YIT Studies – 10 years of teaching cooperation in the construction industry and nearly 250 qualified employees for YIT

YIT has engaged in teaching cooperation in the construction industry under the YIT Studies programme for 10 years now. The partners include seven universities of applied sciences and Tampere University. Nearly 250 young professionals have already graduated from the programme and been employed by YIT.

YIT started teaching cooperation with Tampere University of Applied Sciences and Häme University of Applied Sciences in 2011. The cooperation was the first of its kind. The guiding principle in the cooperation was that it would drive the construction industry forward, create deeper cooperation between academic institutions and the company, and ensure the future availability of professionals for the industry. 

YIT Studies provides a much-needed practical perspective and construction project expertise to teaching in the field. The participating students earn five credits and get a guaranteed summer job at YIT. At the same time, YIT benefits from the opportunity to recruit student trainees who already have practical experience and competence in construction site operations. 

Director Jouko Lähteenmäki from the School of Built Environment and Bioeconomy at Tampere University of Applied Sciences has been involved in the development of the YIT Studies cooperation since the beginning.

“We’ve engaged in close and smooth teaching cooperation with YIT for several decades. YIT Studies is an innovative and modern approach to learning. Using practical cases in teaching construction industry students can be difficult within the framework of the university of applied sciences, which is why new case content is a refreshing and illustrative way for the students to learn about the working methods of the future. Just 10 years ago, being able to introduce this type of structure directly into the studies was not something that could be taken for granted, but it has proved to be feasible and beneficial for all of the parties involved,” Lähteenmäki says.

Today, the teaching cooperation includes seven universities of applied sciences (Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Häme University of Applied Sciences, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia, Savonia and Turku University of Applied Sciences) and Tampere University. Another 20 students will graduate from the YIT Studies programme this year. 

“The programme has improved the students’ motivation to perform well in their studies and graduate on time. The students have been given the opportunity to learn from leading professionals in the field, establish genuine links to practical working life and seek permanent employment with the largest player in the industry. Another important aspect is that the programme improves the construction industry’s image as a dynamic and attractive sector. The training programme is effective and we will continue to develop it in the future,” Lähteenmäki adds.

Networks, best practices and practical teaching

Nearly 250 young participants have graduated from the YIT Studies programme over the past decade. In accordance with the programme’s underlying principle, they were also employed by YIT after graduation. Samuli Torkkola is one of the first batch of YIT Studies graduates and he is still employed by the company. Samuli’s career path has taken him from a business premises construction site to managing employment-related issues in YIT’s Resource Services and subsequently back to business premises construction in the role of Site Engineer. Six years and three construction sites later, he now has plenty of interesting challenges in his current role of Project Manager. 

“The biggest advantage of YIT Studies was the contacts I was able to build. They were very useful in the years that followed. Whenever I had a question on my mind, I had someone to turn to for advice. Joining the company as a trainee for the first time was easy because I was already familiar with the personnel and the way things are done,” Torkkola explains.

Aimed at second-year and third-year construction industry students, YIT Studies deepens their knowledge of high-quality construction, project management and leadership through training provided by experienced YIT employees. Three on-site periods, independent work between the periods and paid training and summer jobs provide the participants with the skills and experience they need to subsequently take on responsibility in working life. 

Erja Kivilahti, who now works as a Production Engineer in the Housing segment in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, joined the YIT Studies programme in 2011:

“Joining the YIT Studies programme was an unmissable opportunity for me. I found the programme very effective and educational. It gave me deeper insight into how the company operates, and it also helped me establish an overall picture of YIT and the usual progress of construction projects. YIT Studies featured expert lecturers and the teaching approach was very practical and concrete. Our group was highly motivated by the YIT Studies programme. The relationships I built during the programme have been very useful during my time at YIT.

The 10th anniversary of YIT Studies was celebrated earlier this month in a joint event where current YIT Studies participants, programme alumni and the participating educational institutions had the opportunity to meet, network and enjoy speeches delivered by industry experts.

Applications for YIT Studies are accepted as part of the summer job application process in the latter part of each year. YIT employs over 500 summer workers and trainees annually across Finland. YIT has been ranked as the most ideal employer in the construction industry for three consecutive years in Universum’s Student Survey. 

Further information:
Thomas Finell, Talent Acquisition Partner, YIT Corporation, tel. +358 45 164 3844, Thomas.finell@yit.fi

YIT is the largest Finnish and a significant North European development and construction company. For 110 years, we have been creating better living environments for our customers: functional homes for sustainable living, future-proof public and commercial buildings and infrastructure for smoother flow of people, businesses and society. We employ 5,500 professionals in nine countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. Our revenue in 2021 was EUR 2.7 billion. YIT Corporation's share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy. www.yitgroup.com