Summer job complements studies in nuclear engineering
Sonja Töyrylä, 24, has a summer job at TVO for the fourth time. In 2019, she was a supervisor in children's science and technology camps, and in 2021–22, she worked in radiation protection, as she does also this year.
– The best part is great co-workers. And working in radiation protection, laughing is part of every day. I hope to learn, during my three-month summer traineeship, more about the different systems and to further broaden the skills and knowledge I have gained previously.
Töyrylä studies at the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Lappeenranta in the Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering programme. With a couple of years of studies behind her, the plan is to finish her MSc degree by the end of 2024.
– The duties of radiation protection personnel include contamination and radiation level measurements as well as any actions required based on them. The setting up of lead shields to reduce radiation doses and the classification of rooms based on their radiation level are also part of the job.
Originally from Eurajoki, Töyrylä says she selected studies in nuclear engineering as a result of long-time interest in the operation of NPPs.
– For somebody from Eurajoki, summer job opportunities in Olkiluoto were naturally of interest. TVO offers plenty of different types of summer jobs, even for first-year students, which encouraged me to apply for one in 2019.
– After the completion of my studies, I hope to find employment in my own field, a job where I can take advantage of what I have learned at the university while also continuing to learn more, she concludes.