Biography

Mr. Timo Karkola is the Director of Ami foundation and Pricipal of Amiedu owned by the foundation for the last 15 years. Amiedu is Finland’s leading vocational adult education center, serving the educational and training needs of some 21,000 adults every year. The training programes and competence development services of Amiedu provide a wide range of opportunities for enhancing the skills of individuals, work teams and organizations. Almost 4,000 adult students are involved in our various training activities on a daily basis. Our services include over 90 vocational qualifications, nearly 40 certification programes, various short courses and cutting-edge seminars – all under one roof. All services feature innovative content and a range of learning methods. We also administer course logistics and provide advice on financing solutions. Adult education in Finland seeks to support lifelong learning, improve social coherence and equality, and enhance the knowledge base and skills of adults. Amiedu commits a policy of individual guidance and planned learning that enables adults to benefit from previously acquired competencies and to study in a flexible way while working. Amiedu training programmes are conducted in the Finnish language. Mr. Timo Karkola is the vice president of the board of AMKE. AMKE is the guardian of interests and the service organization for vocational education and training providers in Finland. Our principal function is working life-based development of vocational education and training together with our members. AMKE’s 84 members represent a wide range of VET providers, from different vocational colleges to specialized institutions and providers of continuing vocational training. Our members train over 300 000 Finns, that is to say over 90% of the country’s vocational students. In addition, our members train over 100,000 professionals in collaboration with companies. AMKE’s members employ 26 000 people. Before current positions withing vocational education and training industry, Mr. Timo Karkola was employed 16 years with Kesko Ltd, the leading wholesale and retailcorporation in Finland. His positions varied from the position of human resource specialist to manager of business development for the international division and further to the director of marketing operation for the foodstuffs division of Kesko.