4 min read
When high school student Oliwer Hellberg walked into Speed's Borås facility for his first day of work experience, he was nervous - but that quickly passed. Three months later, he is an integral part of the property management team, with tasks ranging from forklift driving to construction projects. For Oliwer, the internship has been more than a break from school - it has opened the door to the real world and perhaps to the future.
It's early morning at Speed's facility in Borås. The forklifts are rolling, tools are clanking and someone shouts a joking word across the hall. In the middle of it all stands Oliwer Hellberg - 18 years old, high school student, and trainee - with a smile that says it all: he likes it here.
- I actually have fun all the time. There are few occasions when I am bored. School, on the other hand, feels very boring in comparison - I would like to be here all the time, he says.
Oliwer is in his final year of the Construction and Civil Engineering program at Viskastrandsgymnasiet. He lives in Rydboholm just outside Borås with his mother and three siblings, sometimes with his father in Sjömarken. When he started high school, he dreamed of becoming an excavator operator, but life took a different direction.
- I'm not the best in the world at school, so I didn't get in to start studying to be an excavator operator. So I had to become a carpenter instead, and that turned out well in the end, he says with satisfaction.
An opportunity that became a turning point.
When Oliwer heard that Speed's real estate department could take him on as a trainee, he didn't hesitate.
- The principal of my school had a dialogue with Speed about an old truck the school would get to work on. Then the question of internships came up. That's the way it is. The first day, I was a bit nervous, but the team here took care of me right away. They showed me around, invited me in, and made me feel very welcome.
Since September, Oliver has been at Speed three days a week, and he's happy to do extra work during the holidays.
- He is so good that we would like to have him here more, says Jani, one of the colleagues.
No two days are the same.
Oliwer describes the job in one word: variety. No two days are the same. And if you work in the property management department of a company with more than 220 000m2 of office and logistics space, there is always something to do.
- Things can change in three seconds. We have to go where we are needed. I drive a forklift, build racks, demolish and move things, put up safety nets - everything the others do. It's great that the tasks are so varied.
Oliwer has already had time to work at several of Speed's facilities. In addition to those in Borås, he has also been to Gothenburg and Stenungsund.
- It would have been fun to go up to Stockholm too - and Falkenberg! he says with a laugh.
Laughter that sticks and lessons that grow.
The property management team is a good bunch with high ceilings and incredibly cordial jargon. When we ask about memorable moments, Oliwer laughs out loud:
- Jari and I were setting up loops on the third floor, and Jari was driving the sky-lift, and it went crazy! It went like a pinball here and there and Jari got thrown around with it. We laughed so hard we cried!
But Oliver's internship has also given him new skills.
- I've learned how to build racks, drive a reach truck - and then the guys have shared a lot of proverbs and sayings that I hadn't heard before. Not sure how many of these are real and how many they made up themselves.
Internships can be a ticket to the future.
For Oliwer, the internship has become more than a break from school; it has become a door to reality. It has given him a taste of how working life really works, with responsibilities, routines and community.
- You get to learn how it works in reality. You don't understand that when you sit in school and do carpentry. You get used to working hours and routines, what to do and how to behave. No matter what I do in the future, I will benefit greatly from this time, he says.
Of course, going to a company you've never been to before and meeting completely new people can be nerve-wracking. Oliwer's advice to others going on an internship is simple but important:
- Show up on time! It gives a good impression. I was a bit nervous on the first day, but I had met the team before, and that made everything much easier.
Future dreams and opportunities.
Oliwer will graduate in the spring. The future is not yet fully mapped out, but the dream is clear:
- I want to find a job, get a house and all that. If I get the opportunity to stay at Speed, I would love to do it.
He describes Speed as a big, giant company with a good structure, a great atmosphere, and good colleagues. And there's a chance he'll stay on after graduation. His colleagues really like Oliwer and describe him as willing to work, punctual, and not afraid to get into the nitty-gritty of it - qualities that make a big difference in a team. The fact that he is also a bundle of energy makes him a perfect fit for the team.
- Oliwer is very easy to teach and he is good with tools and taking instructions. He is the type of guy you like to have in a team.
The skilled of the future need to be utilised.
At Speed, we are convinced that we are building the workforce of the future. By offering internships and working with schools, we want to give young people a chance to experience work-life for real, beyond the classroom.
We know that the step from theory to practice can feel big. That's why we create environments where young people are supported, mentored, and empowered to grow. For us, it's not just about filling a place, but more about investing in people, in the future and in a society where more people have the chance to succeed.
Oliwer is an example of how the right internship can open doors. And we are proud to be that door.
