From a summer employee to a foreman

Riku Palo was given summer work at Tapojärvi and is now developing mining operations in full-time employment in his home district of Sodankylä

“Tapojärvi is an interesting place to work and an honest employer. They always pay the right salary and always on time. It is also safe to work here, because safety is a matter that gets great attention and much effort is being made to improve safety. If you do your job well, there’s plenty of work available. At Tapojärvi there are always job opportunities available for good workers”, tells Riku Palo, a mechanical engineering student from Sodankylä.

Riku Palo has been working during the summertime at Tapojärvi since the summer of 2018.

“In the summer of 2018, I was able to drive a mine truck at Kemi Mine in summer, but now I work as a foreman at the Kevitsa Mine, while at the same time completing my thesis. It’s great that I get to work close to home and can develop the mining operations at Tapojärvi from here.”

Riku Palo graduated from a vocational college with a diploma in business and administration, but he was interested in working with heavy goods vehicles. He applied for further studies in Oulu and is currently studying mechanical engineering.

“When I arrived at Tapojärvi, I received perfect instruction from my supervisor, Tervo Aria, for these tasks. The Kisälli master apprentice model is a functional model for induction. I have learned from experts and have been fully instructed in the job. They also have a great atmosphere here!”

Riku Palo tells that there are great differences in the sector depending on the site. There are considerable differences between the sites of Tapojärvi in the Kemi Mine and in Sodankylä.

“I feel very fortunate that I have been allowed to be a mine truck operator on a large site, and now I am a foreman on a small site, where I been involved in many different tasks. This is a huge lesson for me. Here we have to really think about things and we are continuously given responsibility, if you are prepared to take it on. With time and hard work, the sky is the limit!”

In addition to his work, the young foreman is also responsible for coordinating occupational safety tasks and is part of the communications team at Tapojärvi. He works week-on-week-off shifts and on his free week, he works on his thesis that focuses on the hourly and location monitoring of work equipment.

The thesis monitors the operating hours, age, and maintenance of the equipment according to diesel hours. 

“I will try to complete the thesis by June, and the goal is to apply its best researched applications to other Tapojärvi sites as well.”

A family business that feels like your own

The young man speaks passionately about his work. He wants to give a few tips to for this summer’s job seekers, those who are interested in working in the circular economy and in the mining and plant industries at Tapojärvi. The first tip is making the call.

“Contact us, be active and do things. Don’t be afraid to call or contact us.

The second tip is about the employee’s characteristics.

“It’s what I call the three-A principle, i.e. Attitude, Assiduity, and Aptitude. Attitudes are determining, assiduity and hard work makes aptitude grow all the time.

And how does Riku Palo see his own future at Tapojärvi?

“Yes, I would like to continue working at Tapojärvi. It is a company that suits me perfectly. In fact, I always refer to the company as ‘us’. It’s a bit like it were my company or my own site, but that is actually the case. This is something I take care of as if it were my own. In Kevitsa, we have our own group, our own tools, and our own team. I hope these factors will also be reflected in our results.