A balanced economy is the cornerstone of a prosperous, growing and international City of Tampere. The coming years of the municipal economy will be challenging. It is important to allocate the available money to high-quality, statutory basic services. Measures to balance the economy must be taken systematically and in stages, with careful preparation. It is not sensible to suddenly hold up the economy and it is not wise to short-sightedly try to save from future expenditure. This is how we maintain the attraction and holding power of our growing city.
The operating conditions for companies must be further improved in Tampere. Prosperous companies create jobs and bring in tax revenue.
The development of regional inequality must be stopped. The prevention of segregation must be taken into account even more in planning and services. City districts have their own special characteristics, but wealth or disadvantage must not accumulate only in certain areas. A sense of security must be restored to city residents. The root causes of disruptive behaviour and minor phenomena must be addressed and security must be invested in cooperation with the police.
Matti Helimo’s most important election themes in the 2025 municipal elections in Tampere:
1. Education
Tampere should continue to build new early childhood education units and schools and renovate old ones according to the plan. The order will be determined based on the urgency requirements of city-level classification. It is important to guarantee healthy and safe learning environments for all children, young people and staff. Tampere does not have noisy “open classrooms” where many groups share the same class and there is no need for them. By focusing more on measures that support the well-being of staff at work, sick leave due to people’s working load will be reduced and money will also be saved.
Basic education
· Strengthen student support and continue to increase the number of small groups in different parts of the city
· Improve the conditions for learning basic skills and peace at work
· Invest more in literacy and Finnish-language teaching
· S2 teaching will be renewed to be even more effective. The number of students will increase and the current model and regulations are outdated
· Learning in appropriately-sized teaching groups
Early childhood education and career
· Strengthen support for children
· Even out the differences in children’s learning abilities by investing in Finnish-language teaching
· Increase investment in adopting a physical lifestyle
· Daycare as close as possible to the child’s home
Vocational education
· Strengthen support for young people’s learning
· Increase in contact teaching, regular class schedules for every young person
· Improve opportunities for work-based learning in cooperation with companies
· Appropriately-sized teaching groups and individual study paths and support
· Invest in the comprehensive well-being of students
Upper secondary education
· Appropriately-sized teaching groups
· A wide range of courses for students
· Allocation of funding to study guidance
· Secure the general educational role of upper secondary schools
· Invest in the comprehensive well-being of students
University of Applied Sciences and Universities
· Continue and further develop the strategic partnership agreement with higher education institutions
· Invest in the comprehensive well-being of students
· Tampere is the best place to study and live for the everyday life of a student
· Further improve cooperation with higher education institutions and companies in the region. The goal is that as many graduates as possible stay to work in Tampere
2. Physical activity and sports
Tampere was chosen as the most active municipality of 2024. We will further increase and expand physical activity opportunities and improve the well-being of city residents of all ages. Regular physical activity prevents problems, improves functional capacity and mental health. By investing in the promotion of physical activity, we will also save money in the long term.
· We will further develop the conditions for physical activity and ensure free and affordable, diverse activities. In addition, the Permission to Move activity and youth training
· Secure grants for sports clubs
· Improve Kauppi’s skiing conditions and prepare for an increase in the number of sports enthusiasts
· Continue to support training timetables and space rentals for matches, with an emphasis on children and young people
· Continue to develop open and free sports facilities for everyone
· Continue to increase the number of local sports facilities in connection with schools and daycare centres
· Invest in new artificial turf, artificial ice and snowmaking systems
· Improve the conditions for gymnastics. Gymnastics is an impressive motivator in Tampere, the city’s most popular sport along with football, and a large proportion of enthusiasts are girls
3. Culture
· Grants for cultural operators will be secured and synergy will be sought in the use of facilities
· A working model will be created for the new work and exhibition spaces of the Nekala Cultural Centre
· The cultural hub at the Hiedanranta factory will be developed into an attractive and functional entity for everyone
· The Art Corner programme of Tampere’s basic education and early childhood education will be further improved
· Culture belongs to everyone, the accessibility of culture will continue to be taken into account
4. Youth services
· Develop the whole of outreach youth work to be even more effective
· Increase the participation of young people
· Encounter more and more young people in youth facilities, mobile and digital youth work
· Exercise motivators are getting more and more young people excited about exercise
The underlying idea in all themes is to implement them cost-neutrally with existing money. By developing services, they can be made even more effective and still stay within the budget. It is not possible to take new openings as services unless another service is dropped, which for one reason or another is no longer sufficiently effective.
In addition to the above-mentioned increases, the upcoming council term must pay attention to, among other things, the smooth everyday life of city residents, for example, moving around using different modes of transport. All age groups must be taken into account when developing services.
In the last two years, approximately 11,000 new residents have moved to Tampere, about half of whom are non-Finnish or Swedish speakers. Special attention should be paid to their adaptation to study and working life, as well as to the services aimed at them, in the future. Everyone is welcome to Tampere.
