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Social criteria in summer job applications

Social criteria are also taken into account when selecting summer employees. When the job and the applicant are a good match, we also take into account factors such as financial or other challenges within the family.
Social criteria in summer job applicationsPKO takes social criteria into account when selecting summer employees and seasonal employees. The application allows you to describe your personal situation, including any financial or other challenges within the family. Although there is no separate quota, social factors affect dozens of selections each year. Employing young people is an important act of responsibility for PKO. The aim is to promote the common good and prevent social exclusion. A large number of applicants are invited to interviews so that as many young people as possible gain valuable experience of the job application process. We invest in face-to-face encounters, which we believe are particularly meaningful. PKO also hires young people from outside the region for summer jobs, provided they have the opportunity to stay in North Karelia during the summer. For example, living with grandparents can support the wellbeing of both the young person and the elderly. Employing young people who need special support is part of PKO’s values. A large number of young people with special needs are hired for the summer, and an instructor is provided when necessary. Diversity and tolerance are key strengths of the workplace community, and the involvement of young people with special needs has proven to be a positive factor in terms of the working atmosphere.

Instructors for young people with special needsFor several years now, PKO has also made it possible for young people with significant special support needs to take part in summer work by hiring an instructor to guide them in their tasks. An instructor for a young employee with special needs does not act as a personal assistant. Their role is to ensure that the young person’s work runs as smoothly as possible and to guide them in their tasks. Employing young people with special needs and hiring instructors is a concrete act of responsibility. In this way, the cooperative offers a summer job experience to many young people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity. ‘Our goal is to give every young person the best possible welcome into working life. We are happy that young people feel that they have had good experiences of working life with us. We have been developing practices to support the employment of young people with special needs for more than ten years, and these practices have been successfully adopted across all our units,’ says HR Director Mika-Jussi Mononen.

Experiences of instructors of young people with special needs

Read more:

  • Social criteria in summer job applications

    Social criteria are also taken into account when selecting summer employees. When the job and the applicant are a good match, we also take into account factors such as financial or other challenges within the family.

  • Summer jobs

    PKO employs over 1,000 young people annually, including over 100 special needs young people and their counselors.
    Read more about summer jobs