FINLAND | Grants for students for manufacturing plant, sawmill and logging site visits

Finnish Forest Industries Federation has an annual budget for supporting student group visits to pulp, paper and board manufacturing plants, sawmills and logging site visits. This proved to be a great form of supporting schools and student groups who usually do not have extra money for excursions. The process is simple: (1) The class teacher or representatives of student groups fill out an application form for their planned trip.; (2) FFIF decides whether to support the transportation (usually private bus rides) for the trip; and (3) if the trip is granted, the applying party is obliged to provide a brief commentary on the trip (what was learned, how did the receiving company perform etc)

Key stakeholders:
– Finnish Forest Industries Federation + schools
– Student groups
– Teachers
– Student counsellors

Specific Benefits:
Great form of supporting schools and student groups who usually do not have extra money for excursions.

FINLAND | Forest of Opportunities: Biggest workplace school campaign

This is a school campaign for Finnish 8th graders (14-15) and high school students (16-18) representing forest industry’s study and working opportunities, circular economy, basics of forest management, role of forests in mitigating climate change and products made from wood. „School ambassadors”, meaning forest industry experts from different occupations and companies, visit schools either physically or virtually. There is a wood product portfolio involved in the campaign. Each attending school gets a case full of products made from wood. The case is designed to be a part of teaching different subjects: chemistry, mathematics, arts, student counselling etc.
The campaign has been going on since 2013. 25 000 students each year are reached, which is half of the age group in Finland.

Key stakeholders:
– Finnish Forest Industries Federation
– Forest Product Engineers
– Finnish Forest Association
– Metsä Group
– Stora Enso UPM
– Versowood
– DS Smith Sappi Kirkniemi
– Koskisen Oy
– Pölkky Oy
– Tornator
– Corex
– Delfort

Specific Benefits:
Excellent way to reach big groups of young people and share knowledge with both students and teachers/councillors. During the visit, the students get a clearer idea of what today’s forest industry is really like: its diverse study and job opportunities, how sustainability is related to everything the industry does, and all the products that can be manufactured from wood.

Conditions for success:
Someone to coordinate the campaign (in this case we have a coordinator from FFIF’s comms team).

Campaign web page:
https://www.mahdollisuuksienmetsa.fi/en_us/index.html

POLAND | Entrepreneurship Day

As part of the International Paper’s collaboration with the school Complex No. 2 in Kwidzyn, the program objective is to better prepare upper secondary school students to enter the labor market by showing young people the realities of the labor market and the challenges ahead.

Key stakeholders:
– School Complex No. 2 in Kwidzyn
– International Paper

Conditions for success:
Showing young people the realities of the labor market and the challenges ahead.

GERMANY | Build up an apprenticeship envoy concept

At WEPA Germany, one of the key aims is to train committed apprentices in presentation techniques so that they can present the company and what their apprenticeship is about at career information fairs, training fairs and in schools. Train apprenticeship envoys to work with them as a team at trade fairs, in schools and on apprenticeship days to increase the visibility of and the focus on the profession of a paper technologist.

Key stakeholders:
– Company
– Apprentices

Specific Benefits:
Address target groups directly and promote both, the internal commitment of apprentices and the external commitment of future apprentices.

Conditions for success:
– Finding the right applicants for the right apprenticeships
– Finding committed apprentices who are happy to spread the messagea and actively use training envoys in the company

GERMANY | Diverse onboarding

WEPA Germany creates a diverse onboarding through, among other things, an open house and a detailed apprentice induction week at the start of the apprenticeship. This consists of bringing different apprentices together in a group, so they are getting to know each other and start creating a community; furthermore, the apprentices are accompanied throuhgout the entire training period, with the aim of offering them employment in the company and ensuring a good transition from the apprenticeship to the following job – in the third year of training, they are slowly taken on the shift distribution.

Key stakeholders:
Company

Specific Benefits:
– Good introduction to the world of work and thus encourage commitment
– Introduce individual topics to directly meet new people within the company and build a network

Conditions for success:
There needs to be a targeted onboarding of apprentices.

GERMANY | Recruiting of new apprentices

At WEPA Germany, the recruiting process of new apprentices consists of the followin steps:
– WEPA Germany uses employer branding to generate enthusiasm for the company;
– An initial online test in advance of the applicant days is set up to get a first impression of the applicants;
– Groups of applicants are brought to the company together during applicant days: the selection process is supported with the help of interaction in the group. Throughout the whole process, WEPA encourages engagement of potential apprentices and creates enthusiasm throughout the recruiting process.

Key stakeholders:
Company

Specific Benefits:
Establish a targeted recruiting process to specifically inspire and convince applicants of an apprenticeship in the paper industry, as well as attract young talents.

Conditions for success:
Create enthusiasm and show a common thread in the application process.

GERMANY | Design employer branding measures together with apprentices

WEPA in Germany designs employer branding measures together with apprentices such as videos, advertisements, interviews, apprearance at trade fairs, content for the company website. The aim is to address the target group in a suitable and targeted manner via various media channels and to generate enthusiasm for the company.

Key stakeholders:
Company

Specific Benefits:
– Address the target group directly and inspire them to work for the company
– Draw attention to the company and thus generate a large number of good applications

Conditions for success:
Create targeted employer branding across different channels to generate high quality applications.

GERMANY | Virtual trade fairs

Essity Germany participates in virtual trade fairs to avoid losing contact with potential applicants.

Key stakeholders:
– Company
– Pupils and parents
– Teachers

Specific Benefits:
Approaching applicants in direct/ indirect way and have short introductory talks and appointments consulting.

Conditions for success:
Make sure to have an attractive stand and give aways, as well as having the apprentice to get in touch with visitors.

GERMANY | Marketing strategy to reach potential applicants

Essity Germany develops a new marketing strategy to reach potential applicants through the right channels, which includes suitable descriptions of the training content and benefits at a glance.

Key stakeholders:
Company

Specific Benefits:
Approaching applicants in their popular channels.

Conditions for success:
Input on descriptions of the training content need to be developed.

GERMANY | Internships and project weeks with local associations

Essity Germany offers internships for students to get to know the paper professions at first hand. Essity also participates in project weeks with local associations.

Key stakeholders:
– Company
– Pupils in school/participants of special programs

Specific Benefits:
Interships offer the possibility to get personal contact to pupils, and allowing company and pupils get to know each other better.

Conditions for success:
There is the need to have on-site support.