Takk launches two fast-track routes to steer 308 unemployed recent graduates into TAMK

Some 308 recent high-school graduates in the Tampere region are currently registered as unemployed. Region-wide, 3,837 people whose highest qualification is the matriculation exam are jobseekers, and 2,545 of them are unemployed, Aamulehti reported.

To help those young people, Tampere Adult Education Centre (Takk) is launching two accelerated training pathways designed to lead to vocational qualifications and quicker entry to Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), in some cases without entrance exams.

The first offering is a Fast Track to Higher Education business qualification (merkonomi — a Finnish commercial clerk qualification). It can be completed in eight months and includes opportunities to improve high-school grades so students can apply to universities of applied sciences on the basis of certificates.

The second route combines practical nurse training at Takk with pathway studies for TAMK’s nursing degree, allowing students who meet set criteria to continue to TAMK without taking an entrance exam. Janne Haikansalo, Takk’s director of services, said the programmes aim to strengthen vocational skills while lowering barriers to higher education. Taina Hieta-aro, head of business education, said many young people drift into gap years or unemployment after high school, and Mari Kuivamäki, head of social and health education, added that the combined practical nurse route can secure a seat in TAMK’s nursing programme once requirements are fulfilled.