Our alumn Irina Viital: The qualification of a vocational teacher means a lot to me

Many immigrants feel that their previous education or work experience means very little in their new home country.

That's exactly what Irina Viital thought when she moved to Finland. She had graduated as a mathematics and physics teacher back in Ukraine, but here she was ready to do almost any job she could get.

– In integration training, my wonderful Finnish language teacher said that now you just need to get your degree recognized and you will become a teacher. I thought, what a crazy woman, I could only say thank you and hello in Finnish, she laughs.

Viital first came to Finland in 2009, as a seasonal worker in a family business in the agricultural sector in Rauma. She fell in love with the country already in her first summer and thought that this is where she would like to live. 

Viital's dream of moving to Finland came true when she met her husband in 2013. Viital applied for integration training and began studying the Finnish language. However, several years passed from the words of her Finnish teacher before she applied for the recognition of her degree in Finland and received the qualification of a vocational teacher.

In 2022, I was able to supplement my studies at TAMK, in the Teacher in Finland! project. Since then, the Tampere School of Vocational Teacher Education has introduced a flexible application process for those who have completed teacher training abroad and want to qualify as vocational teachers in Finland.

– The qualification of a vocational teacher means a lot to me. Now I can say out loud that I am a teacher, Viital sums up.

Advice and support for international clients

Nowadays, Irina Viital works at the International House Tampere, where she coordinates and develops services for clients receiving temporary protection. In addition, she is studying to become a guidance counsellor at the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences.

International House Tampere, which operates under the City of Tampere’s Employment and Growth Services, is a one-stop service point for immigrants and international students. There, newcomers are offered advice and support, for example, in daily errands, official matters, employment, and studying. The unit is also responsible for statutory employment services for the city’s foreign-language speaking residents, jobseekers in the Tampere region, who are in their integration period, as well as working-age customers outside the labour force. 

– We also work closely with educational institutions, such as TAMK. Together we are developing services that help promote employment, Viital says.

Temporary protection is intended for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. For them, International House Tampere offers targeted information and services, mainly in their native language.

Viital feels that her own background is a great asset in her work. She speaks Ukrainian and is well acquainted with Ukrainian culture, working life and the study system – not to mention the challenges that a foreign-language speaking immigrant can face in Finland.

– Ukrainians are brave, hard-working and persistent people. I take my hat off to everyone who is able to build their life in a foreign country when the war is raging in their home country. 

Even though the clients' situations can sometimes be heavy and difficult, Viital always welcomes them with a smile on her face. Her goal is for the customer to leave the encounter with a smile.

– The customer has been heard, guided and advised, and when they step out the door, they know where to go or what to do next. Then my heart rejoices. 

Previously acquired skills in the backpack

Viital also wants to encourage other immigrants who are hesitant about whether their experience and previously acquired education are important in Finland. 

She emphasises that the expertise gained in her previous home country is always stored in her personal backpack.

– The only challenge is that here you should be able to use that expertise in Finnish.

For those who have completed teacher education abroad, TAMK offers a flexible education opportunity in which students complete supplementary pedagogical studies in accordance with the individual equivalence decisions made by the Finnish National Agency for Education. The application period for spring 2026 is currently ongoing.

Viital praises the individual support offered by TAMK for both studies and the search for an internship. She completed her compulsory internship at the Tampere Vocational College Tredu, where she worked as a job search coach for foreign-language students at the time.

– Being a qualified vocational teacher doesn't mean you can only work in your own field. The range of opportunities is wide, and the qualification can open many doors, he emphasizes.