Introduction to Working Life TET

Introduction to working life, also known as TET, is a young person's first steps towards working life. The TET period offers youth working life experiences that support their career and educational choices in the future. TET is part of the curriculum and every lower secondary school pupil will participate in it.

TET periods provides pupils with personal experiences of working life and professions in authentic professional environments.

Introduction to working life is organized in grades 7-9 in the following manner:

  • one day in grade 7
  • three-five days in grade 8
  • five days in grade 9

A comprehensive school pupil will participate in working life for 6 hours/weekday. Lunch break is included in the six hours.

Lunch will primarily take place at the closest school or kindergarten. The employer can also offer the pupil with a meal free of charge. The city organizes the transportation and insurance for the pupils in case of an accident during TET.

The young person will gain an opportunity to get acquainted with working life, while guided, as a part of a real working community. During the TET period, the young person will implement their skills and tries to function in a new environment. The period takes place at a workplace chosen and applied for by the pupil. The pupil will access the workplace and execute appropriate tasks in guidance by an adult. The young person will gain knowledge and experience of different branches, professions and working life.

The employer has an opportunity to build a young person's future during the TET episode. A successful TET period does not aim to make the pupil do all the same tasks as the adults at the workplace do, but to spark an interest in the pupil by offering them a chance to see and try different work tasks and functions. A TET episode can be executed remotely, hybrid or at a workplace. 

The guardian has an important role in the TET period. The guardian must remember to engage, be interested, ask, encourage and compliment the pupil about the period.

The City of Oulu TET Website

Here you can find all the necessary information regarding TET both from the young person's, the employer's and the guardian's perspective. The website functions only in intranet, meaning a work computer. The website will be transferred to the new Ouka by the end of January 2024.

Enter website (old site/in Finnish)