Duplicate of Duplicate of Student newsletter Omnis 4/2024

Summer is coming and the school year is ending

Studying accumulates competence, but also practical skills to act in a changing working life and society. 
Emotional skills and the ability to empathize are strengths when competing with artificial intelligence for work tasks. 

Perseverance and the desire to learn new things are keys to success in life, which are also needed in studying and completing education. 

Studying and obtaining a qualification are also the most important cooperation.  Omnia's personnel and services, as well as fellow students, contribute to the success of the student. An important role is also played by the safety net, which consists of family members, friends and colleagues. 

Now that the school year is ending, thanks go to all of you, you have made a successful cooperation. The progress of studies and completion of degrees is proof of that. 

Warm congratulations and thanks to all of you!

Maija Aaltola, Head Principal 

Summer is here and the summer holidays will begin soon. On Omnia's student pages you will find information on the important study dates concerning the end and the beginning of the study year. 

This year, 947 students graduated with vocational qualifications and 387 with professional and specialist qualifications from Omnia. The graduation ceremonies for vocational students were held at the Kirkkokatu and Leppävaara campuses, with Principal Maija Aaltola emphasizing perseverance and learning in her speech. Espoo Adult Upper Secondary School will celebrate a record 125 graduates on May 31st.

The TUVA preparatory education program saw 181 students complete their studies, celebrated in a warm-hearted event. Principal Anna-Maija Iskanius highlighted the importance of everyday interactions in guiding life direction.

Omnia plays a significant role in employment, skill development, and well-being. Youth workshops hosted 153 young clients, while the Competence Center OSKE served 482 immigrants, providing training and job search coaching. The Espoo Adult Education Centre attracted nearly 23,000 participants, and 34 students completed the final phase of adult basic education.

During the 2023–2024 term of the student board, many significant and even exceptional events have taken place - there have been both ups and downs during the term.

In the autumn of 2023, the student board organised, for example, a highly praised prom for the first time in more than ten years, as well as a presidential election panel and interviews in October-November, where we interviewed a total of eight presidential election candidates. In the spring, events organised by the student government included, for example, a European election panel and a panel discussion on loneliness and anti-bullying. We also received the student of the year award at Omnia's Professional Gala.

In the spring, however, the situation of student activities changed at Omnia as a result of the co-operation negotiations process. The continuation of student activities will be clarified later.

Meetings and appointments

• Student council meetings 25.4., 7.5., 21.5. and 30.5.

Subjects, eg. vocational education service path, personalisation of studies and on-the-job learning and special education

• 14.5. Meeting of the cooperation group of the study care of the welfare area

      At the meeting, the situation of student health care was reviewed and ways to reduce loneliness were discussed in particular.

• 2.5. Voice of the Youth project meeting

      Topics of discussion include supporting student wellbeing and promoting inclusion, as well as the attractiveness of vocational education.

• 20.5.  Management team lunch meeting

   

Working groups

The representatives of the student board have continued to work on Omnia's new equality and anti-discrimination plan together with the rest of the working group.

The goal of the student council is to meet all the students who participated in the students' idea competition during the late spring and early fall and discuss together the implementation and development of the ideas at Omnia.

Proposals

The student board suggests that compulsory education should also have an equal opportunity to complete studies online.

Contact information

If you want to ask something related to the above news, or if you want to contact the student board for some other matter, the best way to reach us is by e-mailing opiskelijahallitus@omnia.fi. You can send us a message regarding all grievances or wishes regarding the everyday life and activities of the school.

Vili Olkkonen, chairperson
 

In spring 2024, Omnia held its first student idea competition to encourage ideas improving studies, learning environments, and student life. The themes were community and diversity, smooth learning, and a green future. Anastasiia Golovakho won with her Clothing Recycling Point idea, receiving a 500-euro grant and a 50-euro gift card. Other notable ideas included Ekaterina Rozanova's MediaGraphics for increasing work experience and a team project, Our School Workshops, to reduce loneliness. Each idea is assigned a mentor from Omnia for further development.

The staff innovation competition awarded honorable mentions for two projects: Smoothly Towards Finnish Working Life, promoting workforce inclusion, and the Student Feedback System on Teachers, allowing immediate response to student feedback and promoting educational quality.

Omnia's vocational training has been included in the HelsinkiMission School to Belong program, which aims to reduce loneliness in the educational institution and increase well-being. According to the school health survey in Omnia, 16.5 percent of the respondents feel that they are lonely, and of the respondents, the proportion of girls is no less than 25.8 percent.

The School to Belong program helps the educational institution community to identify and alleviate the loneliness experienced by young people and offers tools to deal with loneliness. 

HelsinkiMissio is a politically and religiously non-committed organisation. The program is designed as a whole lasting about 3 years. It is implemented nationally with the help of virtual trainings and electronic materials. The School to Belong program is aimed primarily at youth and young adults under the age of 29, but all students can participate. The program includes e.g. trainings and lectures for students, staff and guardians. 

The program has just started and now a questionnaire is being implemented for students, staff and guardians. The results of the survey are needed eg. in making an institution-specific loneliness strategy. The survey has been sent to students, teaching and guidance staff as well as guardians. The results of the survey will come in September. During the autumnl, several training events will be held for students and staff. One event will also be held for guardians. More information about these will be provided later.