Gee is the first Talent
Enthusiastic, energetic, productive, organized and cooperative – is that you? This is how food giant Nestlé, which also operates in Turku, looked for a student in their field to join them and grow along with the studies. The Talent programme provides the student with a summer job and many opportunities straight away.
Text and photo: Anne Lehikoinen, translation: Elli Sillanpää
Nestlé Talent @ TURKU AMK is a part of Nestlé Finland's Nordic Career Readiness Program which, from now on, will every year provide one 1st year student from TUAS an opportunity to start building their career at Nestlé already during the studies.
A pilot student from the degree programme in Chemical Engineering has been found. This spring the first Talent was selected among the students in Chemical and Materials Engineering and he is Gemb Nushi, who has just moved to Turku from Vaasa.
“I’m very excited about this”, says Gemb. People call him Gee. “This is an awesome opportunity.”
“I genuinely feel like the world is my oyster. I want to be a good link between TUAS and Nestlé from the very beginning. I have already visited Nestlé a couple of times and will start in June in production tasks.”
Gee says he’s a team player. During the years, floorball, football and ice hockey have taught him to take others into account, be a link in the chain. Nowadays he works weekends alongside the studies and has just gotten married. Life is good and it’s great to have some new challenges in the summer.
“Everything has gone superbly”, say Key Account Manager Marianne Renvall and Head of Education and Research Anne Norström from TUAS. “This kind of result-oriented cooperation between a company, TUAS’ Services for Business and education is great”, Norström emphasises.
Lecturer Mikko Niskanen took care of the recruitment process at TUAS and based on it, recommended students for Nestlé. Nestlé made the final selection based on the recommendations.
Nestlé is a partnership company of TUAS. HR Manager Kaisa Halme has been the active contact person at Nestlé. She says that the Turku factory manufactures e.g. children’s foods Bona and Piltti. The Turku factory employs over 100 people and half of its production is exported.
Start with the summer job, then we’ll see
Gemb Nushi came to Finland from Kosovo as a toddler and has since learned the language and culture like any other Finn. He has completed an electrician’s training and studied electrical engineering in Vaasa, and last autumn he started his Chemical and Materials Engineering studies in Turku.
Gee believes that during his studies, he can pass on project topics to other students as well. The programme lasts four years – or until graduation – and the aim is a career with Nestlé after the studies.
Now, during the studies, the first Talent will mainly be working at the children’s food factory in Turku, but a part of the programme can be completed in other Nestlé locations either in Finland or abroad. And there are plenty of other locations, as Nestlé operates in 150 countries. The number of own factories is 468 and they are located in 86 countries. The world indeed seems to be Gee’s oyster.
The Nestlé company culture
“At Nestlé, we focus on results and teamwork instead of positions and hierarchy”, Kaisa Halme says.
“We are open and urge into challenging our methods of operation. For this reason, too, it’s important that from now on, we will every year get a young person at the beginning of the studies; one who naturally questions and challenges our methods of operation. That is how we can evolve, in cooperation”, Halme adds.
