Train2Sustain LTT activity in Omnia, Espoo

Omnia hosted the fourth LTT activity of the Train2Sustain project in hybrid mode in Espoo, Finland on 15.-17.11.2022.

Partners from Vaasa, Denmark and Portugal gathered in Espoo for three days to discuss and work on the themes of sustainability and circular economy. Our Austrian partner couldn’t make it to Finland but participated online.

The days included workshops, presentations as well as finalising and testing the produced material. The workshops included getting inside the 360˚ environments and amending the hotspots therein and updating all other created materials as seen appropriate. A great deal of effort was put on designing and planning the piloting event to take place in January 2023.

Sustainable gastronomy

We had an opportunity to get to experience sustainable gastronomy first hand while visiting the Restaurant Nolla (Zero). Their aim is to minimise the amount of waste they produce with everyday actions that follow their sustainable values and waste-free ideology. They say about their approach: ”Our approach to sustainability goes beyond the basics like food packaging and plastic. We have thought of every little detail, from our clothing to our energy consumption.”

Circular economy in the working life of the future

Leading specialist Laura Järvinen from the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra gave a thought provoking and intriguing presentation about the research that has been made in Finland by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra concerning the circular economy and its implementation in the working life of the future.

As a conclusion of her presentation she gave a list of impacts the circular economy is predicted to have on skills:

Chemical, construction and technology sectors are undergoing rapid changes that are reflected in the skills required of employees
Job titles are expected to remain largely the same, but their content will alter
Employees will have a broader range of duties and teams that combine diverse competencies
Co-operation between different parties increasingly common
Basic competencies of each industry complemented by task-specific circular economy skills acquired through learning on the job or supplementary training

Sustainability in VET organisation, the Omnia approach

Quality manager Satu Gripenberg and Planner for sustainability and quality Sonja Jurmu gave an insight on Omnia’s strategy and in the different steps and actions Omnia has made on the way to be sustainable and responsible VET provider. These actions include, among others, applying for and having been granted the OKKA Foundation’s Sustainable Development Certificate and EcoCompass Certificate.

Each year, Omnia promotes the following UN themes for sustainable development:

Carbon-neutral Omnia, cross-cutting theme for 2021
Omnia promoting human dignity, cross-cutting theme for 2022
Omnia’s circular economy, cross-cutting theme for 2023
Smart and resource-wise Omnia, cross-cutting theme for 2024

All in all, we had a hard-working and fruitful meeting with a lot of food for thought. Next time we’ll meet in Graz, Austria for the piloting event of our products.

See you in January 2023!

The author: