Skills shortage in chemical engineering sparks career changes in Kokkola and Ostrobothnia

Each year, 15 to 20 chemical engineering specialists graduate from Kokkola, a city renowned for its chemical industry. This number is insufficient to meet the demands of the region’s 80 large enterprises. For example, Boliden’s zinc plant has relied heavily on career changers for quite some time, raising concerns about sourcing these workers as education funding is cut.

Ari Heikkilä, a 55-year-old from Kokkola, successfully switched careers after a long tenure in postal service. After realizing that the volume of letter mail had been declining for two decades, he decided to change professions to remain employed until retirement. He studied to become a process operator and landed a job at Tetra Chemicals, adapting to a new work environment.

Employers express serious concerns over cuts to vocational training in the region, as Kokkolan’s cuts threaten to eliminate hundreds of spots for adult learners and career changers. Adult education support was already terminated in August, leading to a drop in applicant numbers for this fall’s admissions.

Laura Laakso, a 40-year-old furniture designer from Kristinestad, experienced burnout after nine years selling and designing kitchens. She then pursued studies in media and is now an entrepreneur. Although her livelihood has been challenging, she values her career change. She hopes for more versatility and flexibility in professional life and education, criticizing societal norms that categorically segregate people’s professions.

According to the chemical industry, there is an escalating skills shortage, particularly if planned investments in Ostrobothnia proceed. This could necessitate recruiting workforce from abroad, warned Lotta Brännskär, an education chief in the Central Ostrobothnia welfare area.