions, non-
governmental organizations, and
employers support young people in
gaining these opportunities?
PAGE 23

24. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ARE (SDGs)?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Yes
No
Finland
WENA
Global
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Yes, I am familiar
No, I do not know it
I do not care
Finland
WENA
Global
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY POLICY OF YOUR COUNTRY?
On September 25 2015 the
193-Member United Nations
General Assembly formally
adopted the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
These 17 Goals are focusing
over next 15 years on areas of
critical importance for humanity
and the planet.
Awareness about the Global
Goals solely doesn’t ensure any
commitment towards achieving
them. However, knowing the
goal, it is easier to build a
roadmap towards achieving it.
But do young people in Finland
know about the Sustainable
Development Goals?
Finland accepted the 2030
Agenda for sustainable
development as a guideline for
developing a national policy for
sustainable development. If
only less than a half of young
people are aware with the
SDGs, and even less are aware
of the national sustainability
policy, what would guide them
to take an action for
contributing to development?
PAGE 24

25. WHAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS YOU WOULD ACT UPON? *
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20%
SDG 1 No Powerty
SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4 Quality Education
SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and infrustructure
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and…
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 15 Life on Land
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Finland
WENA
Global
* Block’s primary question
This is the primary question of the
block of “Youth For Global Goals”.
The aim was also to raise
awareness about the SDGs, as a
very first step to defining how
young people personally could
contribute to achieving them, as
well as why it is highly important
as for their own future as for
society.
For further discussion:
There are some differences in
priorities of what of the Global
Goals young people in Finland
would act upon comparing to
other countries. Yet SDG 4 –
Quality Education is by far a
number one preference of young
people across the globe. What
needs to be done to take this
engagement from a preference
towards an action for achieving it?
PAGE 25

26. The majority of young people are not aware with
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The
Global Goals is a guideline for nations, societies and
individuals to make the world a better place. Young
people are the once who will drive this positive
change in next 15 years. But are they aware what
direction they are going to?
Just being aware of the concept of SDGs doesn’t
ensure that the actions towards achieving them will
be taken. However, it is a starting point – to know
the goals to start building the roadmap for
achieving them

27. LEADERSHIP

28. WHAT IS ONE CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKES A PERSON A GREAT LEADER? *
We asked young people to
name a person who they think
is a great leader. Then we asked
them to explain what qualities
make this person a great leader.
Surprisingly, not many names of
Finnish leaders were mentioned
by respondents in Finland.
The analysis was done by the
key word search. Empathy,
being action-oriented and
integrity are the top qualities
named by young people in
Finland.
For further discussion:
What experiences young
people shall have in order to
gain these qualities themselves?
Do these named qualities
reflect named skills and
experiences that young people
want to acquire in order to
grow personally and
professionally?
Do young people strive for
developing leadership qualities
within themselves?
* Block’s primary question. Global data will be available for comparison in the Global YouthSpeak report
12%
7%
30%
5%
14%
3%
11%
17%
Charisma
Determination
Empathy
Inspiration
Integrity
Trust
Vision
Action-oriented
PAGE 28

29. WHAT DOES TERM “LEADERSHIP” MEAN TO YOU?
According to Universum’s report on Millennials –
“Understanding a misunderstood generation”, defines that
nearly 61 % of young people in WENA region want to
achieve leadership or managerial roles in their work. Yet do
young people see a difference between being a manager
and being a leader? This we asked in the country-specific
questions, trying to identify what term “leadership” mean
to young people.
Generally we observed that young people tend to explain
leadership based on their understanding of a great leader.
There might be some survey errors due to the fact that the
survey was conducted in English, and the term “johtaja”
might not mean exactly the same as “leadership”.
The topic needs more in-depth discussion and research,
the current data provides a few diverse opinions, but
doesn't allow to form a strong conclusion.
For further discussion:
Do young people in Finland see acquiring leadership
qualities as a way to improve themselves and their society?
Not prioritizing power and authority in the list of drivers in
life, how do they perceive leadership as a positive term?
Do young people in Finland even want to become a
leader?
It means charisma.
But alone it's just
an empty word,
we do not need
leaders, we need
conscious citizens
Being an example,
empowering and
enabling people to grow,
understanding the
bigger picture, ability to
coach and mentor
people.
Living according to your
values and not being
afraid to work towards
what you believe in.
It means ownership in all
situations, acting with others
as well as taking responsibility
by yourself. It means being
open-minded and solution-
oriented and being able to
work in groups and coaching
them.
Willingness to make an
impact to the world and
making real actions
within your
team/followers
Responsible
entrepreneurship
Having an
impact
It's something that's
really needed in this
world, but I'd rather not
take part in leading.
Means nothing
The ability to set
overarching goals;
convincing people of
uniting under them; and
organizing the actual
work toward these
goals.
PAGE 29

