Onko mitään suomalaisempaa kuin pilkkiminen? Kansainväliset opiskelijat pääsivät testaamaan lajia
Onko tämä varmasti ihan turvallista? nuori nainen varmistaa ja kiljaisee astuessaan järven jäälle. Hän seisahtaa hetkeksi paikalleen ja sulkee silmänsä, hengittää syvään.
Riverian kansainvälisten opiskelijoiden pilkkiretkelle on lähtenyt mukaan parisenkymmentä opiskelijaa. He ovat kotoisin eri puolilta maailmaa; Nigeriasta, Ghanasta, Vietnamista, Myanmarista, Espanjasta ja Dubaista.
– En ole koskaan kävellyt jäätä pitkin, sanoo nigerialainen sosiaali- ja terveysalan opiskelija Miracle ”Mimi” Ofomah ja lähtee varovaisin askelin eteenpäin. Hän tarttuu vieruskaveriaan, vietnamista kotoisin olevaa Vu Maita kädestä.
– Tämä on niin jännittävää!
– Joko olette uineet avannossa? joku kysyy.
– Mitä, uitteko te tuolla? Ofomah huudahtaa osoittaen jäätä.
Menee hetki vakuuttaa opiskelijat siitä, että jäällä on aivan turvallista: sitä on vielä kairanmitan verran. Jään paksuus konkretisoituu ravintola- ja cateringalan opiskelijalle David Riveralle, kun hän tarttuu kairaan ja alkaa porata elämänsä ensimmäistä pilkkireikää.
– Tämä vain kovenee, mitä syvemmälle mennään, espanjalaisnuorukainen ihmettelee ja saa koulutusjohtajalta Jere Mutaselta lyhyen oppitunnin teräsjäästä.
Aplodit ja vihellykset kantavat kauas, kun Riveran kairankärki viimein loiskauttaa jäälle loskansekaista vettä.
Pilkkipäivä on järjestetty Riverian ja Joensuun kaupungin yhteistyönä ja on osa kansainvälisten opiskelijoiden kotouttamista. Toiminnalliset tapahtumat on todettu aiemmin tehokkaiksi oppimisen ja yhteisöllisyyden edistämisen keinoiksi.
– Haluamme tehdä ympäristöämme tutuksi opiskelijoille, jotta heidän kotoutumisensa sujuisi helpommin, kertoo Joensuun kaupungin strategiajohtaja Sami Laakkonen.
Sekä Riverian että kaupungin tavoitteena on saada opiskelijat jäämään Pohjois-Karjalaan. Siinä auttaa, mitä paremmin nämä osaavat esimerkiksi hyödyntää erilaisia palveluita.
– Me autamme päivittäiseen elämään liittyvissä asioissa, oleskeluluvissa ja perheen yhdistämisessä. Kun uudesta kaupungista tulee koti ja arki rullaa, myös työnteko sujuu, sanoo kotouttamispäällikkö Eija Asikainen.
Retken tärkein asia on eväät
Mutta sinne pilkille. Kukaan opiskelijoista ei ole aiemmin käynyt kalassa jäällä. Sen sijaan kesäkalastajia on joukossa monta. Menee hetki, että maailman eri kalalajeille löytyy kaikkien ymmärtämä nimi. Meriahven, silakka, dolfiini, karppi ja hauki vilahtelevat puheissa, ja niitä käännetään omalle kielelle Googlen avulla.
– Tälläkö siis kalastetaan? Vu Mai pyörittelee pilkkiä kädessään. Pienen opastuksen jälkeen hän on valmis kokeilemaan sitä.
Pian pilkkireppujen päällä istuu kymmenkunta opiskelijaa odottelemassa saalista. Samaan aikaan osa ottaa videoita ja kuvia muistoiksi päivästä. Osa uskaltautuu jäälle kävelylle.
Kodalla pilkkijöitä odottaa elintarvike-, ravintola- ja cateringalan lehtorin Jouni Alénin ja kokkiopiskelijoiden valmistama lohikeitto sekä nuotiomakkarat ja nokipannukahvit.
– Keittoon kala tuli valmiiksi paloiteltuna, Alén kertoo ja muistuttaa, että Suomen luonnossa lohi on uhanalainen laji, joka pitää vapauttaa luontoon.
Sellaisia ei kuitenkaan pilkkijöiden onkiin Kuhasalon rannoilla osu. Eikä juuri muutakaan. Mutta vaikka kalasaalis jää vaatimattomaksi, elämys on kaikille unohtumaton. Puheensorina hiljenee hetkeksi, kun opiskelijat eri puolilta maailmaa keskittyvät kastamaan ruisleipää kalakeiton kermaiseen liemeen. Kuhasalon rannalla satelee hiljakseen lunta.
