Riveria awarded Ouneva Group for its collaboration with educational institutions

The North Karelia Municipal Education and Training Consortium Riveria held its 60th anniversary seminar on Thursday, December 12, 2024. During the event, Ouneva Group was honored with the “Influential Workplace Partner” award for its contributions to the development of vocational education. 

“The collaboration between Ouneva Group and Riveria serves as an inspiration for other companies to utilize vocational education in recruiting new employees and training their existing workforce. Through its exemplary efforts, Ouneva Group has supported the growth and development of Riveria students into skilled professionals in their field. Ouneva Group is one of the most attractive workplace learning destinations in its industry for Riveria students,” the award citation stated. 

The award included a certificate of honor and a bronze statue created by Akseli Hämäläinen, a former student of Riveria’s arts and crafts program. Additionally, Jotwire’s chief shop steward Mika Purmonen was recognized at the event with AMKE’s Silver Cross of Merit for his work in promoting vocational education. Congratulations to Mika on the award from all of Ouneva Group! 

Wide-ranging collaboration with educational institutions 

Over the past year, we have organized nearly 30 joint events and visits with educational institutions and other local partners. Currently, we have partnership agreements with Riveria, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, and Vocational College Luovi. 

Our collaboration includes internships, school visits, and thesis work. Internships that are part of vocational qualifications are paid at Ouneva Group, and they can open opportunities for summer jobs or permanent positions. Student groups and teaching staff are always welcome to visit our companies. Every year, we host dozens of visiting groups. For example, every autumn, all new mechanical and production technology students come to observe practical work in our production facilities. University students can also complete their theses with us, which may involve research, design, project, or development tasks. We offer financial compensation for thesis work. 

In addition, we participate annually in various recruitment events organized by educational institutions and visit schools to talk about, for example, summer job opportunities. We are also involved in educational audits in the fields of electrical and automation technology, as well as mechanical and production technology. Furthermore, we collaborate with educational institutions to enhance the skills of our own staff. For example, we have provided targeted electrical training for Ouneva’s employees, and currently, several employees from Valukumpu are completing a two-year vocational qualification in production technology specializing in plastics and rubber technology. 

For more information about the award and collaboration (in Finnish):