Factory site visit and other highlights of the summer

My name is Roosa Similä and I work as a QEHS Summer Trainee at the Helsinki headquarters. I am originally from the city of Imatra in Finland, and I moved to Espoo in 2018 when I started my studies in Chemical Engineering at Aalto University. I have completed my Bachelor’s degree and I am now in the middle of my Master’s studies. I have spent my summers in board mills working as a process operator and a shift supervisor between the academic years and through those tasks I have gained experience on quality and workplace safety which are the topics that I work on today.

Sustainability is a top priority for me; therefore, it was a natural choice for me to apply to Metso Outotec since the company has a clear focus on that value. In addition, I noticed that the company has many opportunities in every field for students to grow as professionals in a global working environment.

My work consists of a major documentation project which includes process modeling, training material creation, visualization and storing. During the summer I had the opportunity to participate in quality assurance process development as well as taking it under control in the global document management system. In relation to this project, I got a chance to visit one factory in Šiauliai, Lithuania!

In Šiauliai we were implementing the quality process and organizing the documentation work for the project. It was interesting for me to observe the Rubber and Polymet processes in action, and how the management system was carried out in daily routines. Additionally, I learned a lot about the improvement areas related to safety and environment.

It was especially nice to meet members of our global QEHS team in person! Everyone was so welcoming and gladly introduced the factory to me. Overall, the visit was eye-opening, and I gained some practical understanding of the processes along the way.

On the way home, we had some time to visit the Hill of Crosses – hundreds of thousands of crosses placed on a hill in northern Lithuania. The origin of the hill remains a mystery, however, the first written mention of crosses is from 1850! The hill is truly unique, as the same kind of experience cannot be found anywhere else and it is absolutely worth a visit!

In addition to the factory visit, one of the best parts of the summer has been meeting with many professionals and other summer trainees. I have enjoyed hearing career stories in our summer trainee days, as well as coffee breaks, both of which have been very inspiring! Also, the onboarding was carried out very nicely and I have felt welcomed from day one. Another valuable part for me has been the educational experience that comes with my tasks, and this serves as a starting point for future challenges.

I only have positive experiences working here and I can highly recommend Metso Outotec for everyone who is considering working with us!