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Aleksi Lankinen is looking forward to a summer of meaningful encounters

Prisma in Joensuu employs a large number of young people with special needs during the summer, providing them with the support and attention they require throughout the workday. That’s why Prisma hired two instructors to assist young employees with special needs for the summer of 2025. One of them is Aleksi Lankinen, who is excited about the upcoming summer.
Hiring young people with special needs is nothing new at PKO – we have around fifteen years of experience in it. While most employment contracts have focused on the summer season, young people with special needs have also worked at various PKO locations during other times of the year. The experience has been rewarding for both sides: the cooperative gains cheerful and highly motivated employees, while the young people gain valuable insight into the fact that working life belongs to all of us.‘The young employees start with us at the beginning of June, and their employment contracts run until the end of August. The duration of the employment contracts has been tailored to individual preferences, ranging from a few weeks to several months,’ says sales manager Vesa Karjalainen, who coordinates the employment of young people with special needs at Prisma.

In the role of an instructor, character is the most important quality

PKO has employed dedicated instructors for young people with special needs since 2022. When selecting instructors, prior experience in similar roles is taken into account, and relevant education is considered an advantage.‘What matters most, however, is the kind of person they are. Patience and a genuine interest in this type of work are of paramount importance," Vesa emphasises.Therefore, no separate induction training is provided for the instructor role. Instead, selections are made based on the individuals’ existing skills.‘This year, too, the selection of instructors has been successful, so the outlook for summer is excellent.The instructors begin their work around a week before the young employees and work as salespersons in various departments at Prisma. Within the week, the instructors must be able to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the salesperson’s tasks so that they can independently guide and support young employees in their roles.The young employees also work in sales roles and carry out a variety of tasks, from handling goods to customer service, in line with their individual abilities.‘The top priority in the instructors’ work is to ensure that the work of young people with special needs runs smoothly. If support isn’t needed at a given moment and there’s time available, the instructors carry out regular sales tasks.’

A new kind of summer for a teacher-to-be

Aleksi Lankinen feels truly lucky to have landed a summer job at Prisma. He hadn’t heard about the instructor recruitment, but once someone pointed it out, he got excited straight away.‘I was amazed at how the role seemed tailor-made for me. This is exactly the kind of work I know how to do. However, the environment is completely new to me, and I know I’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn. While I’ve never worked in a store, I have a lot of experience working closely with people.Aleksi originally trained as a drama instructor, and through that role he has worked with a diverse range of amateur groups. He is currently studying to become a classroom teacher in Joensuu, although he already brings nearly six years of experience to the role, gained even before his formal studies began.‘In many ways, theatre and school are quite similar. There’s a stage or a classroom full of people whose main message is: ‘Notice me. Look at me.’ I believe paying attention to others is what matters most in this retail job as well. You need good intuition and instincts when working with both colleagues and customers, and I believe mine have developed quite well through various jobs.’Only time and the tasks ahead will tell what kind of attention and support each young person with special needs will require over the summer. Situations in working life vary so much that anyone can need help with just about anything at any time. This is also what makes the job meaningful.‘This is a place full of people, where you get to meet all kinds of personalities, both customers and colleagues, in all sorts of situations. I’m interested in all kinds of encounters, whether brief or long-lasting. Those are the things I’m really looking forward to,’ Aleksi says with excitement.Sales Manager Vesa Karjalainen (left) is pleased with the selection of summer instructors. Aleksi Lankinen (right) is looking forward to new experiences and encounters in the retail sector. At Prisma, both the instructors and the young people with special needs carry out typical sales tasks. For Eetu Akkanen (centre), Prisma is a familiar workplace from previous summers.

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