Students Assi Sipola and Julia Häkkinen spent their spring and summer as university trainees in communications at the National Police Board. In this blog, Assi and Julia tell what their traineeship included and their takeaways for the future.
Feelings at the start of traineeship
Assi:
Soon after having been interviewed, I learnt that I’d been given an traineeship. I remember how happy I was when I found out. The interview also left me with a good feeling, and I felt that my skills and previous experience were appreciated. I started my traineeship in the beginning of April. I live in Tampere and so took the train to Pasila, from where took a bus to Espoo. There was a terrible blizzard on the day I started and so all the trains were late, including mine. It was annoying to be late on the first day, but to my delight my supervisor was understanding and happy to meet me.
On the first day, I was shown around the building and introduced to the basics. I was given tools and my own office. I attended the first meetings remotely and was able to meet my colleagues via video. During the first weeks, I was given an extensive introduction to the values, operations and communications of the police.
Some of the inductions were online courses, some were trainings and others were one-on-one meetings. Information came one step at a time, and there was plenty of time to study it. Each team member introduced me to their own tasks. This gave me a clear picture of what the National Police Board's communications consist of. I was also able to try my hand at very different tasks and extensively develop my own skills.
Julia:
I received the good news in the early spring that I’d been given an traineeship in communications at the National Police Board. The news was the start of eager expectation and preparation for training at the beginning of summer. Before the traineeship began, it was time to complete a security clearance, among other things.
I’d applied to the National Police Board because I was interested in the diverse communication tasks available in the traineeship. These would give me a chance for self-development and to learn new things as well as to work in a nationally relevant organisation. In summer, this all became a reality.
The first day already included a lot of new information and a tour of the office. And already on the second day of my traineeship, I was able to join in the annual communications network days held in Helsinki. There I got to meet communication specialists working for the police. At the event, we were able to hear and follow the experiences and example of seasoned professionals. The traineeship enabled me to get into communications right away.
The first weeks included proper induction, as I was able to learn about the responsibilities of the professionals working in the communications team and participate in trainings. Initially, there were new systems and vocabulary to learn. The training was also up-to-date and, for example, the possibilities of artificial intelligence were discussed. Already at the beginning of the traineeship, it became clear that working in the police is meticulous, as it is an authority responsible for internal security. This had to be taken into account in our own activities.
The National Police Board provided trainees with their own room, which they could access whenever they came to work at the office. Working remotely was flexible. People needed to come to the office a certain number of times a month, and the rest could be done freely as you wished, either remotely or at the office.
What was it like at the National Police Board?
Assi:
My traineeship at the National Police Board was a good experience. I liked the fact that the traineeship allowed me to do a wide variety of tasks ranging from internal communications to external communications. My tasks included writing news and press releases, social media content production, website building and planning and implementing communications for the Crisis Management NOW Expo. I was also given the job of setting up a network for university trainees in communications. Since most of the trainees only started in the summer, I regret not being able to attend many meetings before the end of my traineeship.
I feel that the National Police Board takes good care of the wellbeing of its employees. During the three-month traineeship, a communications recreation day was organised as well as joint recreation days for the entire National Police Board. I was warmly welcomed to both. Recreation days were one of the best experiences of my traineeship, as I got to know my colleagues outside of work. I also got to know other National Police Board employees from outside my department. Even though I was a trainee, I felt like an equal team member.
The National Police Board also offers excellent occupational healthcare, sports benefits, flexible working hours and the possibility to work remotely. Unfortunately, due to illness in the spring, I had to make use of occupational healthcare, and in addition to quick access to a doctor, I also received good treatment. The exercise benefit encourages regular exercise, which in turn increases coping at work. Flexible working hours take into account different life situations and make it easier to combine work with studies, for example. The possibility of working remotely was especially important to me and made this traineeship possible for me. In my opinion, taking care of the wellbeing of employees is particularly important for the police, because the work sometimes also deals with difficult and stressful topics.
