In English

YKÄ YRITTELIÄS is a project of Savonia Polytechnics in Iisalmi aiming to promote entrepreneurial attitudes and skills in regions of Eastern Finland. Project is carried out in full co-operation with the university of Joensuu and North Karelia Muncipal Education and Training Consortium. The project was preceded by a pilot project on entrepreneurial education in Upper Savo region and it was launched 1.1.2004. YKÄ YRITTELIÄS will be running till 31.12.2006.

Our target group consists of students (mainly 13-16 yrs of age), entrepreneurs and companies of Eastern Finland, educational institutions and their personnel, teacher trainees, parents’ associations, youth work NGO’s and producers of teaching material.

Our goals are developing connections between educational institutions and working life and encourage more affirmative cultural practices of educational institutions towards entrepreneurship. Intention is to intensify co-operation between educational institutions and business life and produce new working methods for enterprise education. The new methods will be adjusted to local conditions.

The best competence of demand and aspired advantages of entrepreneurial education of individual districts is found in local level. Therefore in the early phase of the project the real demand is charted by personal visits of the project manager to local enterprises and local schools. Future activities and measures will be then drafted based on these visits to ensure successful co-operation.

Ykä Yritteliäs and Seija Sinnikäs (Eric the Enterprising and Paula the Persistent) will be the mascots and emblems of the project and guide us all in our voyage to working life and entrepreneurship.

In educational institutions the project will focus on youths in age group of 13-16 years, but co-operation with senior highs schools shall take place also. Regional needs will be paid attention to while selecting partner enterprises.

Functionality is a good approach for co-operation between enterprises and educational institutions. Ways of co-operating could be e.g.: reciprocal visits, functional excursions, apprenticeship of students in working world, godparent activities (entrepreneur working as “godparent” for a certain school class), and co-ordinated projects.

Actions already launched - Some examples of co-operation between schools and enterprises:

In Lapinlahti Matin ja Liisan koulu-school is co-operating with Valio (dairy industrial company). Representants of Valio company will visit and participate lessons and the students will visit Valio dairy mill and laboratories. A “godparent” from the company will be assigned for each class. Students and teachers will acquaint themselves with working world, parents and teachers will hold a meeting in the factory, working opportunities in the factory will be presented for the students.

In Vieremä co-operation will be built on Ponsse (forest machinery factory) and 60 anniversary jubilee fund of the companys founder, Einari Vidgren. By this funding a exhibition “Viestiä Vieremältä” will be presented. The exhibition will consist of written presentations of students. The teachers of different subjects will be contributing to this work (e.g. finnish, history and civics, datatechnology, economics, fine arts, technical studies and domestic economy).

In Iisalmi traditional business fair will be held and further developed in Juhani Aho –school. The students will by personally touring the fair perceive and construct a view over the local SME- branch. The students themselves build the booths and stands, produce the announcements and take care of the public relations.

What do we offer for entrepreneurs and educational institutions?

We will arrange…

• …courses, seminars and informative meetings
• …meetings for entrepreneurs and teachers to plan further co-operational patterns
• …entrepreneurial courses for students, Iisalmi and Kiuruvesi secondary high as pilots
• …field trips to schools for entrepreneurs
• …field trips to enterprises for teachers and we will tailor relevant teaching/learning materiel.

Contact:

Johanna Ehnqvist, Project Manager
Savonia Polytechnic
PL 72 (Haukisaarentie 2)
74101 Iisalmi
tel: +358 17 255 5648
mobile: +358 44 7855648
e-mail: johanna.ehnqvist@savonia-amk.fi