Terrafame tackles labour challenges through cooperation with educational institutes

The company is making a principal lecturer donation to a university of applied sciences and launching apprenticeship training at its industrial site in Sotkamo, Finland.

A Finnish multi-metal company Terrafame is involving itself in the development of local education together with its educational institute partners to ensure the availability of skilled labour. Terrafame has agreed with the Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, or KAMK, on the establishment of the role of a donated principal lecturer for the process industry. In addition, the company is launching apprenticeship training that will open up new opportunities for those interested to obtain vocational qualifications in the process industry.

Kainuu’s economy has grown well in recent years, and the prospects for development in the region are promising. At the same time, employment has improved considerably and labour demand is expected to remain buoyant. According to Terrafame, companies must now show more initiative in order to ensure an adequate supply of labour.

“Earlier this autumn, we announced our decision to invest in a new battery chemicals plant whose commercial production is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2021. This is a significant project even on a global scale, and as one aspect of it, we want to strengthen local industrial expertise. We will need more process engineers and skilled professionals specialising in the chemical industry and we are able to offer work that is related to the electric vehicle market growth,” says CEO Joni Lukkaroinen.

The plant, which produces chemicals for the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries, will directly employ about 150 people according to Terrafame’s estimation. The indirect economic impacts of the plant will extend to different industries in Kainuu and more widely in Finland.

Studying process engineering at a university of applied sciences suits those interested in development and supervisory positions

As far as is known, the three-year principal lectureship offered by Terrafame is a unique donation in Finland in its scope. Its aim is to establish a possibility to specialise in process engineering in connection with the mechanical engineering studies at KAMK and to train engineers with more in depth knowledge of the process industry.

Cooperation with educational institutes also ensures that, during their studies, students will have various opportunities to familiarise themselves with the activities of Terrafame and network with the company’s representatives, for example, during traineeships, in projects and in connection with preparing their theses. As a whole, the studies will be built to meet the normal requirements of a Bachelor’s degree (polytechnic) in engineering.

 

Apprenticeship training suits those interested in specialising in the chemical industry

Apprenticeship training with specialisation in the chemical industry leading to a vocational qualification in the process industry is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2019, and the intention is to start similar training 1–2 times a year as needed in the next few years. The two-year training is carried out entirely at Terrafame’s industrial site in Sotkamo, Finland.

The students will learn the different stages of the production process while in an employment relationship and complete various competence-based qualifications in different subject areas during their studies. In addition to on-the-job learning, days of contact teaching will be organised for the students on Terrafame’s premises on a monthly basis.

 

More information for the media:

Joni Lukkaroinen, CEO, +358 50 590 0720, joni.lukkaroinen(at)terrafame.fi

 

Photos:

Download new images of Terrafame’s activities from the image bank

 

 

Terrafame Ltd is a Finnish multi-metal company producing nickel, zinc, cobalt and copper at its mine and metals production plant located in Sotkamo, Finland. We are now planning the processing of our main product, nickel-cobalt sulphide, into nickel and cobalt sulphates suitable for electric vehicle batteries. Our aim is to conduct environmentally sustainable, safe and profitable operations. www.terrafame.com