Omnia Vocational School

Discover more about this project's partner

Omnia is a Finnish vocational school that provide various degrees ranging from nursing to woodcrafting/product manufacturing. I have been called to be a part of MOSAIC to represent the knowledge of carpentry/wood product manufacturing from a Finnish vocational education perspective. I hope to provide input into 3D design, CNC and general usage and manufacturing of wooden products.

Our goal in the project is to help our students establish “training companies” and real companies as part of their studies.

Our aim is to offer tools for our student as close to practice as possible for starting a business in the wood and jewelry industry.

Our goal is to help our students to understand:

  • what is entrepreneurial work?
  • clear goals/profitability
  • different forms of enterprise (private trader, limited liability company, light entrepreneurship marketing and communication
  • protect your ideas (patent, trade mark, domain)
  • financial management
  • YEL pension insurance/other insurances
  • Value-added tax, VAT

Team members

Aleksi Vihunen

Teacher

6+ years experience in teaching, social media communications and marketing.

Elina Kollanus

Project manager on behalf of Omnia

25 years’ experience from the education field, as a teacher and international coordinator, 13 years’ experience from international projects, mainly mobility projects and smaller scale development projects.

Juhani Horelli

Furniture making teacher; key development person in the WP4

Teacher of woodcrafting and manufacturing for nearly 10 years at Omnia. Skills in 3D drawing (Rhinoceros 3D and CNC-Bsuite). Masters degree on environmental economics, master of woodcrafting. Various experiences in living abroad with good English skills.

Esko Lius

Key Expert on Digital Learning, Project Manager

Esko Lius is a Key Expert on Digital Learning at Omnia, one of Finland’s premier multisectoral education providers. With over fourteen years of experience, Esko has made significant contributions in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), facilitating digital transformation and pioneering new pedagogic strategies both in Finland and internationally.

Esko’s work encompasses organizational development at the strategy level, and he is equally committed to practical training of trainers. His expertise lies in seamlessly bridging the gap between strategic vision and on-the-ground implementation.

Currently, Esko is at the helm of the DigiTally project, an innovative initiative aimed at fostering peer collaboration and assessment within hybrid learning environments in secondary and tertiary professional education. DigiTally is at the forefront of creating hybrid makerspace learning environments, facilitating dynamic collaboration between educational organizations and the working world.

In addition to his hands-on project work, Esko is a recognized expert in international projects and has successfully led a component of an EU Twinning project. He is also a sought-after speaker in EdTech conferences, where he shares his insights and knowledge with educators and tech enthusiasts worldwide.

Kusti Kaukoniemi

Pedagogical Expert in digital pedagogy

Kusti Kaukoniemi is a dedicated professional specializing in digital pedagogy. With a background in project management, he has successfully led transformative projects funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture, with a substantial funding of around 1M€. These projects have resulted in the development of innovative digital learning materials, bringing advancements to the field of education.

In his role as a pedagogical expert at Omnia, he empowers teachers by providing guidance on the effective utilization of various learning platforms, facilitating the integration of technology into the classroom.

He has also contributed significantly to the implementation of gamification techniques in education, making learning more engaging and enjoyable for students.

Additionally, he excels in creating compelling learning videos and has shared his expertise with teachers, assisting them in crafting informative and captivating content.

Through his commitment to digital pedagogy, Kusti continues to make a positive impact on the future of education, inspiring educators and students to embrace the potential of technology as a valuable learning tool.

Leena Wiikari

Art teacher

I’m an art teacher and textile artist and I work as a team leader in the visual arts and design department at Omnia. I’m keen on collaborating with other educational institutions and ensuring my students have opportunities for further studies.

Mona Olander

Teacher. Member of the Mosaic quality assessment team

Teacher of Artisan, wood. with 12 yrs experience. Previous experience as Customer service manager GE Lighting. Currently also member of the Working life committee at the finnish Ministry of education, with focus on quality.

Piia Rossi

Art teacher

As an art teacher in vocational education, I specialize in fine art printmaking, watercolour painting and public art. I am also a practising artist, focusing on materials-based, participatory, and installation-based arts. I am interested in collaborations with other schools that provide vocational art education and explore new avenues of creativity.

Jonna Haltia

Teacher (entrepreneurship)

Special Needs Teacher, Tampere University of Applied Sciences 2022. Master of Science Agric. and Forestry, University of Helsinki 2010. Techer’s pedagogigal qualification HAMK University of Applied sciences 2008. Bachelor of Hospitality Management, Haaga Institute, Helsinki 2000. Joined Omnia, in 2007 and has been working as a vocational teacher in business, catering and nursery departments in Omnia. In recent years, I have focused on teaching entrepreneurship. Has over 20 years of experience in small businesses especially in food and service industry, founded a cooperative society Osuuskunta Työ ja myö 2012 with six other members. Company’s mission is to offer house hold services and at the same time support especially immigrants’ employment conditions.