A personal trainer for business
EduTec has been dubbed a “corporate personal trainer”, which on reflection isn’t far off the mark.
Founded in Varkaus to meet the needs of companies and the job market, EduTec is a new kind of educational enterprise. Its training programmes have a firm focus on hands-on skills development and in-person instruction in real work environments. The training is always customised to the needs of each target company.
Entrepreneur Harri Kilpeläinen has previously worked as a vocational school teacher. He says the idea for the company came from a business need he saw in his previous profession.
“In 2021, I set up the company with two colleagues who have since retired. By then, we had already been thinking about it for some time. We felt that training that was too centred on businesses and the labour market needed to be stepped up. We saw a great need for skilled people and trainers that would only increase going forward.”
EduTec’s range of services includes recruitment, training and further education in the field of technology, as well as consultancy. Training takes place on the company’s premises, giving the students a flying start into independent work.
The whole of Finland as a market area
According to Harri, a visit to the local New Enterprise Agency for new businesses was a wake-up call, as the entrepreneurs had initially been afraid to think big.
“We were asked why we didn’t go for the whole Finnish market right away. It was great that everyone was so encouraging. After that, we immediately organised our second training in Tornio. A conversation with a professional gave us faith in our business. We also received help with financial matters,” he says.
Business advisor Sanna Hietalahti-Husu from Wäläkky, the New Enterprise Agency of Central Savo, says that Harri always had a very clear vision of how the business would be run.
“Thanks to his professional background, he saw the need for training in the field, which he then responded to with his current business idea. After talking to him, I intuitively felt that starting a business would turn out to be a really good idea. There is such a large base of potential customers and an obvious shortage of talent.”
Sanna cites courage as one of her strengths.
“Hats off to Harri for taking the initiative so well. He has the will and ability to make the company grow. That is rare.
Be prepared for challenges too
In Harri’s view, if you’re considering entrepreneurship you need to focus on a good business plan. Above all, you need to pay attention to profitability and calculations relating to it, but also to threats.
“Many people go into entrepreneurship with rose-tinted glasses and trust that customers will simply show up, and so on. But everyone is going to face obstacles. Sudden downturns are beyond your control, but you can plan ahead so that some unforeseen disaster won’t bring down your business. The New Enterprise Agency can also help you with things like this,” he says.
In the future, Harri hopes that EduTec will become even more adaptable to the needs of its customers in different parts of Finland.
“We are already an agile partner with an extensive network of trainers. But we want to learn to serve our partners better every step of the way. The idea is that in the long run, a company gets back two or three euros for every euro they invest at the beginning. Every euro invested in our service creates competitiveness and cost-effectiveness for the company.”
