Caption: Rauli Yrjänä and Jukka Ehto are contributing to promoting the intelligence of Kankaanpää.

One reason why Kankaanpää has always been intellectually up-to-date is its active employees. Both Jukka Ehto and Rauli Yrjänä have always been interested in information technology. The men became acquainted with each other during their studies at Pori Technical College.

Ehto's first contact with IT came during a summer job at the Post and Telecommunications Administration. Since then, he has studied at a vocational school, a university of applied sciences and finally a university. His real career began when Ehto took an IT course at the Kankaanpää Adult Education Centre. The one-month course eventually turned into a 12-year career in IT training. He moved to Kankaanpää when the city elected its first IT manager.

“20 years and two days passed on that path,” the barefoot Kankaanpää resident says with a smile.

Ehto left the city when the position of CEO of the Northern Satakunta Regional Network became vacant after his predecessor retired.

Yrjänä, on the other hand, has worked in the private sector, including in information technology. About five years ago, she also decided to try her wings in new studies and completed a Master of Science (Engineering) degree at the University of Tampere.

– My first contact with information technology came in a computer science course in middle school, and I'm still on that path, Yrjänä laughs.

Born in Näkki, Yrjänä has known Kankaanpää since childhood, as her parents' family roots are in the city and she has visited relatives there a lot. She applied to the city over a year ago because the place seemed interesting.

– I haven't regretted it for a day, because the work is very rewarding and I enjoy living in Kankaanpää very much, Yrjänä sums up.

Text: Tytti Wallenius

Photo: City of Kankaanpää

The article has been published in collaboration with the Kankaanpää Region.