UAS have long been forced to pay for social and health care internships. Nationwide the fees have totalled several million, and Metropolia’s share as the largest University of Applied Sciences in Finland has been around one million euros. In September, a government budget discussion finally decided to transfer the internship fees to the state.
For Metropolia, this means a saving of about 1 million euros annually. The student union METKA is pleased with the government’s decision but hopes that the amount saved will be spent appropriately. Metropolia has a total of about 30 Degree Programmes in social and health care, including, among other things, multiform degrees and master’s degrees. The number of health and social services students in Metropolia is 4317, which is about 30 per cent of all present students. 30 per cent of students have completed internships during their education paid by Metropolia.
The amount saved must be used to develop education in social and healthcare fields and to improve the shortage of resources so that those with the most significant resource shortage would receive a bigger slice of the sum. For example, the resource shortage is the largest in the nursing degree. Especially in English-language training programs. In METKA, this reflects in the number of contacts for student advocacy from that degrees students. In Metropolia, the number of commissioned courses for nursing degrees has risen. However, resources like staff have not.
More information
Valtteri Siljander
Chairperson of the Board
valtteri.siljander@metkaweb.fi
050 355 5300
Adel Rizvi
Vice-chairperson of the Board
adel.rizvi@metkaweb.fi
050 355 5301
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