9.10.2008

An activating tool for students training for professions
TAMK University of Applied Sciences accomplished the ALPO.fi welfare portal

TAMK University of Applied Sciences accomplished the ALPO.fi welfare portal for the promotion of the working ability of young people training for professions. The portal provides students with information, skills and inspiring ideas about how to care for their own working ability and well-being. The implementation of the well-being portal was financed by the National Board of Education, the Ministry of Education, the European Social Fund and the Cultural and Sports Association of Finnish Occupational Education and Training, SAKU ry.

On the left, Jani Järvelin, project manager at SAKU ry. (the Cultural and Sports Association of Finnish Occupational Education and Training) and Toni Pippola, project manager at TAMK University of Applied Sciences. They are pleased with the new web-based ALPO.fi well-being portal for students training for professions. High resolution image (1457 Kb) Photo: Saija Sippola

Students participated in the design of the portal intended to support and guide them in the promotion of their working ability. Contrary to the general recommendations for the implementation of web portals, the young people wanted to include dashing colours, moving pictures, sound and special effects. The experts contributing to the content of the portal are from the UKK Institute and SAKU. The portal was produced as a part of a working ability passport for professionals project intended to promote the functioning and working ability and the well-being of young people studying towards a profession.

The aim of the portal is to get those young people moving who are most inactive. The electronic portal entices young people to plan and increase activities that enhance their capacity to study and work and to make a record of events that have been carried through. The portal also provides students with feedback on exercise taken. Through their own portal the young people can keep in touch with friends and, for example, challenge them to take some exercise or to promote their own working ability in other ways, together, or in groups.

The well-being portal is truly versatile. In addition to letting users record their sporting achievements and obtain feedback, there is information by professional field on experiences of work reported by young people themselves, information on factors with bearing on working ability and well-being and tools to assess one’s own activities.

It is anticipated that the portal will encourage those in training for professions to be active and to promote their working ability with small everyday choices. In the educational institutions there is the option to come to agreement with the person responsible for the working ability passport about what young people’s activities can be included on it. Measures to enhance working ability can enliven the work of the teaching personnel and increase social interaction and general enjoyment in educational institutions.

The development of the well-being portal is a prime example of connecting teaching work with the real needs of working life. Four Business Information Systems students at TAMK practised in employment for 20 months; they accomplished the technical realisation of the portal, which is easily adaptable, manageable and renewable. The development work was part of the R & D of TAMK.

SAKU as an association covers some 80 percent of students and personnel in Finnish vocational education institutions. Through the portal SAKU wants to help young people in training for professions and entering working life to cope at work and in their free time.

Further information: www.alpo.fi