Spend Your Gap Year in Levi
Not sure what to do during your gap year? Come to Levi! A gap year in Levi offers much more than you might expect. Work experience that will still stand out on your CV years from now. New skills and learning you cannot gain in a classroom. Life experience that helps you grow in a completely different way than a year spent on the sofa at home. New friends from all over Finland and around the world. And, of course, adventures in the fells: the colours of the polar night, skiing for eight months on Levi’s slopes, cruising in deep snow, and unforgettable moments in the heart of a fell village.
We have gathered three ways for you to build your own gap year in Levi.
1. Seasonal Work in Levi: Earn Money and Live in Levi
Levi is one of Finland’s largest tourist resorts, and the tourism industry constantly needs workers for the winter season.
What kind of jobs are available?
- Hotel and restaurant work, such as reception, waiting tables, kitchen work and cleaning
- Programme services
- Retail and customer service roles
Why is this worth considering?
- You can start working and earning money right away
- Accommodation is often arranged through the employer
- You gain work experience in a fast-paced environment, which will be useful in many other fields
You become part of a multicultural community where you meet people from different backgrounds and cultures.
For many, seasonal work is the first step on their career path. Some stay longer, while others return later to study the field. For some, it is one stage on the way toward other dreams.
Explore open jobs in the area or contact companies that interest you and ask about work opportunities.
2. Study for a Vocational Qualification Alongside Work
Several vocational qualifications are offered in Levi and the surrounding area as blended learning programmes, meaning you can do seasonal work and study at the same time.
What kind of qualifications are available?
- Wilderness Guide Qualification – hiking, wilderness skills and guiding in nature
- Further Vocational Qualification in Sports Instruction – sports instruction, coaching and leading groups
- Tourism qualifications – customer service, programme services and tourism entrepreneurship
Why study alongside working?
- Your studies progress through contact days, online learning and workplace-based learning, so the schedule can be adapted around your shifts
- Your study routines and rhythm stay active throughout the gap year, making it much easier to return to full-time studies later
- You gain real work experience alongside your studies and get to apply what you learn in practice
3. Pathway Studies to Higher Education
Did you not get into the programme you wanted? Are pathway studies available in your chosen field? Many higher education institutions offer pathway studies that can help you secure a study place for the following year. Some institutions offer free pathway studies for recent graduates.
What does this mean in practice?
You can complete individual courses that may later be accepted as part of your degree
- Pathway studies may give you direct admission to a degree programme the following year without a separate entrance exam
- You accumulate credits and demonstrate your skills, even if you are not yet enrolled in a degree programme
- During the busiest season, you can focus on work, and when the season quiets down, you can focus more on studies
Why is this worth considering?
- You get a taste of a field that interests you before fully committing to it
- A pathway route can be a much lighter and more certain way into higher education than the traditional joint application process
Read more about pathway studies at Lapland’s higher education institutions:
Many other higher education institutions also offer pathway studies that can be completed remotely.
Levi Campus is an EU co-funded ESF+ project implemented by REDU, the Municipality of Kittilä, Lapland University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland.
