Team Finland aims for success in EuroSkills Herning 2025
Finland's skills team consists of 18 top professionals in their respective fields. They will compete against other European professionals this autumn in Denmark at the EuroSkills Herning 2025 competition.
Team Finland 2025. Photo: Skills Finland / Susanna Junnola.
In vocational skills competitions, competitors from various professions face each other in tasks related to their fields. One of Team Finland's competitors is Viljami Turve, who competes in the Plumbing and Heating skill. Viljami is Finland's best plumber of 2023, having won gold in the same skill at the Finnish national skills competition Taitaja. At the same event, he was chosen as Taitajien Taitaja (Best of Taitaja), representing vocational education for a year. Viljami's daily life was also followed in the Amispäiväkirjat tv-series, which aired on Nelonen channels.
Skills competitions have also brought work opportunities for Viljami.
"I participated in the Taitaja2022 competition, where my current employer spotted me. I had studied for a year at a vocational school and continued my studies through an apprenticeship with my employer. After graduation, they hired me permanently", Viljami explains.
Viljami and other Team Finland members met for the first time this week at a national team camp in Helsinki. The team's role is crucial in preparing for the competition.
"It was great to meet new people at the camp, and the group bonded well. We also heard about the experiences of former competitors, which gave a good insight into what participating in an international competition means", Viljami appreciates the camp's benefits.
Training for the competition takes place alongside the team members' studies and work.
"At work, I get routine in tasks that are also measured in the competition. In plumbing training, we particularly hone the skills needed for the competition. The goal is to win. This can be achieved with hard training and the same attitude that brought me success at Taitaja", Viljami believes.
Team Finland 2025
Finland will participate in the EuroSkills 2025 competition with a team 18 competitors. Finland's competitors will participate in 16 skills. In most skills, the competitors are top professionals under the age of 25.
Additionally, 19 experts from Finland will participate as specialists and judges in the competition. The Finnish experts are often vocational teachers, and competition training is part of the cooperation between vocational education and working life.
07 CNC Milling
Competitor Aapo Paunonen, SASKY Municipal Education and Training Consortium
Expert Niko Mähönen, Savo Vocational College
10 Welding
Competitor Lauri Mutka, Savo Vocational College
Expert Keijo Kivioja, OSAO
15 Plumbing and Heating
Competitor Viljami Turve, Tampere Vocational College Tredu
Expert Tommi Mäntylä, Tampere Vocational College Tredu
16 Electronics Prototyping
Competitor Aleksi Laine, Kouvola Vocational Institute Ltd Eduko
Chief Expert Jari Koskinen, Kouvola Vocational Institute Ltd Eduko
17 Web Development
Expert Joonas Iivonen, Business College Helsinki
19 Industrial Control
Competitor Rasmus Pajari, Luksia
Expert Timo Lehmusvuori, Careeria
22 Painting and Decorating
Competitor Beata Lempiäinen, TAO, Turun Ammattiopistosäätiö
Expert Katja Jaatinen, Gradia
24 Cabinetmaking
Competitor Alexander Häggman, Optima
Expert Marko Varjos, Salpaus Further Education
29 Hairdressing
Competitor Vivia Vähämiko, Stadin AO, Helsinki Vocational College
Expert Satu Laiho, WinNova
30 Beauty Therapy
Competitor Viivi Varis, Stadin AO, Helsinki Vocational College
Expert Sini Aartomaa, Luksia
31 Fashion Technology
Competitor pair Elja Saraluoto & Inka Nurminen, Salpaus Further Education
Expert Minna Tammi, Salpaus Further Education
34 Cooking
Competitor Daniel Romi, Perho Culinary, Tourism and Business College
Expert Antti Porna, Perho Culinary, Tourism and Business College
35 Restaurant Service
Competitor Niina Haka, Gradia
Expert Niina Hannuksela, Turku Vocational Institute TAI
36 Bakery
Competitor Ronja Kaupinsalo, WinNova
Expert Eero Hyvärinen, WinNova
37 Pâtisserie and Confectionery
Competitor Erika Ukkonen, Saimaa Vocational College Sampo
Chief Expert Outi Suopanki, Saimaa Vocational College Sampo
40 Graphic Design Technology
Competitor Daniel Kytönen, Tampere Vocational College Tredu
Expert Kimmo Koskinen, Tampere Vocational College Tredu
46 Entrepreneurship
Deputy Chief Expert Konsta Ojanen, WinNova
48 Industry 4.0
Expert Juha Ahanen, Turku Vocational Institute TAI
51 Landscape Gardening
Competitor pair Nita Laitinen, Omnia & Pietu Ponkkonen, Savo Vocational College
Chief Expert Thomas Vasenius, Omnia
EuroSkills Herning 2025
The next EuroSkills Competition will be held next in Herning, Denmark, from September 9-13, 2025.
The EuroSkills Herning 2025 competition will feature a total of 38 skills, representing various professions in vocational education, from carpentry to welding and cooking to gardening. There will be a total of 600 competitors from all over Europe.
Skills Finland, in close cooperation with vocational institutions, organises and sends Finland's team to the competition. The goal of Finland's participation in the EuroSkills competition is to develop Finnish top expertise and strengthen European cooperation in vocational education.
In addition to the EuroSkills competition, Team Finland also participates in the WorldSkills and Abilympics competitions. The next WorldSkills competition will be held in 2026 in Shanghai, and the Abilympics competition in 2027 in Helsinki. The national skills competition Taitaja will be held next in May 2025 in Turku. Finland's skills team will also train at the event.
More Information
Website for EuroSkills Henring 2025
Communications Manager Katja Katajamäki, +358 40 732 0691, katja.katajamaki@skillsfinland.fi