What does working‑life collaboration mean, and who is it for?

The form of cooperation is always tailored to the company’s needs and objectives. Corporate partners include both SMEs and larger organisations. The collaboration may involve, for example, student projects, learning assignments, work placements or thesis projects. It can be a one-off collaboration or develop over time into a closer partnership.

For companies, this model offers a valuable opportunity to engage with future talent already during their studies and to gain access to the latest insights from the education sector. Students, in turn, have the opportunity to gain practical experience, learn about working-life practices and build networks that can ease the transition into the labour market after graduation.

A working-life collaboration pilot by KSO and Xamk brought Finnish working life closer to international students

Kymen Seudun Osuuskauppa (KSO) is a long-standing core partner of Xamk. The core partnership provides a broad framework for regional development, with the aim of strengthening the vitality of the Kymenlaakso region, improving access to skilled labour and encouraging students to remain in the region after graduation.

One concrete form of this partnership is student collaboration, which takes shape through practical, company-driven projects, internships and thesis assignments.

A recent example is a pilot implemented by Xamk and KSO at the end of 2025, as part of their shared objective to support the integration of international business students into Finnish working life and workplace culture already during their studies.

We had discussed several times with Xamk how we could offer international students low-threshold opportunities to familiarise themselves with Finnish working life. We found such an opportunity in connection with the opening of one of our large units. Our own staff are not always sufficient to deliver events, so we are happy to involve our partners and students from local educational institutions. This creates added value for us and our customers, and offers students a unique opportunity to take part in delivering a real-life event.”

– KSO’s HR Director, Sanna Mäenpää

Everyday hypermarket operations at close range

Ten students from the Digital International Business programme and the Postgraduate Degree programme took part in the collaboration pilot.

The pilot consisted of three complementary phases. In the first phase, students familiarised themselves with key features of Finnish working life. During the day, they covered customer service terminology in the retail sector, employees’ rights and responsibilities, key regulations, and cultural characteristics that influence working in Finland.

In the next phase, students were given the opportunity to observe the daily operations of a Finnish hypermarket during the opening of Kotka Prisma in November 2025. Over two days, they became familiar with store operations, the product and service range, and participated in practical customer service tasks at the checkout. Through hands-on involvement, students gained a concise overview of how a large retail unit operates and what kind of interaction customer-facing work requires in Finland.

The feedback we have received from this period has been entirely positive, both from our customers and within our cooperative. Everything ran smoothly, as the students were enthusiastic and curious, and accepted guidance with admirable openness. This also highlighted for us how something small to us can be hugely significant to someone else. The impact of such pilots should therefore not be underestimated.”

— KSO’S Recruitment Specialist Jenni Mettälä

The pilot concluded with the opening of KSO’s named classroom at Xamk’s Kouvola campus. The event celebrated both the new dedicated space and the long-standing cooperation.

Company-specific named classrooms serve as lecture and study spaces where students and companies can meet and interact in a more natural and meaningful way.

Interested in working‑life collaboration? Contact our experts!