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What is Practical training (Tourism Management)?

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What is Practical training?

Do you have questions that aren’t answered here? Feel free to contact your practical training coordinator.

Practical training in the Tourism Management degree programme is mandatory and 30 ECTS credits in total, but it is divided into two parts: Practical Training 1 (15 ECTS credits) and Practical Training 2 (15 ECTS credits). You can do one or both of them abroad. 

Practical Training is an integral part of your Tourism Management studies. The goals of the practical training are learning professional skills relevant to the study field and gaining practical working life skills. The tasks in the practical training support the goals of the student’s personal study plan, as well as the learning goals of the degree programme. It’s good to have discussed your practical training with your career tutor so they can help you plan. During the practical training the student will participate in different tasks as a member of a work community, and becomes trained as a committed, cooperative and flexible employee.

General info on practical training in Jamk Study Guide: Practical Training in Bachelor’s Degree 

I Found a Practical Training Place. How do I Get Started?

For new and upcoming practical trainings, the practical training ”paperwork” happens electronically in a system called WorkSeed. Simply enroll for practical training in Peppi. Note: If you want credits for work experience that took place in the past…scroll down to ”accreditation”.

  • MWMHW100 Practical training 1
  • MWMHW200 Practical training 2

Once you’re enrolled in Peppi, go to www.workseed.fi and login using your O365 (Jamk logins). You’ll automatically be added to the WorkSeed practical training course (might take up to 24 hours to be visible). There are detailed instructions in Workseed and the whole process should be pretty simple once you’re in WorkSeed. There are no documents to download and sign. Everything happens in WorkSeed.

When and Where can I Get Help?

You will receive guidance during the Practical Training process. The purpose of the guidance is that the goals of the training are met and that the tasks in the company are suitable and agreed upon with the company. Guidance for the process from Practical Training (and International Services):

  • Before the training:
  • Practical training info sessions 
  • Practical training pop-up 
  • General guidance  
  • During the training:
  • General help with problems. Don’t hesitate to contact the PT Coordinator!
  • After the training:
  • Practical Training Report and blog/vlog evaluation

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Length and timing of the Practical Training

The practical training is 30 ECTS credits in total, but it is divided into two parts: Practical Training 1 (15 ECTS credits) and Practical Training 2 (15 ECTS credits). You can do one or both of them abroad. 

The length of each PT is approximately 405h=10 weeks. Many students complete their practical training during the summer months but this is entirely up to you and how it fits into your studies and life. NB: The number of actual working hours is app. 364h as the remaining hours can be used for the PT placement search process, writing the report and making the Blog/Vlog. 

The recommended time for PT1 is after the first-year studies. The recommended time for PT2 is any time of your studies according to your own study plan, can be combined with or be a useful link to thesis as well.

Finding a Practical Training position

Generally, it’s up to the student to find the internship position. Here are some steps to get you started:

  • Get familiar with previous PT experiences in the Practical Training Placements and Experiences below.
  • Look for a placement that supports your own career plans and goals.
  • Think about your existing network, do you have a business or a company that you are already in contact with, or do your friends or classmates have some tips?
  • Be active and don’t hesitate to contact potential employers
  • Check and update your CV and possible LinkedIn profile
  • Google is your friend. As an example try googling ”Tourism Internships” and see what comes up.

Practical Training Placements and Experiences

You can find practical training placements from for example:

Practical Training Positions

There a are multiple different positions you might have/try in the company. It is essential, however, that your position is related to tourism and hospitality field. The tasks can include many different things, but ask for a little more demanding things too in addition to e.g. basic customer service, especially in PT2 (customer service is demanding too!). 

It is a good idea to have a chat with your Career Tutor or PT Coordinator if you are in doubt if a position you have in mind is suitable for practical training. 

A successful Practical Training is an excellent way to get a job after graduation! It can also be useful in finding out what you DON’T wish to do in the future. All experiences are valuable. 

Practical Training Agreement

Once you’ve found a practical training place you’ll make a practical training plan/agreement before starting the training. The tasks and learning goals are agreed with the employer and they are also listed in the agreement. The practical training plan will be approved by the PT Coordinator and the agreement is signed by the student, Jamk PT Coordinator and the employer. This is all done via Workseed electronically.

