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Celebrating 5 Years of Hive Helsinki

Celebrating 5 Years of Hive Helsinki

27.6.2024

A speaker presenting to a large audience at Hive Helsinki, with a screen displaying "LET'S BRING THIS TO FINLAND!" and bullet points about attitude, work-life balance, and vocational concepts. This highlights Hive Helsinki's mission to foster tech talent and innovation in Finland through its unique coding education.

Five years ago, Hive Helsinki opened its doors with a mission to change tech education. Now, we celebrate its journey and achievements, marking a milestone in innovative learning. During its five-year history, Hive Helsinki coding school has trained hundreds of programmers to meet the needs of companies, achieving top-tier employer satisfaction.

The modern reception area of Hive Helsinki, featuring a sleek, metallic desk with a laptop and a potted plant. On the left, a large screen displays "HIVE CODE YOUR FUTURE" in repeated text. To the right, a wooden door leads to a "MEETING ROOM," and a turnstile entrance is visible, depicting the welcoming and functional entrance to the coding school in Helsinki, Finland.

The Start of Hive Helsinki

Like any good story, the one about Hive Helsinki starts in a pub. This time it’s in London, where Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen meets with a friend and hears about this amazing new coding school in Paris called Ecole 42. At the moment the need for skilled coders in Finland is at a pinnacle and Ilkka finds the concept of Ecole 42 intriguing, so he decides to pursue his spark of interest. Meetings are set and plane tickets booked for a visit to this new kind of coding school in Paris.

Ilkka Paananen, a speaker at a Hive Helsinki event, stands on stage holding a microphone in front of a large screen displaying abstract white text. An audience is visible in the background, listening attentively, showcasing the engaging presentations and community events held at the tech education campus in Helsinki, Finland.

After finding the right partners to drive the project a decision is made to bring this concept to Finland, to bridge the gap between untapped talent and the growing need for highly-skilled coders. A non-profit organization is set up (backed by Supercell) and with Drussila Hollanda (current Chairwoman of the board at Hive) driving the initiative, with help of many others, Hive Helsinki is founded and starts operating in 2019.

A diverse audience at a Hive Helsinki event applauding, with many people smiling and clapping. The foreground features individuals like Drussila Hollanda and Ilkka Paananen, highlighting the engaged and appreciative atmosphere during presentations or celebrations at the tech education campus in Helsinki, Finland.

The education model of Hive Helsinki is based on the French Ecole 42 concept, which relies on self-directed peer-to-peer learning, problem-solving skills, and teamwork, without traditional teaching methods or teachers. Hive Helsinki is part of the global 42 Network, with schools in over 30 different countries.

A group of Hive Helsinki students gathered around an Apple iMac, collaboratively working on a coding project. One student is actively typing, while others lean in to observe the screen, demonstrating the hands-on, peer-to-peer learning approach fostered at the coding school in Helsinki, Finland.

An Alternative Education Path

Hive Helsinki is open to everyone, but the demanding learning method is not for everyone. On the other hand, it has provided a pathway to employment and education for those who have not found their place in traditional educational paths. Students include career changers, those who have dropped out of school, or those coming directly from secondary education. Upon graduation, Hive students have a 100% employment rate.

A group of diverse Hive Helsinki students laughing and socializing by a large window, enjoying a casual moment on campus. This image captures the vibrant and friendly atmosphere, promoting the strong community and peer interaction that defines the coding school experience in Helsinki, Finland.

In April, our 6th batch of new students started studying at Hive Helsinki. Over half of them began with no prior coding experience, and 40% of the students are non-male, an impressive proportion in the field of technology. Overall, 60% of Hive’s students were born outside of Finland, and after completing their studies, they have stayed in Finland to work. Hivers have been hired in varying fields by over 95 companies, such as Wolt, Nokia, Terveystalo, F-Secure, State Treasury, ABB and the National Opera to name a few.

A close-up of a diverse audience at a Hive Helsinki event, with individuals seated and attentively listening to a presentation. The focus is on two young women in the foreground, showcasing the engaged community present at tech education and networking events in Helsinki, Finland.

In October, we are again kicking off the next cohort which will be the 7th since the start. To this date Hive Helsinki has received over 25.500 applications and the spots for participating in the final stage of the application process have been booked in seconds. This speaks of a robust demand for career shifts and coding education.

A diverse group of Hive Helsinki students and community members socializing at an event, with some holding drinks. The modern interior features distinctive orange arched wall sections in the background, highlighting the vibrant and inclusive atmosphere of the tech education campus in Helsinki, Finland.

Adaptable technology professionals

As mentioned, behind Hive Helsinki is the game company Supercell, whose CEO, Ilkka Paananen has been a visible advocate for Hive Helsinki.

Two Hive Helsinki students presenting to a large, engaged audience in a modern event space. A large screen behind them displays images, while the audience listens intently. This scene highlights the practical presentation skills and collaborative learning environment at the coding school in Helsinki, Finland.

“The best coders graduate from Hive because the school’s selection process is so rigorous and the studies extremely demanding. Succeeding in the program requires self-direction, perseverance, and teamwork skills. Anyone can apply to Hive, which allows combining previous substantive expertise with coding. This provides great potential, for example, for entrepreneurship in one’s area of expertise.” says Paananen.

Four smiling female graduates of Hive Helsinki proudly holding their "FUTURE-PROOFED AT HIVE HELSINKI" certificates and pink roses. This image celebrates the success of women in tech education and their readiness for futureproofing careers after completing their innovative coding program in Helsinki, Finland.

A world reliant on technology and the accelerating change in the job market demand innovative and adaptable technology professionals. Hive Helsinki responds to the needs of a digitizing work environment.

A Hive Helsinki student or community member, smiling and engaging in conversation at a social event. She is holding a smartphone, with other people and elements of the modern Hive Helsinki campus visible in the background, showcasing the vibrant networking and community life in Helsinki, Finland.

“Finland needs technical experts who can develop and innovate company operations as the world changes. Hive’s exceptional education program is one solution to this need.” says Hive Helsinki CEO Emilia Puschmann.

A group of Hive Helsinki students or community members having a casual conversation around a table, holding drinks. The person in the red cap is speaking animatedly. In the background, posters with "HIVE" branding are visible, representing the relaxed and social atmosphere at the tech education campus in Helsinki, Finland.

Ensuring Hive’s Continuity

Supercell brought the school to Finland and committed to funding Hive’s concept validation phase. This included a €10 million support over the first five years, and Supercell continues to fund the school in the future. Now we are calling for new supporters to join.

A group of Hive Helsinki students presenting "Autumn 2022: Hivers 4" to an audience in a vibrant event space. The screen displays an illustration of people with thought bubbles containing gears, symbolizing collaborative problem-solving and project-based learning at the coding school in Helsinki, Finland.

“Supercell funded the pilot phase to see if the education model would work in Finland. The results have been incredible. For Hive’s operations to continue and its impact to expand, we hope to find partners to support the project.” says Paananen.

Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen and other visitors observe Hive Helsinki students actively engaged in coding and project-based learning in their modern computer lab. This image showcases a public figure's visit to the innovative tech education campus in Helsinki, highlighting Hive's contribution to futureproofing talent and digital skills in Finland.

“Over 95 companies have already recruited talent from Hive, and 98% of them consider the recruitment excellent. The Finnish business sector benefits significantly from Hive’s top talents, and we hope they will now participate in supporting the operations. The school’s funding cannot rely solely on the contribution of one company.” says Puschmann.