From Experienced Professionals to Future Talents – Summer at FB Ketju Combines Experience and New Learnings

Every year, FB Ketju employs a team of summer workers who bring important extra energy to the company and cover for permanent staff during the holiday season. This summer, Oskari Palomäki and Saku Lähteinen worked in factory production, while Maarit Kiviaho joined as a valuable addition to the office team.

The past summer offered all three a great opportunity to utilize their previous skills, learn new ones, and gain valuable work experience. Mika Suomi, CEO of FB Ketju, emphasizes the importance of summer employees in the factory's day-to-day operations. At the core of it all is teamwork and a genuine team spirit, where skills are developed under the guidance of more experienced colleagues.

"Our summer employees receive a warm welcome and a comprehensive orientation to their tasks right from the start. Every one of them does real, important work side-by-side with the rest of the staff. We want to enable the professional growth of future talent just as much as we want to offer new opportunities for those further along in their careers," says Suomi.

Below, Maarit Kiviaho, Oskari Palomäki, and Saku Lähteinen share more details about their summer, their work tasks, and what their time at FB Ketju offered them.

Maarit Kiviaho: "Learning Something New Brings Confidence and a Positive Mindset"

Maarit Kiviaho, who worked in financial administration at FB Ketju's Lappi factory from mid-June to the end of August, brings decades of career experience in areas such as invoicing, ledger management, customer service, and ad production.

"My work here at FB Ketju has been very diverse. My duties included processing bank statements, accounts payable, updating customer and supplier registers, and logging data related to CO2 emissions," Kiviaho says.

FB Ketju received Kiviaho's contact details from the employment office, and after an interview, she was selected for the role.

"I was really happy to be chosen. Even with a long career behind me, it was great to realize that it's far from over. I was welcomed warmly and received a thorough orientation. There is a great working community here and friendly colleagues who are easy to approach whenever help or advice is needed."

Over the past two and a half months, Kiviaho was able to leverage her prior experience while learning new skills and expanding her expertise. Although the industry was unfamiliar to her at first, getting to know it on the job proved engaging.

"I got to learn a new system, new working methods, and entirely new tasks, such as the CO2 emissions accounting I mentioned earlier. Learning something new is always great, and the summer at FB Ketju boosted my self-confidence as I realized I know my craft and can still learn new things. It creates a strong, positive feeling.”

Oskari Palomäki: "Practical Experience Deepens University of Applied Sciences Studies"

Oskari Palomäki worked at FB Ketju for his second consecutive summer as a welding operator. His period in production began in mid-May and concluded at the end of August. He first found his way to the Lappi factory through a recommendation from an acquaintance working there, making it an easy choice to return to a familiar setting this year.

"I primarily looked for jobs in my own field again this summer, but since none were available, I asked about summer work opportunities here. Fortunately, a position opened up. I'm doing the same work as last summer, so I must have done something right the first time around," Palomäki smiles.

From the perspective of his studies and future career, the experience has been valuable, even though his primary field of study differs. The 22-year-old Palomäki is in his second year studying to become an Electrical Automation Engineer at Häme University of Applied Sciences in Valkeakoski.

"The first summer, I came in empty-handed, so to speak, as I had never worked in similar tasks or with these machines. I received good guidance, which continued throughout this summer as well. I've also learned versatile working life skills that hold great value for the future."

"Even though working as a welding operator doesn't fully match my degree, the automation in the factory machines operates the same way as at university. I've gained a good overview of how software is applied on a practical level. Additionally, the chains I weld go to industries like forestry – potential future employers for me."

Experienced veterans in production and a mutually supportive atmosphere played a significant role throughout the summer.

"No one here looks down on you, even if you ask basic questions. Everyone understands that you can't be a finished professional right at the start. I was treated as an equal employee, even though I was only here for the summer. The work included a lot of variety, which made it truly enjoyable.”

Saku Lähteinen: "Apprenticeship at the Factory Strengthens Skills Toward Engineering Studies"

Saku Lähteinen, who works in machining, has spent a slightly longer period at FB Ketju. He started with an internship in January and continued on an apprenticeship contract from February through the end of August.

"My studies at WinNova in Rauma are in the final stretch, and I will soon graduate as a machinist. I ended up at FB Ketju thanks to a tip from my teacher, and I've enjoyed my time here immensely since day one. Of course, I would love to continue here longer, but we'll see how things turn out," Lähteinen reflects.

Over the past eight months, Lähteinen gained diverse experience across various tasks in the field. His work included machining, assembly, and tasks in the sheet metal cell, such as countersinking, bending, and drilling.

"I got to do things very broadly, which is crucial for professional development. I worked with both CNC machines and manual machining. I've learned a lot of new things because I was taught everything essential without holding back information."

Practical work experience confirmed that Lähteinen chose the right path for his career. At FB Ketju, high quality is a key factor guaranteed by well-trained personnel – something Lähteinen considers extremely important.

"I like working with machinery and crafting things with my hands. I also value precision, which is at the center of this work – half of a machinist's job is measuring and quality control," Lähteinen smiles.

His future plans are clear: in January, he will begin a year of military service, followed by further studies at a university of applied sciences.

"The goal is to graduate as a mechanical engineer one day. The time spent at the factory provided practical experience that simply cannot be learned at a school desk."