HKFoods Finland Oy is grateful for the fruitful collaboration with Helsinki Employment Services and Stadin AO, i.e. Helsinki Vocational College.
"Through our short training in the food sector, we have found motivated people who are given a strong foundation in the knowledge and skills required to work in food production. This has proven to be an excellent way to find new talent," says Laura Nyman, Recruitment Manager at HKFoods Finland Oy.
For employers, short vocational training offers an opportunity to find motivated people who are willing to learn and engage. Recruitment events before the start of training allow direct contact with candidates and speed up the process of finding suitable talent.
Short training courses are suitable when an employer needs several people for the same job. The courses last 1–4 weeks and include the skill certificates and permit cards needed for the job. Orientation and learning can continue after the job has begun.
This service is free of charge for the employer. Short vocational training is a good solution when workers are needed for seasonal jobs.
New sector without a long training period
Short training is particularly suitable for jobseekers who want to change fields or find a new direction without a long period of training.
The training courses focus on practical skills needed in sectors such as catering, logistics, food and automotive. Applicants do not need to have any previous work experience or training in the field.
Short training is mostly provided in Finnish as face-to-face training at AO's units in different parts of Helsinki.
During the training, trainees can obtain the cards and certificates needed in the sector free of charge, and often the programme also includes a tour of the future workplace.
Before the short training, Helsinki Employment Services typically organise a recruitment event, during which the hiring company selects the participants for the training.
"At the moment, we are looking for food industry workers for full-time work in our Vantaa production unit for the spring and summer of 2026," says Nyman.
Stadin AO organises the training and compiles a list of registrants. The training has attracted a lot of interest, so about 50 applicants are expected to attend the event at the Employment Services' unit in Kamppi at Malminkatu 34. The employer will interview and select 15 trainees who will start training in early December.
"I believe we will meet many applicants there who are interested in the industry and want to join HKFoods' nearly 3,000 professionals in producing responsible and locally made food," Nyman continues.
After the training, one more round of interviews will be held to decide who will be offered work. At the same time, the participants have the opportunity to consider whether they want to accept the job.
Short-term training also allows jobseekers to move into a completely new occupation. If a jobseeker feels at home in a given field, they can sign an apprenticeship agreement with an employer and complete training that leads to a qualification, for example.
The employer gets a motivated and competent employee
The City of Helsinki's two agencies – the Employment Services and Stadin AO – are reliable partners for employers and companies in training personnel.
In Helsinki Employment Services, employers and companies are advised by a customer service team specialised in a specific sector, helping with the arrangement of short training courses and recruitment of employees. Stadin AO and the employer plan the training content together.
"If your company is interested in collaborating and would like to know more about the short training courses, please contact us. We share a common goal of ensuring that jobs and workers are matched in the right way. The cooperation with HKFoods is a great example of this," say Employment Services Experts Johanna Nore and Elina Mäkinen.
