school portrait : Native language Finish

Name: Kelloseppäkoulu/The Finnish School of Watchmaking
Country: Finland
City: 02650 Espoo
Street: Vanha maantie 11
Website: http://www.kelloseppakoulu.com
Contact: tiina.viitanen@kelloseppakoulu.fi

Principal/Rehtori:
Tiina Viitanen
The Finnish School of Watchmaking
Vanha maantie 11
02650 Espoo
Finland
tel./puh. +358-9-4355 7714
gsm. +358-50-3019 516
fax. +358-9-4355 7723

Self-description: The Finnish School of Watchmaking is a private vocational school, which is owned by Kellosepäntaidon Edistämissäätiö (The Trust fund for promoting Watchmaking Skills). The operation of the school is monitored by the National Board of Education and the school receives funding from the Ministry of Education to cover its expenses. The Finnish School of Watchmaking is located in Espoo, close to the centre of Tapiola. The School trains watchmakers and micromechanics. The watchmaker's degree aims at repair and sales duties in the watch business. The micromechanic degree aims at preparing the student for working in design, maintenance and demanding production duties in the electronics and instrument industries. History of The Finnish School of Watchmaking The Finnish School of Watchmaking was founded in 1944 in Lahti. While the country still at war, the Finnish Watchmakers' Association was offered the power plant premises in Lahti for education purposes. The School operated in Lahti until 1959, at which time the Trust Fund bought a site in Tapiola, and backed by government aid, built a school and a hall of residence there. Until the 1970's, the school operated as a boarding school. In 1979, living in the dormitory was made voluntary, and in 1997, the student dormitory was given up completely. During its history, over 700 watchmakers have graduated from the school. They have primarily settled in different duties in watch and jewellery retail. Over half of those remaining in the field have at some point in their lives set up a watch shop. The rest of these graduates have settled in parallel fields which demand great precision skills. Finnish watchmakers have had no trouble in finding work abroad and many of them are currently working e.g. in Switzerland, the United Kingdom and in the United States. From the humble beginning of the Finnish School of Watchmaking starting in poor conditions, the School has been developed during the years into an active, international and respected institution, whose training has grown from basic training for watchmakers into training micromechanics as well and giving commercial training in the field. The future of the Finnish School of Watchmaking looks good. Finally, after years' work our biggest dream is coming true and the school is going to have new premises to start the school year in the autumn 2007. The new school will be located in Espoo, Leppävaara, just five kilometers from the old school.