Ouneva Group awarded as the 2025 Trainer Company of the Year
North Karelia Chamber of Commerce awarded the 2025 Trainer Company Award to Ouneva Group at its autumn meeting on 11/11/2025 in Kimmel, Joensuu. The award recognises our long-term and diverse work in developing expertise, cooperation with educational institutions, and promoting diversity. The award was received by Ouneva Group’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Riitta-Elina Räty, and HR Specialist, Mari Räty.
“We are extremely grateful for this recognition. It is wonderful to see that our long-term commitment to the wellbeing and development of our staff is paying off. Through collaboration with educational institutions, we have enabled students to gain insight into working life and increased the awareness of Ouneva Group. Educational institutions are also an excellent channel for recruiting new employees who have completed their qualifications. Our goal is to become the most attractive industrial workplace by 2030. By offering development opportunities for our staff and career paths for young professionals, we will continue to strengthen our attractiveness and commitment into the future,” commented Riitta-Elina Räty.
Chamber of Commerce’s grounds for the award
Ouneva Group has actively and consistently developed cooperation with educational institutions, for example by participating in audits organised by different sectors, work-life forums, career days aimed at students, and school visits where they have presented the company’s operations, internship opportunities, and jobs. As a family business, they have also opened their doors to students, offering them opportunities to visit the company’s various production facilities.
Ouneva Group provides exemplary training for its own staff, for example through apprenticeship contracts and various commercial training programmes. The company also offers open university studies free of charge to its own employees.
The company cooperates with international training programmes of educational institutions and has open-mindedly offered on-the-job learning and internship placements to international students as well. Furthermore, Ouneva Group has built a diverse working community with an open mind and oriented its staff, for example, to identify and offer tailored job opportunities to young people with partial work ability.
Ouneva Group has made itself one of the most desirable internship places in the region by being proactive and offering students, for example, paid internships and summer job opportunities. The company also actively employs students who have graduated from vocational education programmes.
The award is recognition for cooperation with educational institutions
The Trainer Company Award is granted annually to a company that has promoted cooperation between companies and educational institutions in the North Karelia region, developed the skills of its staff, and offered students opportunities for work-based learning. The award encourages companies to provide and pursue training, as well as to bring their expertise to educational institutions.