I asked Marita and Roosa to answer a few questions about vocational schools and the Skills Event.
Marita Karvinen, 17 years old
1. What vocational program are you studying in? What year are you?
I am studying to be a travel counsellor and am in my 2nd year.
2. Why did you choose to go to the school you are at over others?
I chose vocational school, because I like to do things and not read as much as they do in high school. Jyväskylä is nice city so I wanted to come here and study.
3. Are you happy with your choice? Why or why not?
Yes I am. I like the school and teachers and Jyväskylä.
4. What influenced you to make the school choices you did?
I knew that I want to study tourism, so I only had to choose the city. Jyväskylä sounded and looked nice city. It's not too big and not too small and it's located in a good place.
5. Who is your favorite teacher and why? What does this teacher do that makes you want to learn?
Henna Räikkönen. She knows how to teach and she makes things sound fun and interesting. When she speeks to you, she is like a friend or I can speek to her like she would be my friend, not a teacher. But she also knows how to be hard on a student who doesn't listen or do the things she should.
6. What are you dreaming of doing for a career? How does what you are doing in school now help with that?
I don't know yet. Maybe a turist guide, a flight attendant, or a person who organize different kind of activitys to turists. My school is right place to study for those careers.
7. Describe the Skills Finland event and what it was like to compete there. What sort of things did you have to do to prepare to compete?
It was exciting and very stressful for me, because i had to open my cafe at the same week. But it was also fun and it was a very good experience. We had to create itineraries to travel to St.Petersburg, we practiced to interview different kind of customers, and we had to think about different kind of activities for different kind of people. We also practiced to how to do good power-point presentations.
8. Describe your experience with on-the job learning. How has it helped you?
I think on-the job learning experiences are good for us. That is the best way to learn and to get to know about different kind of work place skills.
9. How do you think having vocational school as option effected how invested you are in school?
Vocational school keeps my motivation high, because I'm studying the things I am interested in. I want to study tourism and in vocational school it is possible. There isn't anything interesting in high school for me and if it's not interesting I am not motivated.
10. If there was a US school that was considering adding a vocational program, would you tell them it is a good idea or not a good idea? Why?
My opinion is that it is a good idea! If students know what they want to do for a work, they could start to study that immediately.
I am studying to be a travel counsellor and am in my 2nd year.
2. Why did you choose to go to the school you are at over others?
I chose vocational school, because I like to do things and not read as much as they do in high school. Jyväskylä is nice city so I wanted to come here and study.
3. Are you happy with your choice? Why or why not?
Yes I am. I like the school and teachers and Jyväskylä.
4. What influenced you to make the school choices you did?
I knew that I want to study tourism, so I only had to choose the city. Jyväskylä sounded and looked nice city. It's not too big and not too small and it's located in a good place.
5. Who is your favorite teacher and why? What does this teacher do that makes you want to learn?
Henna Räikkönen. She knows how to teach and she makes things sound fun and interesting. When she speeks to you, she is like a friend or I can speek to her like she would be my friend, not a teacher. But she also knows how to be hard on a student who doesn't listen or do the things she should.
6. What are you dreaming of doing for a career? How does what you are doing in school now help with that?
I don't know yet. Maybe a turist guide, a flight attendant, or a person who organize different kind of activitys to turists. My school is right place to study for those careers.
7. Describe the Skills Finland event and what it was like to compete there. What sort of things did you have to do to prepare to compete?
It was exciting and very stressful for me, because i had to open my cafe at the same week. But it was also fun and it was a very good experience. We had to create itineraries to travel to St.Petersburg, we practiced to interview different kind of customers, and we had to think about different kind of activities for different kind of people. We also practiced to how to do good power-point presentations.
8. Describe your experience with on-the job learning. How has it helped you?
I think on-the job learning experiences are good for us. That is the best way to learn and to get to know about different kind of work place skills.
9. How do you think having vocational school as option effected how invested you are in school?
Vocational school keeps my motivation high, because I'm studying the things I am interested in. I want to study tourism and in vocational school it is possible. There isn't anything interesting in high school for me and if it's not interesting I am not motivated.
10. If there was a US school that was considering adding a vocational program, would you tell them it is a good idea or not a good idea? Why?
My opinion is that it is a good idea! If students know what they want to do for a work, they could start to study that immediately.
Roosa Takkinen, 17 years old
1. What vocational program are you studying in? What year are you?
I study travel counseling. I`m on my third and the last year.
2. Why did you choose to go to the school you are at over others?
I chose this because I like working with people and maybe would like to travel abroad for my job.
3. Are you happy with your choice? Why or why not?
I am happy for my choice because I get to know a lot of different jobs during my school years.
4. What influenced you to make the school choices you did?
Only my own interests.
5. Who is your favorite teacher and why? What does this teacher do that makes you want to learn?
I think my own teacher Henna is best teacher because she is very cheerful person. She is always happy and listens our opinions.
6. What are you dreaming of doing for a career? How does what you are doing in school now help with that?
I don't have any dreams, I actually think that I'm going to change career after couple years of working.
7. Describe the Skills Finland event and what it was like to compete there. What sort of things did you have to do to prepare to compete?
Skills Finland event had very strict rules and judging. I gained a lot of self-confidence during the contest. There was a really good spirit! The event required a lot of preparing from us.
8. Describe your experience with on-the job learning. How has it helped you?
Job learning is one of the best things in vocational school. I have been in three different places on-the job learning, for now. It has been either boring and a bit frustrating with all the rush. But at the end all of them have turned in to a really nice place to work. I have also learned a lot about working.
9. How do you think having vocational school as option effected how invested you are in school?
It have effected pretty well because I´m not a high school person.
10. If there was a US school that was considering adding a vocational program, would you tell them it is a good idea or not a good idea? Why?
I don´t really have an opinion with this matter.
I study travel counseling. I`m on my third and the last year.
2. Why did you choose to go to the school you are at over others?
I chose this because I like working with people and maybe would like to travel abroad for my job.
3. Are you happy with your choice? Why or why not?
I am happy for my choice because I get to know a lot of different jobs during my school years.
4. What influenced you to make the school choices you did?
Only my own interests.
5. Who is your favorite teacher and why? What does this teacher do that makes you want to learn?
I think my own teacher Henna is best teacher because she is very cheerful person. She is always happy and listens our opinions.
6. What are you dreaming of doing for a career? How does what you are doing in school now help with that?
I don't have any dreams, I actually think that I'm going to change career after couple years of working.
7. Describe the Skills Finland event and what it was like to compete there. What sort of things did you have to do to prepare to compete?
Skills Finland event had very strict rules and judging. I gained a lot of self-confidence during the contest. There was a really good spirit! The event required a lot of preparing from us.
8. Describe your experience with on-the job learning. How has it helped you?
Job learning is one of the best things in vocational school. I have been in three different places on-the job learning, for now. It has been either boring and a bit frustrating with all the rush. But at the end all of them have turned in to a really nice place to work. I have also learned a lot about working.
9. How do you think having vocational school as option effected how invested you are in school?
It have effected pretty well because I´m not a high school person.
10. If there was a US school that was considering adding a vocational program, would you tell them it is a good idea or not a good idea? Why?
I don´t really have an opinion with this matter.
