So far Joona, a Lappeenranta native has found everything from his place of study to workplace very near. “I’m grew up just a few kilometres from Kaukas. I haven’t gotten far”, he laughs. “I have however, liked Lappeenranta and I like that I’ve found everything relatively close by. During summertime there’s a lot to do here. It’s a nice, calm place.”
In his free time Joona likes going to the gym and running. During winter he plays ice-hockey and in the summer he likes orienteering. His newest hobby is golfing. “I don’t have time to do everything, but you have to have a few options.”
Joona began his engineering studies in 2017. His studies have been postponed a little because of Covid-19 but besides that he only has his thesis left. “The subject of my thesis is the digitalization of maintenance shutdowns, making their monitoring easier and producing data on the different stages of the shutdown and the levels of preparedness. The work is very broad”, Joona explains.
Joona was familiarised with Lappeenranta biorefinery last summer
“I started in maintenance, the ended up working at Saimaa Canal as a mechanic in maintenance. I used to work in a maintenance and repair company as a machinery mechanic and later in the same company as a supervisor on the mechanical side. That’s a short overview of how I ended up here”, Joona says about his work history.
UPM Lappeenranta biorefinery became familiar to Joona last summer. He worked in co-operation with the biorefinery under his previous employer, which sparked interest towards working there. Ultimately the decision was made easier with the chance of completing his thesis simultaneously.
You learn something new everyday
Joona is working as a supervisor in mechanical maintenance. “We just had a maintenance shutdown. A typical workday starts with going through the day’s work with mechanics, after this we go through the spare part and reporting side. The usual supervisor tasks” he explains.
“So far, I have enjoyed working for UPM, it’s been busy but in a good way. I haven’t had a single boring moment, it’s always fun and refreshing. I learn something new every day.”
Positive atmosphere and team spirit
After this summer Joona will be continuing with his thesis at the biorefinery. He is also planning on applying for a fixed-term-contract for the same position. “After my polytechnic studies I am planning on applying to graduate engineering studies right after graduating. That’s how well my studies have gone, I think I have a good chance at getting in. Now is the time to study while you still have the energy and interest for it.”
We asked Joona what he was especially happy with at UPM and the first thing that came to his mind was the positive atmosphere and team spirit. “I feel like everyone will help if I need it. All the resources and working conditions are good and nothing is lacking. I’ve also been happy with the amount of responsibility I’ve been handed and that they’ve put me in the deep end of the pool right away. That way you learn the most. I would recommend UPM as an employer”, he concludes.
Text: Damyanti Rathore
Picture: Ville Vauhkonen
