Paf will continue its tech education programme grit:lab, with application tests commencing this winter and admissions to be arranged in the spring of 2024.
Paf began grit:lab two years ago; currently 60 students from 20 different countries are entering their final year of the programme. A Paf spokesperson stated: “The first year has been successful and stakeholders are keen to see the education continue.”
The grit:lab tech education is carried out in cooperation with Ålands Yrkesgymnasium on behalf of the Government of Åland.
Anna-Lena Svenblad, Paf’s Development Director for Paf & Director of grit:lab, commented: “The fantastic response we have received both from the students and from many visiting groups is proof that there is a need for this type of education. It is a form of education that will meet the future needs of the job market.”
Applications for this year are set to open in December 2023 and the online test is available to complete until February 2024. If successful, students will begin their studies at grit:lab in the following autumn.
Daniela Johansson, Paf’s Deputy CEO & Chief Responsibility Officer, said: “Grit:lab is a complement to traditional education and it will contribute to making Åland a tech hub in the Nordics. The potential is great and from Paf's side we want to continue to be a driving force behind the educational programme.”
Paf CTO Fredrik Wiklund said: “I am impressed by how much the tech students have already learnt. Two of them worked as summer trainees in our sysops team over the summer and at the same time they managed to get certified for AWS cloud services. This is a programme that we at Paf can be proud of.”
