A language traineeship brings joy to the whole work community

This year, Espoo Info is offering language traineeships where trainees can familiarise themselves with Finnish working life, the city organisation and the work of a service advisor. Our first language trainee this spring was Chompoonooch Unwong, also known as “Downy”, who is a student at Omnia. Downy, who arrived in Finland four years ago, has previously worked in the technology sector. The new trainee was warmly welcomed at the Espoo Info Service Point in Leppävaara. Downy’s basic skills in Finnish are relatively good, so practising with customers was an appropriate setting for improving their language skills. From the beginning, Downy demonstrated a desire to learn new things. Service Advisor Eija Tervo acted as Downy’s supervisor, but the language traineeship was supported by the entire Leppävaara team.

Downy says that Espoo Info sounded like an interesting traineeship opportunity where they could learn Finnish in a Finnish environment. “I was surprised by how much spoken Finnish I learnt during the traineeship. I also learnt how City of Espoo employees handled customers’ issues in different ways and to a high standard. I discovered the empathy is extremely important: logic alone is not enough, particularly in sensitive situations. We are human beings, and kindness makes a big difference between artificial intelligence and humans.

Downy says that the traineeship improved their problem-solving skills in different situations and during teamwork. “I have learnt how to be a good listener and how to encourage others”. Downy notes that a friendly and encouraging work community was the nicest part of the traineeship. “Learning felt safe. I was not afraid to make mistakes, because they are a part of learning. It was also great to be able to use my skills in providing digital support and to learn more about customer service software”.

The benefits of the three-week language traineeship were not one-sided. The whole team discovered how our versatile language can be difficult to understand – particularly when spoken – and how important it is to be mindful of the language we use and adapt it to suit customer interactions. Of course, we have already been paying attention to the use of simple Finnish in our services for quite some time. Still, in everyday conversations and in the staff breakrooms, we use terms, phrases and dialects that may seem incomprehensible to those who unfamiliar with them. Among other things, we had to explain the difference between soppa (soup) and soppari (contract), how a +68 wristband can simply be called a “kuuskasi-ranneke” and how “kauhean villi koira” (awfully wild dog) and “kiitos kauheasti” (thanks awfully) do not actually mean anything terrible.

The benefits were not limited to linguistic achievements. Thanks to their IT skills, Downy did a great job providing digital support to customers. Downy was also able to help us with some technical issues. The language traineeship was a positive experience, and Downy’s joyful, courageous and hard-working attitude will be missed. As supervisor Eija puts it: “Downy has been a shot in the arm here”. Service Manager Marja Peltonen encourages the city’s other units to take on language trainees. “One objective of the Espoo Story is to strengthen integration. A language traineeship is a good opportunity to learn about working life in Finland. Small, everyday things can go a long way”.

During the traineeship, Downy advised our customers on the City of Espoo’s services and provided digital support for different authorities’ digital services, such as Vero.fi, Migri.fi, Suomi.fi and the HSL application. Downy is no stranger to needing digital support in their everyday life. “These days, digital support is very important. For example, I use the Suomi.fi, Lunna and HSL applications. They make my everyday life much easier. Now, I also understand the significance of OmaEspoo(external link, opens in a new window), because I can easily find information about Espoo’s online services there. Digital services allow me to save time for things that are important to me, such as leisure activities, my family and hobbies”.

There is a constantly growing demand for digital support, and Espoo Info is strongly committed to providing it. Our goal is to be the best provider of digital support in Finland. If you need support for using online services, please either use the form in the OmaEspoo service portal(external link, opens in a new window) to make an appointment or visit one of our Service Points. The events of the mobile Espoo Info can be found in the event calendar.