30. ENGAGEMENT

31. WHICH CHANNELS DO YOU USE IN ORDER TO KEEP YOURSELF INFORMED ON DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Facebook
E-newspapers and E-magazines
Friends / Word of mouth
Google
Magazines / Newspaper
Instagram
TV
Other social media
Whatsapp
Twitter
Blogs
LinkedIn
I don't like to look for information"
Snapchat
WeChat
Finland
WENA
Global
Generation of young people,
grown up with technologies
and social media. It is not a
secret that the channels of
engagement are shifting. There
is more and more information
available through multiple
channels. What channels young
people choose to keep
themselves updated? What
piece of information do they
trust?
For further discussion:
There is an interesting shift
comparing young people’s
opinion in Finland with their
fellows globally. Thus, e-
sources of traditional
magazines and newspapers are
in use more than on a global or
regional levels generally.
Whereas TV is not the most
common channel for Finnish
youth.
How could we engage young
people better using the
channels of information that
they trust for receiving a day-
on-day information?
PAGE 31

32. WHO ARE THE 3 MOST TRUSTED SOURCES YOU LOOK UP TO GET INFORMATION? *
In quite a few types of research
on millennials, it was claimed
that young people tend to rely
the most on their families and
friends. Yet academic
institutions are the ones scoring
the top of the preferences. We
did not specify what kind of
information – either on the
everyday basis or more
academic, therefore more
research on the topic is needed.
For further discussion:
The survey shows that looking
up information from families
and friends definitely takes
place. Yet is it for the reason to
consume the information, or
this behavior can be explained
by the factors that drive young
people in their lives?
Being the most trusted sources
of information, could we
involve educational institutions
to support young people in
finding solutions to social issues
by developing leadership
qualities needed for that?
* Block’s primary question.PAGE 32
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Academic Institutions
Friends
Parents / Relatives
Professors
Government
Colleagues
Thought leaders
Coach / Mentor
Bloggers
Senior managers
Public figures
Finland
WENA
Global

33. WHICH OF THE STATEMENTS RELATES TO YOU THE MOST?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
I live on my smartphone and I find it convenient
I'm not dependent on my smartphone
I live on my smartphone and I find it harmful
I don't have a smartphone
I don't have a mobile
Finland
WENA
Global
Finland is one of the top
countries in the rank of number
phones and smartphones per
capita. Young people use
smartphones in every aspect of
their life. Some sources argue
that we disconnect socially
connecting more through
technologies. Yet what do
young people think? Do they
find it harmful or convenient?
For further discussion:
The survey shows that young
people in Finland find using
their smartphones rather
convenient. How for example
this fact can help in engaging
young people to take an action?
PAGE 33

34. It is not a secret that young people grew up with
the technologies and social media, thus tend to
see it as an integral part of their lives.
In the world with more and more increasing
amount of information, how to make sure the
most relevant information reaches out young
people?

35. EDUCATION

36. DO YOU CONSIDER THAT YOUR UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IS GIVING YOU
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS YOU WOULD NEED IN THE FUTURE?
0,00%
5,00%
10,00%
15,00%
20,00%
25,00%
30,00%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NOT CONTRIBUTING
AT ALL
CONTRIBUTING IN EVERY
POSSIBLE ASPECT
Simply by shifting a scale in the
YouthSpeak Survey we tried to
identify the general perception
of higher education of young
people – how the knowledge
and the skills would support
them in the future?
This question did not specify
whether the young people are
already aware what kind of
skills they will need in the
future for sure, or rather still try
to figure it out during their
studies.
For further discussion:
The alignment with the studies
is not on the priority list of
young people in Finland for
their future career. Is this
flexibility caused by admitting
that the educational institutions
are not equipping young people
with all the skills they would
need?
What ways and approaches can
engage young people for
acquiring these skills? The are
curious and are willing to learn.
What would be the right
approach through?
PAGE 36

37. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF STUDYING IN UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Acquiring skills to prepare for career
Acquiring useful knowledge
Building a network of friends and contacts
Becoming self aware on what I want to do next
Getting a diploma for a higher status in the society
I don't see any benefits
Finland
WENA
Global
For further discussion:
Education was named as one of
the ways of solving world’s
issues. At the same time SDG 4
– Quality Education attracts the
most of the commitment of
young people. Young people
trust the information received
from academic institutions, yet
they are not entirely satisfied
with the set of the skills and
knowledge they get from their
higher studies.
We agree that quality
education can have a different
meaning in the different parts
of the world. While in more
developing countries young
people crave for equal access
to education, in (still) tuition-
free Finland with one of the
best reputation for education
system it can mean something
different.
So, what is the reason why
young people continue their
higher education? What do
they need to do personally to
be more satisfied with their
studies and what educational
institutions still could focus on?
PAGE 37

38. WHICH METHODS OF LEARNING DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST USEFUL?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Practical experience
Working groups
Workshops
Mentoring / coaching
Lectures
Volunteering
Text books
Online courses
Finland
WENA
Global
For further discussion:
Young people know the best
how they can learn and develop
themselves. Yet are we utilizing
all the methods that work for
young people?
Practical experiences were
assessed by far as the most
useful way of learning, also in
the global analysis. What do
practical experiences mean and
how to utilize these learnings at
the best?
PAGE 38

39. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Exchange
Volunteering
Case studies
Workshops
Conferences
Study tours
Finland
WENA
Global
WHICH ONE OF THESE PRACTICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN
ORDER TO GROW PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY? *
* Block’s primary question
For further discussion:
Taking into consideration that
education and international
experience were named as the
tools for solving the world’s
issues, and practical
experiences through an
exchange are one of the best
learning methods for young
people – could society,
educational institutions and
individuals themselves create
more opportunities that
would fulfill all of them?
PAGE 39

40. Young people see the need of constant learning
and development. Embracing technologies,
drivers in life, understanding of the set of skills
and knowledge need in life, and young people’s
vision for the future – how do we make sure that
we get the best out of education?
Young people are the ones who will drive a
positive change in next 15 years. Are we sure
that education serves this purpose with the
methods we currently use?
“Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world”.
- Nelson Mandela

41. METHODOLOGY
Data collection:
The data for the YouthSpeak Survey in this report was collected by
AIESEC through own network (AIESEC national and local offices) in
125 countries and territories, as well as with the help of promotion
and distribution the survey by the partner organizations. This
YouthSpeak Insights report is based on the data collected from
November 2015 until May 2016.
The YouthSpeak Survey is still currently open for the responses, yet
the structure might be slightly modified and simplified in the future,
as well as translated into more languages (including Finnish). This
would ensure even higher outreach and collect more data for
providing valuable insights.
DATA COLLECTION SAMPLE SIZE
Global 160 227
WENA 14 556
Finland 299
Data analysis:
Data analysis was done on the global level by AIESEC International
with the support of partner organizations. The YouthSpeak Insights
report for Finland was done by AIESEC in Finland. The survey error
estimates cannot be calculated.
The Global YouthSpeak Insights report will be published only after
this national report is completed. Therefore, all the data presented
here for global level and WENA region is taken from the preliminary
data analysis.
We have included WENA region (Western Europe and North
America) to the chart analytics to compare to the national insights to
the region that has similarities in economic, political and social
aspects.
PAGE 41

42. DEMOGRAPHICS: BACKGROUND
42% 12% 8% 7% 6% 6% 18%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Business Administration
Engineering
Humanities or Social Sciences
Economics
Computer science
Education
Other
84% 11%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Student
Employed
Self-employed
Unemployed
PAGE 42

43. DEMOGRAPHICS: AGE AND GENDER
12% 33% 22% 19% 9% 5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Under 16 16-19 20-22 23-24 25-27 28-30 Over 30
42% 57%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Male Female Other
PAGE 43

44. 58% 9% 24%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Finland Russian Federation Germany India Vietnam Other
DEMOGRAPHICS: NATIONALITY OF ORIGIN
PAGE 44

45. AIESEC in Finland
Pictures and graphic used created by AIESEC
June 2016
To learn more how we can help you to understand, engage
and connect with millennials:
AIESEC in Finland:
aiesec.fi
finland@aiesec.net
Learn more about YouthSpeak and download the Global
YouthSpeak reports:
youthspeak.aiesec.org