As autumn approaches, it is once again time to say goodbye to many of our summer employees as they return to their studies and everyday routines. Fortunately, some of those who join us for the summer continue their journey with us beyond the summer months.

Production Assistant Tommi and Sustainability Analyst Noel both started their careers at KATKO as summer employees and have remained part of our team ever since. How have their roles changed since their first summer? What have they learned during their time at KATKO, and what has inspired them to continue their careers with us?

Tommi – From Production to the Office

Tommi joined KATKO in spring 2025 as an assembler in the Isoturva department. After the summer, he continued working at KATKO alongside his studies. Later that year, he moved from production to the office, taking on the role of Production Assistant, where he continues to work today.

As a Production Assistant, Tommi takes care of various day-to-day production tasks, such as creating laser markings and packaging labels and maintaining data. He has also been responsible for creating standardized digital work instructions for the entire production organization. This work will also form part of his upcoming thesis.

Tommi is in his fourth year of studying Electrical and Automation Engineering at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, majoring in Electrical Power Engineering. Before beginning his engineering studies, he completed a vocational qualification in Electrical Engineering and Automation Technology. According to Tommi, combining work and studies has been straightforward, with no scheduling conflicts between the two.

"My work at KATKO has been very diverse, and I have gained a good understanding of different engineering roles in both production and office environments," he says of what he has learned.

The positive work atmosphere and varied responsibilities have made his working days enjoyable. They have also contributed to Tommi's desire to continue his career at KATKO and complete his thesis for the company this coming autumn.

"In my opinion, the work atmosphere is excellent. It's nice to come to work every day, and no two working days are the same."

Noel – From Trainee to Sustainability Analyst

Noel joined KATKO's product development team in spring 2025 as an LCA Analyst Trainee, with his work initially focusing primarily on conducting life cycle assessments. As his employment continued beyond the summer, his responsibilities gradually expanded. Today, Noel works as a Sustainability Analyst, with responsibilities including preparing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Byggvarubedömningen assessments. His role also involves responding to customer information requests related to sustainable business practices.

Noel graduated this summer with a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and will start his Master's studies in Economics at the University of Helsinki this autumn. His studies in Economics have provided him with a strong analytical foundation, which he has been able to apply and further develop in his work.

Working with sustainability topics at KATKO has, in turn, given Noel the opportunity to examine environmental issues as part of a broader economic context. For example, he has seen how EPDs can provide a competitive advantage in the market. His work has also inspired him to focus his studies more strongly on sustainability-related topics.

"This work has inspired me to explore competition based on the environmental performance of products in my studies, including in my Bachelor's thesis," Noel says.

His studies and work have therefore complemented each other in many ways. Noel also feels that combining work and studies at KATKO has been very easy. He describes KATKO's work environment as flexible and encouraging and emphasizes the value of having people with diverse expertise in the workplace.

"Having diverse educational backgrounds and areas of expertise within the same team brings new perspectives to collaboration and problem-solving."

This article is the final part of the Full Power – Summer at KATKO 2026 series. Throughout the series, we have shared our summer employees' experiences, insights and everyday life at KATKO. You can find the previous articles in the series in the News section of our website.