Working life-oriented teaching, or TEPPO

Working life-oriented teaching, or TEPPO, is a form of intensive personalised guidance counselling organised by schools for 8th- and 9th-graders who may benefit from this service. 

1. an optional subject described in the school’s curriculum
2. guidance provided in small groups or one-on-one
3. workplace education and training periods; at least three weeks per school year. 

Depending on the school, the TEPPO instructor can be a subject teacher, special education teacher or guidance counsellor.  

• strengthen pupils’ sense of inclusion, improve their study skills and encourage them to take responsibility for their own lives 
• develop workplace skills and future skills 
• support integration
• provide intensive guidance and support for diverse learners at their own school
• offer pupils practical experiences to help them make decisions regarding their further studies and career
• give pupils opportunities to demonstrate skills that may not show in a traditional classroom setting
• clarify the relevance of different school subjects for further studies and workplace skills and broaden pupils’ understanding of work, occupations, entrepreneurship, and the skills needed in the future
• ensure continuity of education for students at risk of dropping out. 

Each TEPPO pupil is instructed to prepare a personal plan for further studies. In Espoo, this plan is recorded on the ‘My study plan’ (‘Oma opiskelusuunnitelmani’) form in Wilma. The pupil’s strengths and goals for transitioning to further studies after basic education are recorded in the personal plan. The plan is prepared together with the pupil, and it can be printed out for the pupil at the end of basic education. The school must archive the plan.   

Read more about Espoo’s model for high-quality guidance in basic education, which describes the different methods of guidance and the parties that provide intensive personalised guidance counselling: Espoo’s model for high-quality guidance in basic education 

Pupils sign up for TEPPO as part of their school’s optional subject selection process. Schools that offer TEPPO activities provide their pupils with application instructions and timetables.  

A pupil may be invited to a guidance discussion to assess the pupil’s need and suitability for TEPPO activities. The pupil may need guidance in different aspects of planning future studies, for example if they: 

• want to explore their options
• want to learn how to find additional information to support future plans
• need personal experiences to help with career choices
• benefit from improved self-awareness and/or sense of inclusion
• need more individual support in planning their education, and their family is unable to help. 

Pupils continue their basic education at their own school, in their regular pupil groups. However, TEPPO pupils spend a few weeks per school year attending workplace education and training, while their classmates continue following the normal timetable at school. 

Teachers plan the entire school year so that workplace education and training support the objectives and content of the instruction provided at school. 

Pupils may also receive assignments connected to different school subjects to complete during their workplace education and training periods. 

Pupils look for workplace education and training placements independently in a guided manner, based on their own needs. The workplace education and training period can take place either: 

• at a workplace, like a TET period, or
• as an introductory period at an educational institution that offers further studies. 

Detailed instructions on workplace education and training periods are provided by schools. You can read more about TET periods here: Work experience learning period (TET)