Practical training - Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering

In the study plan, practical training is scheduled for the 4th year. However, it is preferable to complete this during the summer between the 1st - 4th year of your studies. You will begin with introductory work/practical training, followed by profession-specific work/practical training 2.

Practical training practice is worth 15 ECTS which means 12 weeks of full-time work or 400 hours. You obtain 1.5 credits per week of full-time work The working hours per week for a student during the placement should be the same as for a fulltime employee (37,5h-40h). Practical training may be completed at any time during your studies, for example during the summer or whenever it fits into the individual study plan or life situation. Practical training can be completed in Finland or in another country. 

The practical training should give knowledge and experience in relevance to working life and the programme studied. This may include the engineering, sustainability, managerial or economical operations in engineering companies or other organisations. The introductory work practice will give a basic orientation into working life. Earlier engineering-related work practices gained before studying at Arcada may also be compensated. Profession specific training or practical training 2 must contain profession specific work.

If you are not sure whether your work tasks can be considered as work practice please contact your degree program director, Rizwan Ullah.

The work practice is is graded as passed/not passed.

If you are being paid a salary during your work placement you are in a regular employment relationship and in this case a practical training agreement is not compulsory. After the work practice period you must hand in a work certificate as mentioned below.

If you do not have a salary during your placement period you should have a practical placement contract (see itslearning) signed by the employer, by you and by the degree programme director before you start the placement.

After the work practice period you shall hand in the work certificate and a practical training report. The report and the work certificate shall be uploaded in itsLearning. Please use a work certificate provided by the employer/practical training place when possible. When not possible please ask the employer to fill in and sign Arcada’s template of the work certificate. If you use Arcada’s template, please attach a copy of your work contract with the certificate.

Where to look for practical training:
 

As a student, you are responsible for finding your own work practice position. In Arcada you can get assistance from teachers about companies. General tips on CV / cover letter writing and networking support can be acquired from Arcada Career Center. 

Also take a look at engineering related companies.
https://sway.cloud.microsoft/Om6Gc6uS0lu3oFtr External link 

It is generally challenging to get an offer for internship from bigger companies, so target startups. 

Register for Practical training in Sisu

1. You should register in SISU for a course called Practical training 1/2 or Praktik 1/2. You will be automatically accepted in this course (teacher’s acceptance is not needed). 
2. After step#1, you shall see the same course (as above) in Itslearning where you can find instructions about practical training , place for submission and if you need work certificate template documents etc. 
 

When you are about to submit to Itslearning: 

Take care of following when you are about to submit to Itslearning. 

1. Practical training report (1200 words, ~4-5 pages) should include at least the following aspects:
   • Use Arcada template (add table of contents)
   • Description of the practical training place (place, duration)
   • Reflect on how you secured this workplace / what worked e.g?
   • Job description with examples
   • Self-evaluation on the training period with examples
   • Add references
2. The work certificate must be signed by the practical training place/employer and include the following information:
   • Practical training period (dates) and amount of working hours per week
   • Work tasks
   • The amount of completed hours has to be mentioned if it is a part time job
3. Company Profile: Provide a credible online presence for the company you worked for, such as its official website, LinkedIn page, or other professional profiles.
4. Supervisor Profiles: Share links to your supervisors' professional accounts, such as their LinkedIn profiles, to verify their credentials.