Paf’s headquarter became a tech campus

The tech education named grit:lab has started. 70 students will for two years study the latest in tech. The campus is located inside Paf’s headquarters on Åland.

The grit:lab tech education has now started for real, for the 70 students who have been admitted. For the kickoff, all students gathered in Paf’s office to be welcomed and begin their studies on the very same day. The Minister of Industry & Trade Fredrik Karlström and his colleague the Minister of Education Annika Hambrudd were present to welcome all tech students.

– You are all warmly welcome to Åland and grit:lab here in Paf’s office! You are all driven and strong-willed, which is exactly what our society needs, says Fredrik Karlström in his opening remarks.

Learn to code and change the game

It is a different education that awaits the students at grit:lab. The education lacks teachers and there are no classes to attend. The ability to overcome difficulties on your own together with other students is a watchword and the motto of the education “Learn to code and change the game” sets the expectations at a high level.

– The ambition is high and it should be high. We want to educate future tech specialists who can really change our societies in a positive direction.
– It feels absolutely fantastic that we have now launched grit:lab for real, says Anna-Lena Svenblad, Corporate Development Manager and co-director of grit:lab.

Two intense years

The entire innovative educational concept is based on a French educational platform called 01Edu with roots in the predecessor School 42.

– It is good that we dare to invest in a new concept that stands out and differs from traditional education, absorbed with the right kind of innovativeness we need, says Anna-Lena Svenblad.

The education is two years long and the set goal for the first 18 months is to learn to code in, among other things, GO, JavaScript and Rust. The last 6 months of the education are devoted to specialization in a chosen field such as e.g. AI & Machine Learning, Cyber ​​Security & DevOps, Mobile & Web Applications and Video Games.

– It is an intensive education without summer holidays and fixed vacations, with a continuous connection to the 12 companies that are partners with grit:lab, says Anna-Lena Svenblad.

The students come from over 20 different countries, including Brazil, France, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Ukraine, Turkey, etc. The average age is 29 years and the proportion of female students is almost 30%.