TAMK graduates are important working life connections – alumni of the year develop their field
The week will culminate in announcing of TAMK’s alumnus and alumna of the year on Wednesday 13 October. Composer Roope Mäenpää is the alumnus and Restaurant Cook Emmiina Lehtonen the alumna of the year. Both have distinguished themselves in development of new practices and viewpoints during their careers. See Roope’s and Emmiina’s stories.
TAMK has awarded the alumnus or alumna of the year since 2019. The award winners have traditionally been distinguished TAMK graduates who have brought forward the role of higher education, promoted interaction with stakeholders and stayed in touch with the higher education institution and its present-day and future alumni.
More visibility for alumni activities
Being an alumnus or alumna is still quite an unfamiliar concept in Finland. A key aim of the alumni month is to increase understanding of who alumni are and what alumni activities include. The target groups are students and staff of higher education institutions as well as alumni. TAMK’s Planning Officer Kirsi Popova is of the same opinion.
“TAMK already makes a great deal of alumni cooperation, especially in degree programmes. The problem is that it is not often thought as alumni activities. It is thus important to make the concept familiar and make alumni meetings visible. The joint visual appearance and message of the alumni week also support this.”
The universities of applied sciences’ alumni coordination network now organises the alumni month for the second time. There are alumni events around Finland to increase awareness of alumni activities and engage alumni stronger in the university of applied sciences operation.
Alumni as working life connections and representatives with their diverse expertise
The annual career monitoring survey will also open during the alumni week. This year, the survey is implemented on 13 October – 9 November and the respondents are bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates of 2016. Esteem for university of applied sciences alumni can be seen in alumni’s satisfaction and employers’ esteem for university of applied sciences degrees. As many as 83% of TAMK graduates of 2015 were satisfied with their degree and 82% felt that employers valued the competences they learnt at TAMK.
Alumni are a vital source of working life feedback as they have first-hand knowledge of the field’s competence needs and career possibilities and experience in university of applied science degrees. The career monitoring survey also offers alumni an excellent chance to give feedback to their former seat of learning.
Alumni represent universities of applied sciences with their diverse expertise. Their professional skills and competences are in a key position in development of regional enterprises and organisations at present and in the future. Alumni’s working life competences and networks are already used at TAMK in a diverse manner. This can be seen in alumni’s participation in TAMK’s advisory boards and alumni council. The work should be developed further and strengthened.
Alumni’s views are also important for career counselling of present-day and future students.
“They are like mentors whose experiences are worth their weight in gold for students who are contemplating their career choices,” emphasises Vice President Päivi Karttunen.
Further information:
Kirsi Popova, Planning Officer, tel. +358 46 921 6129, kirsi.popova [at] tuni.fi (kirsi[dot]popova[at]tuni[dot]fi), Tampere University of Applied Sciences