Working for the National Police Board felt meaningful, and I’m glad that I had the chance to experience this traineeship. I learnt a lot not only about communications but also about the police organisation. During my traineeship, I met more motivated employees who excelled at their work and were proud of what they do. The working environment was inspiring and I was able to talk to very different people whose careers I admire. After my traineeship, I can say that the safety and security of citizens is in good hands!
Julia:
The work community at the National Police Board was welcoming and warm. Despite the possibility of working remotely, I was also able to get to know the specialists in the communications team and the work community on site at the office. This was done by weekly joint remote meetings and agreed joint days at the office. The working weeks followed a rhythm where there were several weekly meetings with different configurations. Regular meetings made sure that everyone was up to date on what was happening and what everyone was doing. Meetings and contacts were also held with communication specialists from police departments, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Police University College, so the traineeship provided an insight into the activities of many communications teams.
Despite the responsibility given, there was no fear of being left on your own with anything at National Police Board. Members of the communications team always emphasised the low threshold to contact them and ask what springs to mind. That was also true.
The summer included a variety of tasks. The National Police Board provided a chance to carry out external and internal communications as well as current affairs. These included, for example, press releases, social media publications, intranet news and website updates. The police's social media channels are followed by many people, so posting there is both responsible and meaningful. Likewise, communication in other channels is important. The press releases became news in various media, so the National Police Board was able to influence what is being discussed. The National Police Board has been able to communicate about significant issues, such as investment scams, the safety of schoolchildren on their way to and from school and not being drunk in traffic. I was also involved in organising a background information event for the media. In addition, I took part in communication about the annual Police Day. Effective communication is of great importance, as it helps to maintain trust in the police, for example.
It's important for police communication to be accessible so that everyone receives the same information. The National Police Board takes accessibility into account in its communications in various ways, be it websites or social media postings, for example. This could be seen, for example, in the creation of alternative texts for images. The National Police Board also ensures that communications are carried out not only in Finnish but also in Swedish and English. This makes language skills useful.
One of the themes in the police this year has been the update of values. I myself was able to participate in this work, being involved in the discussions to determine the values of the police. The previous values in the police were customer service, fairness, professionalism and staff welfare, to which everyone working at the National Police Board and in different police departments is committed. Since the police are an important part of Finnish society, it has also been important to get information about the updated values of the police from citizens at Police Day events and from other stakeholders.
I was given a suitable amount of responsibility. For example, for a while I was solely responsible for the intranet, i.e. the internal media channel used by the National Police Board. In addition to responsibility, there was also freedom of, for example, being able to determine your own working hours. This meant that work could start a little earlier or later, as there were no exact start and end times for working days. Similarly, the wellbeing of employees was taken care of, as a certain amount of exercise was allowed during working hours.
During the traineeship, I also got to hear more about career opportunities in the police and also get to know university trainees outside the communications departments. In addition, peer support was given during the summer from university communications trainees working in police departments. During the summer, each week everyone doing university communications traineeships in the police met up to exchange news, and there was also an opportunity to ask questions and advise each other. Since the communications tasks at the National Police Board and police departments differed somewhat, it was valuable to share experiences and information with others.
What were the takeaways from the traineeship for the future?
Assi:
The traineeship strengthened my thoughts about my own competence and that I am ready for working life. I had the chance to do a wide range of communications tasks, which helped me understand what kind of work I would like to do going forward. I left with a lot of good memories and experiences, as well as valuable work experience when looking for a job. I can recommend a university traineeship at the National Police Board!
Julia:
My time as a trainee at the National Police Board has flown by, and it is hard to believe that now after months it’s at an end.
This traineeship and summer have been very rewarding and educational. I have been able to develop as a communicator and gained experience of working for a government sector employer. This summer's experience in communications has cleared my thoughts as to the kind of work I would like to do going forward.
I can warmly recommend joining the National Police Board as a university trainee. The National Police Board has university trainees from several fields in various positions, so there are a wide range of opportunities available. Vacancies in the police can be found on the valtiolle.fi website.
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