TEK has been a pioneer in bringing together student actives for nearly 40 years. The Student Influencer Seminar (Opiskelijavaikuttajaseminaari in Finnish) has been organized almost continuously since the mid-1980s.
This year, the seminar was held in Tuusula at Hotel Gustavelund on February 13th–14th. Over 70 student actives from the fields of engineering, mathematics, and natural sciences from across Finland attended. The program included presentations, workshops, networking, and cultural exchange between different student cities.
Discussions highlighted the rules of work life, future prospects and students' concerns about financial security. Rising unemployment among highly educated professionals and the continuous increase in university admissions were also topics of concern.
Personally, I am more concerned about the decline in the quality of education as admission numbers grow than about the devaluation of university degrees in the labour market. If the same resources are used to train a growing number of students, the outcome will inevitably suffer. In recent years, I have witnessed the lowering of course requirements to compensate for declining skill levels. If the competencies of future graduates deteriorate significantly, concerns about unemployment among those of us who studied in "better times" may prove unwarranted.
Although universities do not train students for specific jobs, the fundamental skills learned there are essential at the beginning of one’s career. Increasing quantity must not come at the expense of quality – unfortunately, that seems to be the case now.
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TEK’s Björn Wiemers shed light on the world of trade unions. Wiemers' presentation of strike statistics was particularly illustrative, showing how collective bargaining has previously stabilized labour markets. Although a return to individual-level agreements reminiscent of the early 20th century seems unlikely, the current trend is still cause for concern.
As local bargaining becomes more common, the importance of shop stewards will increase, making it crucial to ensure they are both motivated and well-prepared for negotiations.
Could there be potential future shop stewards among the participants of this seminar? If working for the common good is already a priority during one’s studies, it is likely that the same attitude will carry over into working life.
One of the highlights of the event was the dinner, where networking truly took off. The dinner featured presentations of local singing traditions, allowing other hotel guests to enjoy the harmonious melodies performed by long-standing student actives.
The author is an energy technology student in his nth year at LUT University, currently working on his master’s thesis. Alongside his studies, he has had a long career in his guild and has served on the student union’s board. This is his fourth year in TEK’s Youth Committee.