The Adult Education Centre is a great place for a job shadowing visit

Marianne Laakso, the course coordinator responsible for the Erasmus+ project at The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region, considers internationalization important for a liberal adult education institution, as it helps to understand multiculturalism better and develop staff language skills. Additional training is never harmful either.

– In this first Erasmus+ project of ours, we focus on training our full-time staff in EU countries and thereby networking. In the future, the plan is to send our staff on job shadowing periods and enable Erasmus+ for part-time teachers and students as well, Laakso says.

Learning by shadowing a professional

The Erasmus+ project, ongoing until November 2024, is the first of its kind for the institution, but there have already been numerous job shadowing visitors at the center. Job shadowing is a concept where a person observes and learns by shadowing a professional in their work for an agreed-upon period, usually about a week.

Laakso herself has participated in job shadowing in Jaén, Spain, in her previous workplace.

– Exchanging ideas and examining different ways of working with foreign colleagues can open up new perspectives on how something could be done differently and thus improves the functioning of one's own organization. I also think it's important to consider the definition and meanings of citizenship skills in different countries, Laakso explains.

All ages together

Paula Fiskaali, the language and immigrant education coordinating teacher, recommends The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region as a place for job shadowing because the center is a diverse learning environment where a lot is happening all the time. Learning is very informal and based on voluntariness rather than a curriculum.

– We have people of all ages studying together. People's socio-economic and cultural backgrounds are very diverse.

How does a Finn get scared?

Fiskaali recently hosted job shadowing visitors from Spain.

– The pedagogical reflections have been really rewarding. Teaching methods can vary greatly between different countries. For example, here we don't force students to answer questions and express opinions in front of the class against their will. If that were the case, Finnish students would probably disappear, Fiskaali laughs.

Fiskaali has also noticed that the support for learning is more advanced at the adult education centre compared to the foreign institutions. The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region even has its own service for learning, writing, and reading difficulties.

– We also aim to guide students forward so that they don't get left on their own. This is especially important for those who are illiterate. Such activities may not necessarily be available abroad.

Explore various roles

Marianne Laakso and Paula Fiskaali encourage those working in foreign educational institutions to boldly contact the Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region. A job shadowing visit or a general visit to the institution is always possible when the timing is agreed upon.

– We have dozens of people working in various roles. To participate in a job shadowing period, one doesn't need to be a teacher but can explore roles in leadership, education administration and planning, office work, customer service, janitor work, as well as communication and marketing.