A guaranteed job for electricity professionals via Caruna's training programme – the first training programme will start in February 2020

Network construction companies suffer from a lack of skilled personnel, and one of the biggest problems the contractors face is finding sufficient skilled workforce. The current personnel is aging and retiring and on the other hand, recently qualified new workers and those coming from other industries sometimes need long training and induction before they can move to demanding electricity network construction duties.

The first national training programme implemented in collaboration

Caruna Academy's Kärkiryhmä is the first national programme implemented in collaboration between Barona, training organisations and network construction companies. It is hoped that the training will help secure the continuation of electricity network construction competence also in future.

"In the electricity network industry, skilled personnel is disappearing at a fast pace due to people retiring. At the same time, electricity distribution companies are facing a substantial task in renovating the electricity network to be weatherproof and to meet the needs of increasing electricity consumption. In the training programme starting now, electricians are trained to be competent in both theory and practice. Those graduating from the Kärkiryhmä programme will get to construct and maintain the backbone of modern society," says Caruna's Head of HR Tommi Saikkonen.

Network electrician training consists of modules and on-the-job learning

The training modules include professional skills in the electricity sector and safety of energised connections, safe working in field conditions, correct and safe practices and connections relating to electricity networks, as well as safe dismantling of electricity networks. Caruna's experts, Sedu Education Oy and Barona's working group have been involved in the development of the training. Barona coordinates the training programme project.

"We have a lot of experience in coordinating training programmes for companies and subsequently, an extensive training organisation network. This makes it possible to produce high-quality training for sectors that are suffering from chronic lack of skilled personnel. In collaboration with Caruna, we are significantly improving the availability of skilled personnel in electricity network construction," says Barona's Business Director Markku Leinonen.

The training will start in February 2020. The people selected for the training will be employed via Barona in electricity network construction companies in Caruna's network area during the training and practice.

More information about the Kärkiryhmä training here: caruna.fi/academy (only in Finnish)