Over the years, the collaboration between SOK and Academic Work has evolved from individual recruitment cases into a strategic partnership. At the heart of this cooperation are people—their diverse backgrounds, personalities, enthusiasm, and capacity to learn.
Academic Work Academy program, designed to reskill motivated career changers to meet SOK’s specific needs, has opened a completely new way to build sustainable in-house expertise.
But how does this play out in practice? How well do career changers integrate into teams, and what kind of added value do they bring?
Eevi-Inkeri Forsman, Tech Lead, Data Engineering at SOK, shares how the partnership with Academic Work has enriched the organization’s IT expertise and brought renewed energy to their teams.
“Industry-ready in just 12 weeks”
What has impressed SOK most is the efficiency of the tailored Academy training. In just 12 weeks, participants acquire all the essential knowledge needed to start working as Junior Data Engineers – covering tools like SQL, reporting, and cloud services.
“The training has been exceptionally well targeted to our needs. Participants have learned exactly the skills required for success at SOK,” Forsman notes.
Career switching is becoming more common, and the ability to train new talent quickly is critical—especially when a five-year degree isn’t a realistic option.
Junior Data Engineers who joined SOK came from a wide range of backgrounds: classroom teachers, dockworkers, and professionals from the security sector. What unites them is a strong motivation and genuine interest in the IT field.
Fresh energy fuels team development
The energy and enthusiasm these early career professionals bring has had a strong and positive impact across SOK’s teams. Their curiosity challenges norms and introduces fresh perspectives into development work.
“The enthusiasm from junior-level talent is contagious. It inspires even our more experienced colleagues to reassess their roles,” Forsman explains.
“They don’t take things for granted. They ask why are we doing it this way and could we do it differently?”
SOK has recognized the value that career changers contribute in today’s evolving workplace.
“When someone comes in with prior work experience, regardless of the industry, they’re often more confident taking on new responsibilities and growing their skill set.”
Individual paths, long-term growth
Academy graduates have thrived in their roles. Many have advanced professionally, and some are even considering further studies in IT.
“For example, one participant started as a Data Engineer but transitioned into an Agile Master role leveraging their previous experience in team dynamics and problem-solving. These paths show how versatile and impactful this collaboration can be,” Forsman shares.
A partnership with proven, future-ready results
Thanks to this partnership, SOK has onboarded skilled and motivated junior professionals who’ve integrated seamlessly into the company culture. The onboarding support provided by Academic Work has been essential, making it an ideal way to rapidly strengthen growing teams.
“Beyond great talent, we’ve received valuable coaching and support from Academic Work on how to guide these new professionals in their careers,” Forsman adds.
“This is definitely a collaboration we’ll continue. When we need new talent, we know where to find them.”
This partnership between SOK and Academic Work proves how focused training and strong motivation can successfully bring career changers and companies together. People are the key to success, and this collaboration is a standout example of that principle in action.