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 time of 1st - 4th year of your studies. You will begin with introductory work/practical training 1, followed by profession-specific work/practical training 2.

Credits & Duration

• Each Practical Training (1 and 2) is worth 15 ECTS credits.
• This equals 12 weeks of full-time work, or 400 hours total.
• You earn 1.5 ECTS per week of full-time work.
• A full-time work week is 37.5–40 hours, just like a regular employee.

 Timing & Location

• You can complete your training at any point during your studies (e.g., summer or based on your study/life schedule).
• It can be done in Finland or abroad.

Purpose of Practical Training

• The training should help you gain real-life work experience related to your degree.
• It can include:
  • Engineering tasks
  • Sustainability-related work
  • Managerial or economic work in engineering contexts
• Training 1 gives you a basic introduction to working life.
• Previous engineering-related work experience before joining Arcada may be accepted as Training 1 (case-by-case).

Profession-Specific Training (Important!)

• Practical Training 2 must always include profession-specific tasks — meaning work related to your MSE (Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering) studies.
• This includes:
  • Engineering work in any industry
  • Sustainability-focused roles
• In your Training 2 report, you must explain how you used what you learned in your degree during the training.

If You Do Your Training Outside Finland:

If you complete either training (1 or 2) outside Finland, then both must be profession-specific.

• If Training 1 is done in Finland, it can be any type of job (not necessarily related to MSE).
• Training 2 must always be profession-specific, regardless of location.

Paid or Unpaid Placement

• If you are paid:
  → You are in a normal employment relationship.
  → No training agreement is needed.
• If you are not paid:
  → You must get a training contract signed by:
  • You, Your employer, Your degree programme director (Rizwan Ullah)
    → The contract must be signed before you start. (Find the form on ItsLearning.)

After the Training

Upload these documents to ItsLearning:

• Training contract (if you weren’t paid)
• Work certificate from your employer

• Practical Training report

  If the employer can't provide a certificate, ask them to fill Arcada’s template and attach a copy of your work contract.

The work certificate must show:

• Total working hours
• Tasks performed during the placement

 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  

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

Register for Practical training in Sisu

When you have finished practical training, you may want to earn the credits by following steps:

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 example tasks (be specific about it)
   • Self-evaluation on the training period with examples
   • Add references
   • A report with basic grammar or formatting errors will be returned, so proof read it properly
   • Company Profile: Provide a credible online presence of the company you worked for, such as its official website, LinkedIn page, or other professional profiles.
   • Supervisor Profiles: Share links to your supervisors' professional accounts, such as their LinkedIn profiles, to verify their credentials.
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