An international student helped build bridges to the Polish market
International students can provide companies and organisations with valuable language and cultural expertise. This was also noted by Savon Yrittäjät when Polish mechanical engineering student Weronika Giblak completed her internship at the organisation.
The internship was based on Savon Yrittäjät’s International Call service, which aims to help companies in North Savo go international. When the organisation was preparing an export promotion trip to Poland in cooperation with the Embassy of Finland in Warsaw, the need for local language and cultural expertise was recognised.
“It soon became clear that we might face challenges in understanding the Polish language and culture. We knew there were Polish students in Kuopio, and we understood that it would be sensible to make use of their expertise”, says Niko Knuutinen, Project Manager at Savon Yrittäjät.
Savon Yrittäjät turned to the Talent Hub Eastern Finland network to find a Polish-speaking trainee. This is how Weronika Giblak was found.
Versatile tasks to support internationalisation
During the internship, Weronika’s tasks were particularly focused on communications and marketing. Among other things, she participated in the production and translation of Polish-language materials, conducted background research, prepared polls, updated the website, and helped with practical arrangements.
From Savon Yrittäjät’s perspective, the most important thing was that the companies received the support they needed regarding the Polish market.
“Knowledge of the Polish language was the main expectation. In addition, it was useful that Weronika understood business and the field of mechanical engineering through her studies”, Niko characterises.
According to him, the trainee proved to be a hard-working, self-motivated and meticulous worker.
The welcoming work culture made an impression
Weronika found an internship by entering her information into the Talent Pool database of the Talent Hub network. She says that she joined without great expectations.
“I hoped that the internship would not interfere significantly with my studies and that I would get a little salary. I was positively surprised by the good work atmosphere and friendly colleagues.”
During her internship, she became familiar with Finnish working life.
“I learned that Finnish work culture is very welcoming to newcomers. If I didn’t know something or needed help, I could easily get advice from more experienced colleagues.”
Although the work went well, the language barrier sometimes posed challenges. Colloquial Finnish, in particular, took some time to get used to.
“The office’s communication was clear and straightforward, but many of the Finnish phrases were new to me. The internship helped me develop my language skills in practice.”
International students as a resource
For Savon Yrittäjät, the cooperation marked the first time the organisation hosted an international trainee during Niko’s career. The experience demonstrated that the expertise of international students can deliver tangible benefits to organisations, particularly when activities are oriented towards the international market.
For Weronika, the most valuable benefit of the internship was the opportunity to work on real-world projects and learn new skills.
“I learned many things that can only be learned through practice. The experience strengthened my skills and gave me an understanding of Finnish working life.”
The cooperation shows that encounters between international students and organisations in the region can be mutually beneficial: the student accumulates valuable work experience, and the employer gains access to competence, language skills and new perspectives.
If you are interested in utilising the skills of international students in your organisation’s operations, you can find more information at:
https://www.talenthubeasternfinland.fi/for-employers/?lang=en
The University of Eastern Finland, Karelia, Savonia, Riveria, Sakky and YSAO support international students in integration and employment. We help local employers find skilled international employees – together we build a more international Eastern Finland. The project is co-funded by the European Union.
Text: Tiina Weman
Photo: Weronika Giblak
