OP Tech Academy is a learning framework where OP employees can improve their skills needed in the future. But what does this mean in practice? What types of studies are available? We interviewed Anni Lindholm, Headmaster of OP Tech Academy.

What is OP Tech Academy, and what do people do there?

OP Tech Academy is one of the competence development methods used at OP. It was established in 2019. OP Tech Academy focuses on the development of IT and technological competencies, offering OP employees an internal community for the development of tech skills. The Academy was founded so that our specialists would have different possibilities to study competence areas that are strategically important to us.

The Academy is run fully by OP's own specialists, and participation in the activities is possible for every OP employee. There are courses concerning different topics and aimed at different skill levels. The goal is to offer everyone the opportunity for personal development. The Academy brings together experts in different business areas and offers an excellent opportunity to meet new people from different parts of the company and exchange experiences with them.

OP Tech Academy and its course selection are constantly developing to ensure that the available content meets the current needs and addresses strategically important competence areas. The name of the Academy has also changed along the way – it was previously known as OP Software Academy. When the Academy was founded, its focus was on software development in particular. With IT skills also becoming increasingly important in other tasks and the course selection expanding, it was found suitable to update the name so that it better reflects the current situation, and what the Academy offers.

Who are you, and what is your role at OP Tech Academy?

My name is Anni Lindholm, and I'm the headmaster of OP Tech Academy. I started working at OP a year and a half ago, jumping directly to the headmaster’s role. As the headmaster, I ensure that the Academy runs smoothly and the work of its tower owners, the OP specialists responsible for specific training areas, is as easy as possible. It is also my job to ensure the continuous development of the Academy. I act as a facilitator – I'm not responsible for the content of the training courses, but see to that the operations function as a whole. As the headmaster, I also ensure that OP employees are aware of the Academy and the learning opportunities available there.

What can be studied at OP Tech Academy?

The course selection of OP Tech Academy is broad, and it is constantly changing and developing. There are currently seven learning towers dealing with different topic areas such as data, artificial intelligence and quality assurance. The learning towers have tower owners that are responsible for the courses offered within the towers. The course selection is extensive, and there is a mentor for each course who supports the learning of the specialists participating in the course. The primary learning method used at the Academy is studying in small groups, but self-study courses are also available. The course content is regularly updated, and new courses are created as required, such as the recently added artificial intelligence trainings. The Academy offers people working in different roles varied opportunities to learn and develop themselves.

How would you describe the culture at OP Tech Academy?

OP Tech Academy brings together people from different parts of the organisation. People get to learn from each other and discuss what they have learned, getting different perspectives on the topic from others. Many of the courses have been constructed so that you first study the subject independently, after which people gather in small groups led by a mentor to discuss the subject together. Mentors are OP's internal specialists. Their task is to support those studying at the Academy and share their expertise with the participants. I hope that OP Tech Academy is easy to approach to all OP employees. To ensure this, we offer courses at different levels for every specialist.

How is OP Tech Academy developed to meet future competence needs?

OP Tech Academy responds to needs that are strategically important to OP, and that arise from the organisation. As such, it is also constantly changing and developing. When we identify new skill needs, they can be added to the Academy's selection, such as the most recent artificial intelligence trainings. Technologies are constantly evolving, and the course content needs to be updated all the time. However, the main focus is on the tech aspect, and it will be in the future as well. All OP employees who want to learn new things and develop in their work are welcome to OP Tech Academy.