Briefly in English
Well-being in vocational education: SAKU
SAKU, the Cultural and Sports Association of Finnish Vocational Education and Training, aims to promote work capacity and functional capacity, well-being, doing things together and joy of life in vocational education and training. The association was founded in 1949.
SAKU members include 66 vocational education providers whose institutions host 86 % of upper secondary vocational students in Finland. The activities also cover about 19,000 employees of vocational education institutions. SAKU offers activities to both students and staff members.
Briefly in English
Student activities

Community spirit and engagement
In SAKU activities, students are both participants and active organisers. Supporting the community spirit at schools helps students commit to their studies and their school.
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- A nationwide theme week focusing on health, safety, and comfort
- 130–150 schools and 35,000–50,000 students participate every year
- The training sessions focus on acting as a tutor and the many roles of a tutor, organising community-oriented events, and practising group instruction and presentation skills

Culture and creative expression
Culture is for everyone! Our activities aim to support vocational students’ cultural hobbies.
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- Three-day cultural contest for vocational students.
- A diverse selection of arts: music, dance, drama, visual arts, and writing series.
- Before the contest, there are school-specific advance events and local SAKUstars events.

Work capacity and sustainable competence
Sustainable competence includes professional skills, sufficient physical capacity, and the attitudes and skills to manage life at work. The tools and activities provided by SAKU support students in acquiring skills related to sustainable competence.
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- Aims to increase students’ knowledge, skills and motivation to take care of their work capacity
- Four themes: occupational work capacity capabilities, work capacity-promoting exercise, health competence, and hobbies and cooperation skills
- A live broadcast or a recording
- Sessions include a keynote speech and group discussions
- Themes include exercise, community spirit and engagement, mental well-being, and responsible substance use

Physical activity and the joy of exercise
Our physical activities aim to support students in adopting an active lifestyle. We offer various activities to different students: from reducing time spent sitting to ball games series, from small-scale local activities to nationwide events. Our tools include advocacy work, materials, campaigns, and events.
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- Football, floorball, futsal, basketball, etc.
- Competitive and leisure series for different types of participants
- Two-day event
- Beach volley, disc golf, street basketball, minigolf, etc.
- Many more activities at the event market
- Bowling, running, cycling, etc.
- Nationwide campaign in April. Aims to highlight exercise from two perspectives: increasing your green handprint and improving your well-being
Staff activities
The staff can look after students’ well-being only if they feel well, themselves. SAKU offers activities to support staff
members’ well-being and exercise, as well as ideas and inspiring networks to support their work.

Sports and cultural activities
We support staff well-being through sports and cultural activities
- Nationwide sports events and low-threshold competitions (Beach volley, disc golf, golf, skiing, bowling, volleyball, padel, boules, floorball, athletics, etc.)
- Participants can join the home track races in their own town; the sports include disc golf and air arms shooting, among others
- Nationwide Liikeelle exercise campaign and school-specific on-demand campaigns (We track minutes, steps and feel-good actions, Team activities: moving and doing things together!)
- Dedicated SAKUstars series

Build a healthy learning environment
Build a healthy learning environment with the support of SAKU well-being expert services, models, materials, networks, and events:
Event for student well-being development
- Multi-professional event
- Current topics and presentations, various workshops, and a market for showcasing new models, methods and materials in well-being promotion
Training, coaching and network activities for various target groups
- Liikkuva amis activities (”vocational schools on the move”)
- Work Capacity Certificate
- Dormitory activities
- Tutors
Let’s work together towards well-being in vocational education! Come join us!