Practical training as an RDI student assistant can lead to employment in your field
For many students, working as an RDI student assistant is an eye-opener to the possibilities of research, development, and innovation activities. At its best, it also serves as a pathway to a career in their field. Many current Centria employees began their careers at Centria as RDI student assistants, got to know the teams and projects while still studying, and then found employment in RDI activities. In this article, they share their own experiences: what kind of tasks the practical training involved, what they learned along the way, and what it has been like to transition from student to colleague.
In the upper row from left: Stefan Nazaruk, Satu Kauppinen and Prakash Acharya. In the lower row from left: Anu Kaarlela, Ahmed Boulakhras and Fahim Orko.
We asked the group the following:
1. Which team were you a student assistant for, and what kind of tasks did you perform at the time? What was the experience like?
2. What aspect of the practical training helped you get hired at Centria?
3. What has it been like to transition from student to employee?
4. What would you say to a student considering applying to be an RDI student assistant?
Ahmed Boulakhras, RDI developer, Smart wood team
1. I started as an assistant during my BBA (ERP) studies in the Digitalisation team, and later transitioned to the Smart wood team, which I continued working with moving forward. In both roles, my primary task was developing software solutions and translating complex business needs into concrete, user-defined applications. I also contributed to project development by consulting on technical aspects and system architecture.
In the Digitalisation team, I worked on a web application that allows users to upload videos or image sets and convert them into hyper-realistic 3D models. In the Smart wood team, I worked on the DIIF platform, which achieves traceability in the forest value chain using artificial intelligence algorithms. The work was demanding and challenging, something I personally enjoy and actively seek out. However, that doesn’t mean it was stressful; the environment was incredibly encouraging and supportive.
2. I’d say three things stood out: relevant hands-on experience, consistently high-quality work and strong communication. Those were key factors in landing my current position.
3. The transition was incredibly smooth because I was already familiar with Centria as an employer and understood our internal procedures. My supervisor in Industrial wood team kept me well-informed, providing information regarding topics like insurance, internal system navigation, and other practical administrative details.
4. Don’t hesitate to pursue new things, even if you encounter unfamiliar projects in industries you haven’t worked in. Take the leap, it pays off. Centria genuinely backs its people and the work itself is engaging enough that you never hit a dull moment.
Stefan Nazaruk, RDI expert, Chemistry and bioeconomy
1. I started as a student assistant in RDI for Chemistry and bioeconomy team during my last year of my chemical engineering studies. During the period as student assistant, I performed a varied assortment of tasks, mainly around in our PlastLab. The experience was not only a great opportunity to connect what I have been learning during my studies but also a big realization of just how diverse RDI work is and I learned the kind of career paths it could offer.
3. Transitioning from student assistant to employee was a very positive and rewarding experience, and knowing the environment already and colleagues only made it smoother. Of course, the change in responsibilities and amount of work was the most noticeable but also expected.
4. I would encourage any student who is considering applying to become an RDI student assistant to take the opportunity and to approach it not only as a way to earn the necessary practical credits but a great way to gain practical experience and understand the Finnish working life before finishing studies, because it will surely provide a valuable experience and connections to future opportunities.
Fahim Orko, RDI student assistant, Digitalisation team
1. I worked on the Ruractive project. My main responsibility was developing a voice-based AI call center that provides different services. My tasks ranged from designing voice interaction workflows to integrating them with backend services and developing backend solutions capable of handling requests for different services. The experience was excellent. I had the opportunity to work with new people, explore new technologies, and contribute to projects that genuinely interested me. It was both a valuable learning experience and very rewarding personally.
2. I think the biggest factor that helped me get hired was persistence. I kept looking for opportunities, even after facing setbacks, and continued improving my skills instead of giving up. During my capstone studies, I was working on an RDI project, which eventually led me to this position. Now I found myself working on meaningful projects and responsibilities beyond what I originally expected.
3. I am still currently an IT engineering student and hopefully graduating next month. I have not yet fully transitioned into a full-time employee role. My current project is ending this month, so at the moment I am waiting to see what opportunities the future brings. However, the experience so far has given me valuable insight into working life and professional software development projects, and I would genuinely love the opportunity to continue working here in the future.
4. It is a very valuable experience both professionally and personally. You get the opportunity to work with talented people, contribute to real projects, and gain practical experience with modern technologies. One of the best parts is the amount of freedom and responsibility you receive. You are not just observing, you are actively building solutions and leaving your own mark on the projects.
Prakash Acharya, RDI student assistant, Digitalisation team
1. My tasks included frontend and backend development, database-related work, and AI-related projects. I also worked on simulations and software development tasks in different projects. The experience was very valuable because I learned practical skills and gained experience working in a professional team.
2. The practical training helped me improve my technical skills, teamwork, and communication. It gave me experience working on real projects and solving practical problems. I also had the opportunity to work closely with the team and learn professional working methods. The training helped me show my motivation and ability to work in a professional environment.
3. Since I am still a student and graduating as an IT engineer this spring semester, the experience has helped me connect my studies with real working life. I have learned a lot from the team and improved both my technical and professional skills. Working on real projects has also increased my confidence and prepared me for my future career.
4. I would definitely recommend applying for the position. It is a great opportunity to gain practical work experience while studying. You can improve your technical and communication skills by working on real projects with experienced people.
Satu Kauppinen, RDI developer, Digitalisation team
1. I joined the Digitalisation team in September 2025. My responsibilities included project communications.
2. I was hired for the duration of the project, and my studies in IT were already in their final stages when I started as an assistant, so I knew I would continue as an employee after graduating.
3. The transition from student to employee went smoothly, as I had already become familiar with the team and my duties.
4. You should definitely apply to become a student assistant! I started studying with the goal of changing fields, and the transition went smoothly because I was able to get a feel for the new field through my practical training while I was still studying. The project work is interesting and rewarding, I’m gaining practical work experience, and the work community is great.
Anu Kaarlela, RDI developer, Smart wood team
1. I worked as a student assistant on the Smart wood team at the Joutsentie lab in Ylivieska. My duties were related to the Optiwood project, which aims to develop processes for the wood products industry using smart measurement technologies, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. Although most of my time was spent annotating image data—that is, marking surface treatment errors in images—I also had the opportunity to participate in training a deep learning model and writing research articles. The topic of my thesis was also closely related to my duties as an assistant, and it allowed me to dive even deeper into the world of defect detection and deep learning. The internship was my first exposure to the professional world of my field of study.
2. During my practical training, I was studying to become an IT engineer, and the coursework I was taking provided a good foundation for my duties as an assistant. During the practical training, I strove to perform my duties carefully and took the initiative to seek out additional information on the topics covered in the project. I believe that my strong motivation and systematic approach helped me secure employment; furthermore, as a career changer, I was already familiar with the rules of the professional world.
3. I was offered a job on the same project six months after my practical training ended, and it was easy to jump right back into working on familiar topics. Perhaps the biggest difference from my practical training is the increased responsibility; on the other hand, my confidence in my own work has grown. My coworkers have been happy to help and guide me with new tasks. The transition to being a full-time employee really hit home when I found myself on the other side of the table, interviewing a candidate who had applied to be a student assistant on our project.
4. You should definitely apply to be an RDI student assistant! Centria RDI offers exciting opportunities for students in various fields and can serve as your first step into the professional world of your chosen field. At the same time, you can also find a topic for your thesis, and maybe at some point you’ll even find yourself working on the project.