Dream job in the interior design industry
– I started my interior design studies at Riveria in August 2021, says Johanna Suhonen.
She has previously worked as a practical nurse, a nurse and a public health nurse.
– I graduated as a nurse from Karelia University of Applied Sciences in 2015. I have worked in the care sector for several years, for example, in Siun Sote and the private sector in home care, child health clinics and nursing homes, says Johanna.
– I wanted to turn my hobby into a job because I like building and decorating. Having developed such a passion for working with my hands, I decided to change my field and applied to study at Riveria, says Johanna.
What are your thoughts about adult studies?
– We have a great team spirit in class. Our class has both young students and adults. An individual study path is created for each student, which takes into account their previous competence, says Johanna.
– I have found practical studies and workshops to be really inspiring and rewarding. This is definitely my thing, says Johanna.
Johanna has already had two on-the-job learning periods. The first one took place in Koli at a guesthouse called Villa Oras, which is located in an old village school building.
– There I carried out interior decoration, construction and renovation work. It was a great experience, and I had a free hand. I got to perform all kinds of things, Johanna says.
The second on-the-job learning period took place in a company operating at Science Park, Innoska Oy, which teaches 3D design.
– At Innoska, I learned a lot about SketchUp, which is a software used for spatial planning. In addition, I was able to learn more about entrepreneurship and social media, says Johanna.
Through her studies, Johanna has become a JA entrepreneur, with the help of which she implements interior design that promotes well-being and manufactures interior design products from recycled and natural materials.
What about the future?
– My dream job is to work in interior design and create versatile spatial plans for kitchens and other spaces. I am actively looking for work. One option is a shop that sells interior design products and plans. I’m open to anything, Johanna says.
Greetings to all those interested in the field
– Interior design education is really extensive and interesting. We use a lot of computers for drawing and design, but there are also practical exercises, says Johanna.
– If you like decoration, craftsmanship and visual design, you should apply to study interior design. I also highly recommend completing JA studies, as it is an easy and inspiring way to learn about entrepreneurship, says Johanna.
I have taken part in various events and have participated in several competitions. Entrepreneurship studies have been great. I have gotten to know new people and acquire new experiences.
Johanna Suhonen
A new profession – an apprenticeship for the meat sector
– When I turned 30, I decided to change my career. I have dreams in life, and I wondered what my future profession would be, says Outi.
Outi graduated from upper secondary school in 2018. After that, she got a summer job from Lassila & Tikanoja as a cleaner but ended up working there for 11.5 years. She also worked as a cleaning supervisor before changing her career.
– At TE Services, we mapped out different options together with an occupational psychologist. As a result, it became clear that the food industry could suit me, Outi says.
Outi contacted Riveria’s food industry lecturer Marja-Leena Hirvonen. In January 2021, she started training with an apprenticeship contract at HKScan’s meat cutting/packing station.
– That’s where it all started. I completed my vocational qualification in the food industry in the meat sector competence area in May 2022, says Outi.
At the moment, Outi works as a work supervision trainee at HKScan in Outokumpu.
What are your thoughts about the studies?
– I have been happy with the amount of contact instruction. My workplace has been flexible and supported me in my studies, says Outi.
– Since I’m a career changer, everything has been new to me. I was only somewhat familiar with the meat sector because of my hunting hobby, says Outi.
I am currently completing one more qualification unit of the same qualification, because I need competence related to the Council regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing to work in a supervisory position in the slaughterhouse.
Outi Purmonen
– My previous cleaning job involved a lot of supervisory duties and managing a large number of people in the field. Now I work in one place and have many colleagues around me. This has been the best part of the job, Outi says.
What about the future?
– My main goal was to learn how to cut meat. When I successfully completed that part of my studies, I was open to everything, says Outi.
– At the beginning of 2023, I am planning to continue with the specialist vocational qualification in the food sector to work in supervisory duties. We’ll see what kind of opportunities HKScan offers in the future, Outi says.
Greetings to all those interested in the field
– You have to be ready to face all kinds of things in this field, but the work is really interesting and challenging, says Outi.
Renewable natural resources and technology
The idea of the Go Green With Smart IT project is to combine technology and green thinking, i.e. renewable natural resources. In addition to Finland, four countries are involved in the project: Bulgaria, Spain, France and Portugal.
– Each country organises a week-long meeting within the framework of the project, where the educational institution plans the content for the students participating in the visit, says lecturer Petri Keronen.
Visitors will learn about renewable natural resources, technology and the country’s culture.
– In Riveria, we chose hydropower as the topic of our visit. During the week, the students produced a functional scale model of a hydropower plant that converts water flowing through the plant into electrical energy, says Petri Keronen.
