The Switch has many values that guide the daily life of our employees around the globe. For some companies, values might be superficial statements without any true meaning behind them, but The Switch lives true to its values every day – you can ask our summer trainees! Ten passionate young people had the chance to embark on an adventure in the world of The Switch this summer, learning more about how The Switch operates in different industries and developing their own skills for the future.
The past summer, The Switch had the pleasure of welcoming ten young bright minds to learn more about the technologies of the future. The Switch summer trainees could be found in Helsinki, Lappeenranta and Vaasa, in Finland, where they all worked in different operations based on their background and interests.
While the summer trainees worked with different tasks in their teams, there was a surprising consensus about the most important values of The Switch: Seriously relaxed, Exploring challenges and Care for the environment. These are the values that are important for them personally, but also what they see as a good representation of The Switch. As Joona Pöyhiä, Design Engineer Trainee, put it: “Exploring challenges and caring for the environment are at the core of what The Switch does. It is visible in the kind of products and development that we have. In addition, they are also important guidelines in my life.”
The trainees worked in various positions throughout the organization and the different locations. When talking with each of them individually, the same notion arises always in the conversation of how The Switch has a working environment that is simultaneously professional and relaxed. “Seriously relaxed describes the working environment perfectly,” explain Lauri Pyrhönen, Engineering Trainee, and Matti Oinonen, Production Trainee. “We work with a serious mind, but the atmosphere is always relaxed. We’ve really liked our colleagues and it’s always fun coming to work in the morning.” Tuomas Valkola, Mechanical Engineering Trainee agrees: “No day is like the other!” Each trainee has their own unique tasks, and the ability to take initiative is expected from day one. They are also assigned a mentor who helps them with getting the most out of the experience. For example, Sami Koivulahti, Electrical Engineering Trainee, is happy with his hard-working team: “My mentor, as well as the rest of the team, are always there to help.”
The Switch summer trainees in Lappeenranta (from left): Matti Päivärinne, Joona Pöyhiä, Matti Oinonen, Laura Kontsas, Lauri Pyrhönen and Pekka Rintamäki.
By offering summer trainee positions, The Switch gives talented students the opportunity to develop their skills and learn something that cannot be taught in lecture rooms. For example, Matti Päivärinne, Mechanical Design Trainee, looks forward to the upcoming semester at Tampere University of Technology. “I have a lot of courses left on exactly what I have been doing this summer,” he explains. “University is very theory-based compared to working, but my studies and the traineeship support each other very well.” Jens Nissilä, Production Engineer Trainee, has similar thoughts: “This is my second summer working for The Switch, this time in a more demanding position. What I have learned this summer will definitely help me as I continue my studies this fall.”
The Switch summer trainees in Vaasa (from left): Tuomas Valkola, Jens Nissilä and Sami Koivulahti.
After the summer, it is time to turn eyes to the future. Many of The Switch summer trainees return to their studies to finish up their degrees and put all the knowledge they have gained this summer into use. The hands-on experience will carry a long way for the trainees. “The Switch has taught me to explore challenges,” concludes Pekka Rintamäki, Purchasing Trainee. “We are constantly scouting and recognizing potential challenges. The proactive approach is visible in everything that we do.” Laura Kontsas, Administrative Assistant, adds: “There were challenges during the summer, but you would always get help. People help each other, joke in the coffee room and the new trainees were welcomed as a part of the group immediately.”
The Switch would like to thank all the summer trainees for their effort, enthusiasm and contribution this summer. You may have come here to learn from The Switch, but ended up teaching us a thing or two as well!
Priska Natri worked as the Marketing Trainee at The Switch headquarters in Helsinki.