How does an uninterrupted path of growing and learning prepare you for working life?

We teach children, young people and guardians to act safely, responsibly and innovatively, including in the digital world. Things such as artificial intelligence are changing the daily lives of students and teachers in a way and at a pace that few would have imagined a few years ago. Although it is easy to see challenges and threats in the use of artificial intelligence in studying, it can be an opportunity and a way of preparing for future working life skills, if used correctly. Artificial intelligence can be used, for example, as a sparring partner in brainstorming. It is also important for students to understand how artificial intelligence works and how important it is to pay attention to data protection. Things such as health information, personal data or addresses should not be given to any instance of artificial intelligence.

Although technology is becoming more prevalent in the working life and artificial intelligence is gaining ground, work is still performed with people, even in international fields. At the Karakallion koulu lower secondary school in Espoo, students develop skills needed in entrepreneurship and international cooperation. The school works to make internationality an everyday aspect of life through things such as student and teacher mobility and by hosting international guests. Participation in the annual entrepreneurship competition has generated excitement and community spirit among students and resulted in success and competence.

For six years now, grade 9 students at the Karakallion koulu lower secondary school have participated in the annual national Yritys Hyvä entrepreneurship competition. Preparing for the competition is a multidisciplinary study module for the students. Competition entries are worked on in groups in social studies, Finnish language and literature and English lessons. Young people form groups and brainstorm and plan their entries together. Skills such as implementing ideas, negotiating, writing together and keeping to schedules are practised during the project. Each group receives feedback on their work for their next steps. Achieving a good entry is the result of perseverance and shared motivation.

“Young people are enthusiastic about working on their own ideas. They get to use their creativity and strengths in addition to applying what they have learned in class. The entry can be, for example, an advertisement that uses methods of influencing learnt in Finnish language and literature class. The entry is a video, the filming and editing of which has been the special expertise of the students, and this has been an opportunity for them to showcase their competence and learn at the same time,” says teacher Minna Uusi-Rauva from the Karakallion koulu lower secondary school.

In recent years, Karakallio students have been very successful in the Yritys Hyvä competition. Winning entries have covered themes such as entrepreneurship, sustainable development and mental health. Working together in a group of mind-liked people where different interests come together usually yields impressive results. The best entries are created in groups where the members have good social skills. Students encourage each other, everyone is involved in brainstorming and everyone’s strengths are harnessed for a common goal.

Expert skills are referred to as one of the most significant skills of future working life. Expert skills include things such as information retrieval skills, ability to apply information and critical thinking and problem-solving and decision-making skills. All of these are needed and practised when working on the entry, as it requires the commitment of the whole group. Motivation to create a good entry usually increases as the work progresses. Participation in the competition is concrete and rewarding for young people. Part of the competition entry must always be done in English in order to diversify the students’ language skills. This also introduces the idea’s possible international aspect early on at the preparation stage.

The Karakallion koulu lower secondary school is Erasmus+ accredited and carries out systematic and strategic international activities that span multiple years. The activities with their mobility and visits are organised, and cooperation is carried out not only within the school between pupils and teachers but also with other schools, both in Finland and abroad. In addition to language skills, international activities teach courage and flexibility to all parties.

Grade 8 and 9 students who are about to participate in an Erasmus+ exchange go through a multi-step application process from applications to interviews in English. The process requires commitment, resilience and motivation. The young people who participate in the exchange programme will spend a week alone in a new environment, live with a new family and manage their affairs in foreign language. Many situations will require not only creativity but also strong self-management skills and interaction and cooperation skills, which are all constantly practiced at school. When it comes to mobility, there are situations where plans change and you need to adapt and be flexible. Figuring out situations like that is not always dependent on your own skills; you are working with other people who are also operating in a language they do not know.

“After the exchange, students will hold morning assemblies where they share their experiences, and they will also coach next exchange programme participants and act as guides for international guests. At school, we provide students with opportunities to maintain and develop their internationalisation skills. We also receive teacher groups who are interested in learning more about our activities,” says Riitta Mikkola, history and social studies teacher at the Karakallion koulu lower secondary school.

The student counselling provided in upper secondary schools is about completing the upper secondary school education and examining the opportunities that the future holds. At first, the focus in on upper secondary school studies, but soon after the focus is expanded to include what students could do after they graduate. At the beginning of upper secondary school, students are oriented towards upper secondary school studies, and then matriculation examinations are planned with the students.  The future is examined through different study and career opportunities as well as different working life phenomena and themes. Throughout upper secondary school, the perspective of counselling reaches both near and far, the present and the future. Young people are encouraged to gain different experiences, including work experience, and to seize different opportunities, such as university studies, alongside their upper secondary school studies. Work experience can be used to earn competence points for upper secondary school studies.

Ohjaamotalo helps young people under the age of 30 achieve a life that reflects them, Ohjaamotalo provides young people with a team of professionals and services aimed at supporting young people according to their wishes and needs in relation to education, work and other things concerning well-being and smooth everyday life.

Ohjaamotalo and Employment Espoo organise together services and events that support young people in their job search. In services such as the Taitava työnhakija (“Skilful job-seeker”) counselling, young people get personal counselling and support for their job search. The counselling can include preparing a job application or practising for a job interview. The CV workshop of Ohjaamotalo is held once a month at Ohjaamotalo’s Starttipiste. In the CV workshop, young people get the best tips for drawing up their own CVs and more specific guidance regarding job search.

Starttipiste of Ohjaamotalo is a place where young people can come without an appointment. There, young people are helped by professionals and, if necessary, they can be directed to services requiring an appointment, such as career counselling provided by Omnia. Starttipiste of Ohjaamotalo is open on weekdays from 12.00 to 16.00.

More information about services and events is available on the Ohjaamotalo website.