Neljä kättä kokoamassa palapeliä ihmisverkoston keskellä.

Work Life Path

The main aim of the project is to promote international recruitment, particularly in exporting companies of Kymenlaakso region.

International degree students do not often have a professional network to help them to integrate with the Finnish working life and companies in the region after the completion of their studies. This project seeks a solution to the challenges in recruitment from the perspectives of both international students and companies by co-creating together with students and companies a working life path designed, piloted and documented in 2-4 different industries. These paths will contribute to the development of integration of students into Finnish working life and companies in the Kymenlaakso region.

What we do?

  1. Career path design and industry-specific customization
  2. Piloting the working life path
  3. Documentation of the working life path, preparation for implementation and further development

For Companies

  • Benchmarking the already existing working life paths in different regions.
  • Identifying the main elements of the working life path with the HR of the participating companies.
  • Modeling industry-specific working life paths utilizing the elements from Xamk’s internship and thesis processes.
  • Organizing cultural training for participating companies.
  • Supporting participating companies during the working life pilot.

For Students

  • Communicating the working life path to students and including them in training pilots.
  • Training pilot group students in technological skills, Finnish working life and corporate culture.
  • Students’ guided internships and theses in the companies participating in the project.

For further development

  • Feedback discussions with companies and students.
  • Collecting and documenting the experiences of the working life path based on pilots.
  • Completing the career path by co-developing with companies and students.
  • Documenting the working life path, setting it in motion and preparing the next steps of development.

More information

Riku Happonen
Project Manager
firstname.lastname@xamk.fi
044 702 8238

Dr. Mikhail Nemilentsev
RDI Principal Lecturer, Business
firstname.lastname@xamk.fi
040 630 7620

Minna Porvari
RDI Specialist, Creative Industries Research Unit
firstname.lastname@xamk.fi
050 452 4218

Experiences

Practical training at Lumon Oy

Digital International Business student Rushitha Fonseka had the opportunity to do his advanced practical training at Lumon Oy in summer 2023. Watch the video about his positive experiences and how he was introduced to the company.

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DEGREE CONTENTS - WHAT DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES INCLUDE?

The degree programme Digital International Business, BBA programme is 210 ECTS. One ECTS includes arounf 27 hrs of work. A student completes this programme in 3,5 years on average. Core competences are 150 ECTS and supplementary competences are 60 ECTS that have advanced courses within the degree programme (45 ECTS) and 15 ECTS selected by each student fully independently (so called free-choice, or optional studies).

RDI cooperation is expected in each course and can include various business-related tasks, business cases or direct business projects with local or international companies.

In addition to basic competences in business, students focus on business communication, entrepreneurship skills, financial, statistic and mathematical skills among others. In addition, digital, marketing, innovation, and AI competences are nurtured within the programme. In order to graduate, a student completes basic (10 ECTS) and advanced (20 ECTS) practical training. Thesis process takes another 30 ECTS.

Events

Storytelling event by Patteri | 16.11.2023, 13:30

🚀 Don’t miss the opportunity to unleash your potential with Patteri & Work Life Path! Join our Simulation of Interviews event on November 16th at 14.00 (Coffee at 13:30), Paja FUEL. Get insights from industry experts:

🔵 Liena Silen (Eezy Personnel):

  • Introduction to Eezy Personnel
  • Finnish work culture
  • Interview etiquette

🔴 Saara Hirsto (Lumon):

  • Introduction to Lumon
  • Key traits sought in candidates

🎤Experience two interview simulation rounds: individual pitches and group interviews. Don’t worry; it’s all about your performance, so everyone has a fair chance!

 

Registration link: https://link.webropol.com/s/storytellingevent

 

Ready to shine in your future interviews? Secure your spot today – places are limited!

International talents of Kouvola | 12.10.2023, 13:00

Looking for part-time job opportunities in Kouvola? Join the ‘International Talents of Kouvola’ event, where you can connect with renowned local recruitment agencies like Amiko, Eezy, and Työvoimaa. Engage with Inspiring Speakers:

▪️ Veronique Sanguinetti: “Innovational Entrepreneurship” 

▪️ Angelika Polak and Ria Andrews: “Finnish Work Culture and Integration”

​

Discover how to integrate into Finnish work culture while exploring exciting part-time job prospects with Work-Life Path, JCI, and Patteri, funded by Otsakorven Säätiö.

 

The event is at Synergiakeskus Kohoa.

Publications

An interview you can’t prepare for – what’s the point? | 3/2024

This week the student applicants went into the next round where they were to present their marketing research topics to the new CEO, Santeri Nisula, and Recruitment & Research Consultant for Eezy Personnel, Sanna Tukiainen.

Published in INSIDER, the Student Magazine of Xamk in March 2024. Written by Senior Lecturer Hugh Clack.

Finding a training place takes effort – but help is at hand | 3/2024

This year sees the first of a new Talent Boost project helping put international students and employers together for practical training purposes. The Xamk Grant Pilot scheme is being run for the first time, and there have been several employers that have signed up to participate.

