Energy engineering student Manu Yrjölä, 21, spent the summer working at the Loviisa power plant. According to Manu, he learned a lot about his field of work and grew his professional networks during the summer. Manu thinks the best thing about the job was the good working atmosphere that enabled his professional growth and the trust that was shown to him and his co-summer workers. Overall, the summer job strengthened the young man's interest in the nuclear sector.
Manu's path to Loviisa began in the winter, when he accidentally stumbled upon Fortum's stand during his school's recruitment event day.
"I had already been thinking about the Loviisa nuclear power plant as a potential employer for the summer, but the encounter with the Fortum people confirmed my thoughts and I decided to send an application," Manu recalls.
The application process was a success for Manu, and in early May, Manu, a first-year energy engineering graduate, arrived at the Loviisa power plant to start work as an annual maintenance planning summer trainee. As it is a nuclear power plant, the newcomers are given a comprehensive introduction to working at the plant and other practical matters.
"The induction was very smooth, and soon afterwards I started to get more responsibilities in the outage planning support work, from which I progressed to my biggest project, which was copying and updating the outage planning package folders. The package folders are a tool that will be used in the outage planning process. I feel that while working on them, my eye got used to the technical drawings and my ability to read the drawings improved a lot. This will definitely be useful in my future career," Manu says.
Although the summer passed quickly in the workplace, it was full of memorable experiences.
"It was an incredible feeling when I first got to see the inside of the nuclear power plant. I had never been in such a large industrial environment before and the reactor hall in particular was a stunning sight," Manu recalls his feelings from the summer.
All in all, Manu enjoyed working at Loviisa. Even the daily 50 km back and forth commuting didn't get him down, as co-traveling gave him the opportunity to get to know more experienced employees and in addition summer trainees were able to work remotely from home every now and then.
"Loviisa is by far the best place I have ever worked. There is a good working atmosphere and the summer workers were warmly welcomed. The superiors trusted the summer employees’ skills and gradually we were allowed to take more responsibility as we gained experience and confidence. The colleagues also showed a clear enthusiasm for their field and their work," says Manu.
Manu is very likely to apply for a job in the nuclear industry in the coming summers and for more permanent positions after graduation.
"The summer job confirmed my perception of the nuclear sector as a good and interesting field to work in. The long operating licences that have just been granted for Loviisa units ensure that there are plenty of jobs and opportunities in the sector. Although I was able to absorb a lot during the summer, I also figured out a lot of things I didn't know yet. So there's still plenty to learn," says Manu, who will be back on the school bench in the autumn.