Yosra Abu Deham has every reason to smile. She graduated just under three years ago from the Industrial Management engineering programme at Karelia University of Applied Sciences and now has a permanent job in her field.
– I work at Phillips-Medisize as a project engineer. I help the project manager carry out the tasks required by the project. In practice, I attend meetings with clients and solve various problems, Abu Deham explains.
Based in Kontiolahti near Joensuu, Phillips-Medisize develops and manufactures medical devices, such as insulin pens and auto-injectors, for its contract customers. Abu Deham’s career with the company began with a summer traineeship in 2023.
– I first applied for a traineeship in 2022, but didn’t get a place at the time. The following summer, Medisize called me and asked if I’d like to come and work as a trainee, Abu Deham recalls.
In accordance with the collective agreement for the chemical industry, I was paid for my traineeship.
– To me, that means the employee is valued. Some companies employ international students but don’t pay them anything. Yet the working hours are long. If an employee benefits the company, they should also get something in return, Abu Deham says.
A traineeship is an important opportunity for students to develop their skills and gain experience. Although pay is not the main thing about a traineeship, Abu Deham believes that being paid is still an important motivating factor.
– Some of my friends who have worked in other sectors haven’t been paid for their traineeships, Abu Deham says.
Language skills develop through speaking
Abu Deham is originally from Jordan. She was drawn to Finland by its good education system and the example of her brother, who had already moved to the country. She began her studies remotely in 2020 and moved to Finland the following year.
– I’ve settled in really well. In winter, I go snowboarding almost every week. In North Karelia, it’s easy to get to the Mustavaara ski resort or even Koli. It’s wonderful! I usually go back to Jordan once a year, Abu Deham says.
Although she completed her degree in English, she also picked up some Finnish during her traineeship.
– Everyone was friendly. My colleagues taught me Finnish, even though it would have been much easier for them to just speak English. They were very patient, Abu Deham says.
Abu Deham praises Medisize as an excellent place to work, with a good working atmosphere. She says that her colleagues are the best thing about her job.
– In a way, we’re married to our colleagues, as we’re together all the time. It’s important that, alongside getting our work done, we also have fun and get on well with each other.
Another important thing for Abu Deham is knowing that, at a company that manufactures medical devices, her work has a real impact on people’s lives.
– For example, without an insulin pen, a person could die, Abu Deham says.
The rotation programme taught her new skills
After her traineeship, Abu Deham completed her final-year project, after which Medisize offered her a six-month fixed-term employment contract. She then joined the company’s rotation programme, which gives newly qualified engineers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the company’s different sites and roles.
Abu Deham first worked for six months as a project engineer, after which she moved on to a six-month stint as a measurement engineer. During the final six months of the rotation programme, she worked in Ireland as an Operational Excellence Engineer.
She sees her current permanent position as a project engineer as a positive career move that will allow her to continue developing professionally.
– We have really good managers who support their employees. Every year, we have a 360-degree feedback meeting, during which we discuss, among other things, what the employee would like to do in the future. There are opportunities for professional development, Abu Deham says.
Photo: Yosra Abu Deham enjoys visiting Botania Botanical Garden in Joensuu all year round. In November, Botania hosts the Visual Festival, an outdoor light art event.
Collective agreements protect trainees too
Collective agreements improve the everyday working lives of salaried employees. The collective agreement for salaried employees in the chemical industry also sets out provisions on trainee pay.
As a trainee in the chemical industry, your pay may be up to 25 per cent lower than the pay corresponding to the job requirement category of the work you perform. If your traineeship is a compulsory part of your degree, the collective agreement provisions on reducing the workforce and the obligation to re-employ employees do not apply to it.
Under the collective agreement, you are considered a trainee if you are studying at a vocational school, a university of applied sciences or a university and work between academic terms or gain work experience required for your degree while studying.
Read the Collective Agreement for Salaried Employees in the Finnish Chemical Industry here. The current collective agreement is valid until 31 December 2027.