Student project work: a partnership between businesses and educational institutions fosters economic growth in Eastern Finland
In today’s ever-evolving business landscape, collaboration between industries and educational institutions is paramount for driving innovation and attracting talent. Embracing economic growth and talent development is crucial for the whole region of Eastern Finland.
A fruitful approach to cooperation involves inviting students to engage in project work within companies.
In this article, we showcase two companies and their way of cooperating with Savonia’s international students. Andritz is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, automation solutions and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, as well as environmental and green energy-focused sectors. POK Group Oy is a successful family-owned supplier of electricity distribution systems. They offer centralised comprehensive product solutions for demanding needs in different fields: construction, energy, and industry – on land and at sea.
Students who did project work for the companies are completing their degree in the international Mechanical Engineering programme focusing on industrial management. The projects were part of the Industrial Management Project 1 course and were carried out in groups of three students.
Advancing corporate sustainability: collaboration between Andritz and Blaise Mugabo
An engineering student Blaise Mugabo and his team studied and analysed the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and its impact on Andritz’s procurement processes. Sourcing Manager Timo Rastas describes the collaboration with him as excellent from the start. Despite the challenging nature of the project, Blaise demonstrated remarkable dedication, organisational skills, and motivation.
“Blaise’s ability to quickly grasp the core objectives of the task and understand its strategic and business implications was outstanding. His high-level communication and presentation skills further enhanced the collaboration, making the project extremely beneficial for Andritz”, Timo says.
For Andritz, the insights derived from the research are instrumental in strategic decision-making in the competitive market. They are crucial for meeting mid-term targets related to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. As customer demands evolve and regulatory frameworks tighten, Andritz remains committed to upholding ethical standards across its supply chain.
From Blaise’s perspective, the project experience with Andritz and Timo was smooth and rewarding. Engaging closely with real-world challenges helped him to gain valuable insights into the company’s operations and work culture.
“Beyond technical skills, the experience gave me a deeper understanding of the interplay between legal frameworks and business strategies. It was great to see how my efforts affected the company’s operations.”
POK: building competitive edge with student cooperation
As part of the student groups, engineering students Elena Kosheleva and Daniial Nigmatullin performed their project works for POK. Elena’s project was to analyse the work process of assembling a concrete secondary substation. Daniial did an offer and effectiveness analysis to assess product profitability.
According to HR Community & People Manager Karita Lehikoinen the collaboration exceeded their expectations. Working with international students is fairly new to the company and one concern was how the possible language barrier might affect working together.
“Our employees embraced international students and bravely used English, even if they don’t use it in their everyday work”, Karita explains.
Daniial agrees as he found the project with the company interesting and educational.
“Thanks to my instructor at the workplace, I now have a good perception of the work stages of the assembly process and components used – from construction to sending.”
POK selects project topics from real working life and utilises the results to support decision-making.
”We will use analyses produced by students when planning for the future.”
Recruiting future talent through joint effort
Both companies recognise the significance of collaboration with educational institutions in nurturing future talent. Projects involving students not only provide fresh perspectives but also serve as potential recruitment channels. Close connections with schools help companies showcase their fields of industries and opportunities offered to the future workforce.
“We need skilled people no matter what background. Only personality and attitude matter”, Timo states.
Karita calls for listening to companies’ needs more regarding skills students should learn during their studies.
“Knowing Finnish working life and the legislation related to occupational safety is important for us. Also, managerial and leadership skills are emphasised in today’s work life.”
For students, the challenge lies in finding internships that correspond to their studies.
“Especially, paid internships are important, as students’ livelihoods are tight anyway. Also, we would appreciate some help with learning Finnish”, Elena says.
Support for international students’ path towards working life
The Talent Hub Eastern Finland project aims to address the needs of both employers and students with several services. An annually recurring mentoring programme helps international students get to know Finnish working life and build their networks. For employers, it provides up-to-date information on students’ skills, fields of education and the future workforce.
Also, a student team model is being developed to enhance the work-life connections of international students. The model aims to increase cooperation with companies and find internships, student project work, workplace learning opportunities and part-time jobs. The team markets and sells its expertise and that provided by its degree programme. It can also do on-demand projects. For employer organisations, Future Talents team offers a new way to find talent.
Next semester, a new bilingual online course will be launched for international students. With the course, students gain an understanding of the basics of Finnish working life and culture. They will also learn to recognize and strengthen their competencies.
Talent Hub Eastern Finland is a project co-funded by the European Union.
Text: Tiina Weman