Electronics student aims for medal in Finland’s national skills championship
A vocational student from Kainuu is preparing to compete for a medal in the national finals of Taitaja 2026, Finland’s largest professional skills competition, after placing fourth in the electronics assembly category last year.
Miro Patrikainen, a student at Kainuu Vocational College, will represent his school in the finals held in Tuusula from 18–21 May 2026, reports Yle. The event will feature 400 competitors across 48 different skill categories, with the top three in each discipline awarded medals and cash prizes ranging from €400 to €800.
Patrikainen, who initially entered last year’s semifinals as a practice run, unexpectedly advanced to the finals and secured fourth place. This year, his goal is a podium finish. “I was pretty confident I’d make it back after last time went so well,” he said. “It shows my passion for the field.”
His interest in electronics began in middle school during craft classes, where he first soldered microchips. His teacher and coach, Arttu Piipponen, attributes Patrikainen’s success to his dedication, noting that he works on personal projects even at home. “Miro has impressive projects he builds outside school,” Piipponen said.
The finals will test competitors’ ability to construct, solder, and program embedded systems—likely involving robotics, based on preliminary tasks. Patrikainen has focused his training on robot-building, while Piipponen has emphasised programming skills in multi-day practice sessions.
The three-day competition also challenges participants’ ability to perform under pressure. Patrikainen described his first finals as both nerve-wracking and rewarding. “I got to fully focus on what I do best,” he said, adding that he later realised others had struggled with the same time-constrained tasks. “It wasn’t just me—the challenge was tough for everyone.”
For Piipponen, the experience carries weight beyond the competition. “Having Taitaja finals on your CV signals to employers that you really know your stuff,” he said. Patrikainen will graduate as an electronics assembler this spring before beginning military service and pursuing engineering studies at a university of applied sciences.
First held in 1988, the Taitaja competition is open to vocational students aged 22 or younger, though some categories have no age limit.