The parts of the hydropower plant were 3D printed, using fully recyclable materials. The power generation of the hydropower plant was controlled and programmed with an Arduino Uno microcontroller.
How does the cooperation work in practice?
– The first meeting took place in France and the second in Spain in spring 2022. In autumn 2022, we visited Bulgaria, says Petri.
The participants are ICT students. The project will come to an end in April 2023 in Portugal.
Each visit will be attended by two teachers and six students. We aim to have different students and teachers attend the visits to each country so that as many people as possible can familiarise themselves with the education organised in different parts of the world.
Petri Keronen
– During the visit to Finland, we visited, for example, the Kuurna hydroelectric power plant and explored different activities in Koli, including ice swimming, Petri says.
Becoming an expert in the field of earthwork through apprenticeship training
Entrepreneur’s apprenticeship is flexible
Sami Hassinen is studying for a vocational qualification in the field of earthwork through an entrepreneur’s apprenticeship.
– I studied to become a vehicle mechanic, but I ended up working on machines right after graduating. I worked in road maintenance and earthwork for about five years for a private entrepreneur, says Sami.
Then Sami changed jobs and drove a sewage truck for a couple of years.
– While still working, I started an earthwork company on a part-time basis. However, the business began to expand, and I became a full-time entrepreneur, Sami says.
Konepalvelu Sami Hassinen has been operating for 14 years. The company offers earthwork, road maintenance and forest management services mainly in the Ilomantsi, Eno and Lieksa regions.
What made you choose an entrepreneur’s apprenticeship?
– A little over a year ago, I hired an earthwork student from Riveria as an intern, and their teacher Ossi Pippuri came to visit the construction site. When we were talking, I told him that I had never studied earthwork. Ossi suggested that I should acquire a vocational qualification in earthwork through an apprenticeship in Riveria. That’s where the idea came about, says Sami.
Ossi Pippuri visited Ilomantsi to discuss the concept of an entrepreneur’s apprenticeship with a small group, and that is when Sami signed his apprenticeship contract.
– I have discussed the possibility of further education with Ossi, Sami says.
I have told many people about the entrepreneur’s apprenticeship because I think it is a great opportunity to study for a qualification. The education does not interfere with the actual work, and the amount of theoretical studies is just right.
Sami Hassinen
Increased competence in work supervision
Pasi Niemeläinen is an apprenticeship student studying for a specialist vocational qualification in the field of earthwork at SKS Infra Oy. Pasi has plenty of work experience in the field of earthwork, including supervision tasks.
– I joined Riveria’s Täsmäosaaja training in the field of earthwork, through which I got a job at SKS Infra Oy, says Pasi.
– Ossi Pippuri from Riveria asked if I was interested in acquiring a specialist vocational qualification in the field of earthwork through an apprenticeship, and it seemed like a suitable option for me, says Pasi.
I especially believe that my communication skills have improved, which has been useful in my current work tasks.
Pasi Niemeläinen
Pasi has gained tools for work supervision from his studies.
At the moment, Pasi works as an excavator driver foreman and plans the group’s work tasks together with his supervisor Seppo Saarelainen.
After the training, Pasi intends to continue working in the field of earthwork and possibly acquire further qualifications in work supervision through apprenticeship training.
The right person for the right tasks
– In addition to earthwork, we’ve had apprenticeship students in real estate services and financial administration tasks, says Seppo Saarelainen, CEO of SKS Infra Oy.
Apprenticeship training has been well suited for SKS Infra Oy because it enables the company to utilise the student’s valuable work contribution.
– As an employer, I am very much in favour of apprenticeship training. It requires that the workplace has enough time for guidance. In my opinion, apprenticeship training emphasises the student’s self-direction, says Seppo.
SKS Infra’s apprenticeship students have given good feedback on the implementation of the training and the guidance provided by the workplace. They have all been employed by the company.
Updating competence is important at John Deere Oy
“We started conducting competence surveys at the turn of 2019–2020. We are constantly developing John Deere’s competence, and it was now important to survey the competence of new and older personnel,” says Production Manager Ari Toivanen.
The aim of the competence survey was to locate any possible deficiencies and to find out what training is needed at John Deere in the future.
As a result of the competence survey, Riveria has been able to offer training packages targeted to John Deere’s needs.
“The competence survey was generic and it utilised predefined occupational groups, on the basis of which we were able to use ready-made questions. The questions best suited to our needs were chosen, and we didn’t need to change much,” Ari says.
Would you recommend Riveria’s competence survey to others?
“A competence survey is worth trying. It would be ideal if Riveria could conduct the same survey for several companies in the same industry. This would ensure a good training provision for the needs of the entire North Karelia region, for example, in terms of short-term training,” Ari says.
