AVE-project from the Imatra point of view

• Border town in the Eastern Finland

• 28 000 inhabitants• Biggest employers Imatra

City, Ovako Steel, Stora Enso

• Imatra rapids as the oldest travel destination in Finland– Catherine the great visited

Imatra in 1772

Why Imatra has been part of this project?

• Problem: people moving away from Imatra as there are not so many new jobs available.– Students moving away to study in a university

• What to do to stop this trend?• → New jobs has to be created within new industries, such as travel

industry and tourism• Saimaa university in Imatra offers degree studies in Tourism and

hospitality – co-operation between Imatra city, Imatran yhteiskoulu and Saimaa university within the field of tourism– Students of Imatra yhteislukio have a chance to study tourism and hospitality

in Saimaa University and get to know more about the job opportunities within the tourism field

What have we done?• Imatran yhteislukio students have attended various

courses at Saimaa University• Workshops together with Narva-Joesuu students in

Narva, Narva-Joesuu and Imatra• Study trip to Turkey

What have we gained from this project?

• We now have Travel and tourism course in Imatran yhteislukio– Every year 10-15 new students will be chosen to

study on the course– Co-operation with Saimaa University continues

• Students have been very positive about the course and have gained valuable knowledge of studying tourism and working on that field