Mammuttihirsi is working with Nuorten Ystävät to create a new kind of summer work programme for young people

A log house manufacturer and a multi-sector organisation are pooling their expertise to ensure that more and more young people can gain a positive summer work experience and learn first-hand about working life.

Concerns about summer jobs for young people have taken centre stage in public debate, right up to the Finnish Parliament. In 2026, there will be 26 per cent fewer summer jobs than in the previous year (Number of summer jobs falling – see where the most jobs are available for the summer – Duunitori). Competition for summer jobs has intensified, and an increasing number of young people are left without a summer job. As a result, several organisations have appealed to businesses to offer more summer job opportunities to young people.

Ilpo Nylander, the entrepreneur behind Mammuttihirre, decided to rise to the challenge and, in the spring of 2026, posted an update on social media, in which he expressed his desire to offer young people meaningful summer jobs and a positive experience of working life. Nylander said he had seen far too many instances where a young person is handed a broom and told: “Clean up”. In the entrepreneur’s view, it is wrong and irresponsible to hire young people for summer jobs without the resources needed for induction and supervision. In the worst-case scenario, a young person ends up with a completely distorted view of working life and the impression that their contribution actually makes no difference whatsoever. 

“A high-quality summer work experience requires induction and guidance. As a relatively small organisation, we cannot spare any of our current staff for this role; instead, we need to recruit a new employee for it,” says Nylander.

The ‘Duuniloikka’ initiative run by Nuorten Ystävät ry, a multi-sectoral organisation based in Oulu and operating nationwide, came across Nylander’s social media post and decided to propose a collaboration. The organisation has extensive experience in providing employment services for young people and working-age adults who face difficulties in the labour market. Nuorten Ystävät expressed its willingness to make its expertise and network available to Mammuttihirre to assist with the recruitment and mentoring of young summer workers. 

Entrepreneur Nylander felt it was important to put the idea into practice quickly through collaboration, as the summer holidays are just round the corner. At Mammuttihirre, responsibility is seen, above all, as concrete actions and the ability to take action when the need arises.

“They provided us with an exceptional amount of enthusiasm, ideas, added value and experience for the implementation of this idea, which is being rolled out rapidly,” says Nylander.

The collaboration began with the recruitment of a summer job supervisor, and a suitable candidate was found within Nuorten Ystävät’s own network of jobseekers. Future summer job candidates, on the other hand, will be recruited through the ‘Summer Job Fair’ event, which will be held during the first week of the summer holidays. The Summer Job Fair is a low-threshold event where young people can meet potential future employers face-to-face on the spot, without having to go through a rigorous application process. Mammuttihirre’s Summer Job Fair will take place on Wednesday 27 May from 2 pm to 6 pm at Mammuttihirre’s head office in Ylikiiminki.

The collaboration between Mammuttihirre and Nuorten Ystävät in the summer of 2026 serves as a pilot project, on the basis of which the model for responsible summer employment will be further developed. The aim is to establish an annual summer tradition that can be replicated by other companies. Updates on the summer employment pilot and the young people’s experiences will be shared on the organisations’ social media and websites throughout the summer.

Mammuttihirsi and Nuorten Ystävät want to encourage all businesses and employers to turn their plans into action. If you’re keen to help young people into work but lack the resources, it’s worth looking for a local partner to collaborate with!