Published in INSIDER, the Student Magazine of Xamk in March 2024. Written by Senior Lecturer Hugh Clack.

Building an international and intercultural work-life path in the Kymenlaakso region | 3/2024

The article discusses the implementation stages in Work Life Path pilots and their theoretical frameworks.

Published in the Journal of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. Written by Mikhail Nemilentsev, Xamk, RDI Principal Lecturer & RDI Expert, D.Sc. (Econ.); Minna Porvari, Xamk, RDI Expert, BA and Riku Happonen, Xamk, Project Manager, M.Sc. (Econ.).

The role of RDI-driven education in creating sustainable digitalization and innovative competences for the future | 12/2023

Abstract

This paper considers various theoretical and practical perspectives of futures-driven digitalized competences within the Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) practices in the applied educational context. Whereas the paper focuses primarily on higher education, showcases of successful RDI integration between several educational levels are provided. Future’s research, aspects of digitalized learning, and viewpoints on connecting RDI and education form the theoretical basis and the article’s core. International RDI experts and educators were interviewed within the case study, and multiple observations were conducted. Future’s competences for digitalized RDI and sustainable learning were analyzed. The application of multidisciplinary, inter-level online, and onsite RDI interventions was found to positively influence the learning outcomes and thus contribute to a more efficient study process.

Keywords: digitalisation; education; future’s competences; future; RDI; sustainability

Published in Xamk Beyond 2023: Digitalization. Written by Dr. Mikhail Nemilentsev, RDI Principal Lecturer (Department of Business).

Reflections on developing the international student mindset for an efficient work-life cooperation | 12/2023

Over the past few years, a dramatic transformation in students’ learning skills has been visible. From active recipients of information from lecturers and passive participants in the traditional educational group process, students have become active transformers of educational life, initiators of educational spin-offs, and international catalysts of project activities.

Published in Xamk READ 4/2023 in December 2023. Written by Dr. Mikhail Nemilentsev, RDI Principal Lecturer (Department of Business) & RDI Expert (Digital Economy), and Dr. Veronique Sanguinetti, Lecturer & Researcher, Université Polytechnique Hauts de France, IAE School of Management.

Challenges and Opportunities in Building a Professional Mindset of an International Student in Finland | 6/2023

International students and young professionals find it difficult to realise themselves, primarily because of fractured personal values. To remain at least as competitive as their peers who were born or have been living in this new environment for a longer period of time, international students need to be very proactive.

Published in Xamk NEXT in June 2023. Written by Dr. Mikhail Nemilentsev, principal lecturer at Xamk and Digital International Business Student Valentin Vlasov, who worked in the Work Life Path project as a trainee.

Practical Training and your route to a future career | 2/2023

One of the key factors for the Finnish labour force is to bring new residents to Finland and one of the ways to do this is through international programmes such as at Xamk.

Published in INSIDER, the Student Magazine of Xamk in February 2023. Written by Senior Lecturer Hugh Clack.

Xamk will pilot a new practical training model for International Degree Students 2023 | 1/2023

It is a common knowledge for staff members that finding a practical training position is very difficult for students who are not native in Finnish.

Published in INSIDER, the Student Magazine of Xamk in January 2023. Written by Project Manager Riku Happonen.

The quest for practical training – A new chapter | 1/2023

Before I started studying for my bachelor’s degree, I would have never expected that looking for some place to accept my unpaid labour would be one of the most challenging parts of the process, but I’m running ahead of myself.

Published in INSIDER, the Student Magazine of Xamk in January 2023. Written by Digital International Business Student Valentin Vlasov, who worked in the Work Life Path project as a trainee.

Current

Navigating the Finnish Job Market: Insights from Lumon and Eezy Personnel

At a Storytelling event in November 2023 Sanna Tukiainen, a research consultant from Eezy Personnel, who is responsible for the recruitment of international experts, and Saara Hirsto, Talent Acquisition Manager at Lumon, shared valuable insights and guidance with our students. The event consisted of welcome words along with a cup of coffee, short lecture about...

International Talents of Kouvola

The International Talents of Kouvola event was held at Synergiakeskus Kohoa 12.10.2023. The event was arranged by JCI Kouvola and the Work Life Path project by telling the participating students about the project and what possibilities we offer. Local recruitment agencies and Patteri Entrepreneurship Society were at the event networking with students and informing them...

Work Life Path with Lumon

Work Life Path addresses the challenges faced by local businesses and international students in recruitment and integration to Finnish professional landscape. A survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce in December 2021 revealed that only 21% of the companies in Kymenlaakso had successfully recruited foreign labor in the past five years. Kymenlaakso is well below...

Facts

Work life path - International experts to work

1 January 2023 – 30 June 2025

Project partners

Lead partner: South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences

Focus areas: Digital economy

Budget

Total budget: € 358 445

Financiers and main source of funding: ESF+, Hämeen ELY-keskus

Index terms

practical training