Last year marked the 120th anniversary of Valio’s founding. To celebrate the milestone, the company is investing €120,000 to increase the number of Master’s thesis positions, internships, and summer jobs for higher education students in the food sector. The funding has been allocated to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Helsinki.
Since its inception, Valio’s success has been built on strong research and product development as well as an international outlook. This legacy is reflected in the company’s latest investment, which supports the future of the food industry. Through the initiative, Valio aims to strengthen the link between university studies and working life, helping graduates transition more smoothly into their careers.
“The importance of first work experiences is often highlighted in young people’s career stories. Early jobs offer the food industry a valuable opportunity to attract the experts it needs. We want to build a strong bridge between academia and business. At the same time, we gain fresh perspectives and access to the latest research from young professionals at the start of their careers,” says Katja Lindholm, HR Director at Valio.
The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry welcomes the initiative.
“This funding is extremely important to us, and we are delighted that Valio recognises the need to support the transition of food professionals into working life. The funding directly supports the development of our career path model as part of students’ studies. Supporting career development is vital for students and will undoubtedly enhance the attractiveness of our education,” says Mari Sandell, Dean of the Faculty.
The investment marks the beginning of close cooperation between Valio and the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The partnership will focus on information exchange and joint planning to ensure that Master’s thesis positions, internships, and summer jobs best support students’ studies and professional development.
Part of the funding will be directed to two new master’s programmes at the University of Helsinki: one focusing on food and forest technologies, and the other on food business and gastronomy. Graduates from these programmes will contribute to developing innovative plant-based products and promoting Finnish food internationally.
“In our view, Finland’s role as a food-producing and food expertise country will become increasingly important as climate change, political developments, and other global factors reshape food production,” Lindholm says.
