Uramuutos

Uramuutos is a Finnish term describing a change in career or professional path. It refers to the process by which an individual shifts their work field, industry, or function, often involving re-skilling or retraining. The concept is used in discussions of labor markets, vocational guidance, and human resources to capture transitions from one occupation to another, whether voluntary or prompted by external factors such as technological change or employment shifts.

Derived from the compound ura meaning career or life's work and muutos meaning change, uramuutos literally means "career change." In Finnish usage, it covers a range of transitions from minor role shifts to complete pivots to new sectors.

Realizing a uramuutos typically involves career assessment, skill inventory, learning plans, and often formal or informal training, certification, or recognition of prior learning. Support tools may include career counseling, financial assistance for retraining, and time allowances to study while maintaining employment. The term is commonly found in discussions about lifelong learning, upskilling, and responsiveness to changing labor market demands.

While not tied to a single policy program, uramuutos is a useful frame for analyzing individual choices and macroeconomic trends in Finland, where ongoing training and adaptability are emphasized in workforce development.