NOTE: If doing your PT outside of Finland, this paperwork will all be done in Mobility Online. Please scroll down to see "Practical Training Abroad" for more information

Working hours and salary

During the training the student will follow the working hours and rules of the organization where the Practical Training is conducted. General rules and regulations of the field are followed regarding the students occupational health and safety.

If the company offers a salary for the practical training, the company must write a contract of employment with the student and then the student is insured by the company. Don’t hesitate to ask for a salary!

Practical Training Report and Blog/Vlog

After completing the Practical Training, the student needs to write a report where they self-assess the Practical Training. In addition, either a blog or a vlog should be submitted. 

Assessment of the Practical Training

The training will be assessed as Pass/Fail.

The Practical Training Coordinator will mark the training as complete when the student has:

  • Completed the training
  • Submitted a Practical Training report (submit in section FINISHING UP)
  • Submitted a Blog or a Vlog (submit in section FINISHING UP)
  • Submitted a signed work certificate (submit in section FINISHING UP)

Accreditation of Prior Working Experience

If you have previous work experience from the tourism and hospitality field that meets the learning goals of PT 1 or/and PT2, you can apply for accreditation via the Recognition of informal Learning process. Please keep in mind that accreditation is NOT guaranteed. The previous work place must have a valid e-mail address and/or website where the previous employer can be reached for verification. Gmail and Yahoo etc addresses are not accepted. Verification cannot be made by phone. Work certificates are also checked for fraud and image doctoring.

You can discuss this possibility with your Career Tutor during your Personal Learning Plan discussions

You can find the instructions and the form in the Study Guide. Choose the form Recognition of Prior Learning 

Return

  1. the application form along with
  2. the relevant work certificates and
  3. your own description and assessment of your competencies based on work experience (c. 2 pages, doesn’t have to be a report) to the Practical Training Coordinator via email.

Remember that even if you have previous experience sometimes it is still worth doing the Practical Training as they open doors to the world of work and many students get employed permanently by their Practical Training employers. 

Practical Training Abroad

”Travel is the Only Thing you Buy that Makes You Richer”

Why Do Your Practical Training Abroad?

Internationalisation and intercultural competence are essential skills in today’s world. This is especially true for a tourism and hospitality professional. Intercultural competence is built by getting familiar with different destinations and cultures. By doing the practical training abroad you will gain many great international experiences and get to know interesting people from different cultures. This experience is very valuable in today’s working life and going abroad will never be as easy as it is during your studies. Practical training abroad makes an excellent addition to your CV, which will make you more competitive in the job market. In addition to getting work experience and developing your language skills you will gain confidence, grow as a person and learn about yourself more than you can imagine. You will get memories and friendships to last for a lifetime! 

Financing the time abroad

If you’re worried about how you’ll finance the time abroad, you can earn a salary and/or receive grant money via Jamk. Grant money is available to those who qualify (ONLY PT TAKING PLACE OUTSIDE OF FINLAND). The amount varies depending on the destination. Grant money is handled by International Services. Students who quality for Opintotuki from KELA also receive that support while abroad. Please note that salary may affect your KELA money. Grant money from Jamk does not affect KELA money.

Please read the instructions for Practical Training abroad before contacting International Services.

The contact e-mail for International Services is outgoingA@jamk.fi. They can answer questions about grant money and the application process. All of the details (hours, work, etc) should be discussed with Alison first.

In addition to the instructions above, it is good to remember to

  • keep a learning diary for yourself during your PT on what you have learned and experiences. This will make the report writing process easier
  • Take pictures or videos for Blog/Vlog during your PT
  • Acknowledge the fact that you might experience a culture shock at least to some extent. The working environment may be different than what you are used to. Remember that you will get used to the new surroundings soon, but it is a good idea to talk about these thoughts with your colleagues, friends, family or PT coordinator. 
  • Don’t hesitate to contact the PT coordinator in case you have any questions or challenges. You can also write just to tell how you are doing. 🙂
  • Ask for the signed Work Certificate before you leave the country (later on it might be difficult to get). There is no template for it, but it should state the name of the employer/company, contact person and the dates of the PT.
  • After the PT, return the PT report, work Certificate and blog/vlog to Workseed. E-mail submissions are not accepted.
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