KeudaSkills inspired teachers and students
Last autumn, Keuda (Finnish VET provider in the Uusimaa area) organised its own Skills competition for the first time. Approximately 400 students participated in KeudaSkills, which included 47 sector-specific competitions. According to KeudaSkills' Competition Coordinator Janne Jousiaho, the event is here to stay.
Construction students also competed at the KeudaSkills event in autumn 2023.
Photo: Inka Tikka / Keuda.
The idea of our own competition emerged when we were visiting HyriaSkills in Riihimäki in autumn 2022. Anna Skytten and Mika Auvinen, who were responsible for organising the event, advised and encouraged me to take the idea forward.
The aim was to involve all Keuda campuses in the event and to make it possible for everyone to compete in professional skills. Eight out of ten campuses participated, and the remaining two have already announced their participation in next year's event. Students who did not compete in the event took part as judges, assistants and guides, for example.
The national Hyvivointivirtaa week, an event dedicated to promoting well-being at vocational institutes in Finland, happens to coincide with the start of competitor registration for the Taitaja semi-finals. KeudaSkills was also organised at this time. It is an easy way to attract students to Taitaja, the Finnish National Skills Competition.
Support and encouragement from the management is essential for introducing this kind of event to the educational institution's everyday life. KeudaSkills was also given its own visual identity in cooperation with Keuda's communications and marketing. Stipends were awarded to the winners as follows: 1st place EUR 100, 2nd place EUR 75 and 3rd place EUR 50.
KeudaSkills gave teachers a new way to approach and express their own teaching and professional competence. Due to the competitive nature, they also had to approach evaluation differently. Creating something new in a safe environment together with the students is certainly a positive resource also for the future.
In the feedback, the teachers felt that they had gained confidence and professional pride in their daily life. The KeudaSkills competition at their own campuses helped them understand the concept of Skills competitions and its potential in their teaching.
The competition activities also allowed the teachers and students to gain experiences and work together. This creates trust. From the perspective of developing vocational skills and fields, participating in the vocational skills competitions is well worth it.