Meet Sanna Eriksson, studying at Campus Piteå to become a competence coordinator.

Meet Sanna Eriksson, studying at Campus Piteå to become a competence coordinator.

Sanna Eriksson is studying at Campus Piteå to become a competence coordinator. Here she comments on her studies, how she found her way from Gothenburg to Piteå and what she wants to do in the future with her new knowledge.

What are you studying at Campus Piteå?

I’m studying to become a competence coordinator, a one-and-a-half-year long vocational programme. The programme is offered in both Piteå and Skellefteå, so about half my fellow students study in Skellefteå.

What’s the best thing about the programme?

What attracted me to the programme was that it’s a relevant and necessary program for community development. It provides an in-depth picture of what’s happening in society and what will happen, which gives me an added value in my private life too, in my music and life in general. Other positive things are that this is the only programme in Sweden with this specialisation, and that we have good teachers and are an amazing class.

You come from Ånn but chose to study in Piteå. What made you want to come here?

After nine years in Gothenburg, where I studied at the School of Music, freelanced, and worked, I felt it was time for something new. I wanted to experience winters with snow and living in a smaller town nearer people and connections. I also have family and friends in Piteå, so I didn’t start from zero.

Has it been important for you to study at Campus Piteå, with all the opportunities on offer here?

It’s been difficult during the pandemic, but now when everything is opening up again, I’ve started accessing what’s available at Campus Piteå a lot more. The idea behind Campus Piteå is really important, I think – creating a wider context and that not every programme and activity becomes its own separate island. It creates more opportunities for cooperation and innovation when people with different perspectives meet. I’ve also noticed that you can create a network faster in a smaller town like Piteå, because there’s less distraction along the way. It’s worthwhile.

Do you like Piteå as a town?

I like it a lot. To feel at home, the most important thing to me is to find a social footing with people who share my values and interests. And I’ve found that. There’s still a lot left to discover. I’d like to experience more of Norrbotten’s mountains, all the cosy summer cafés and to get to know more people behind the initiatives that make Piteå such a great town.

What do you want to do once you’ve finished studying?

I suppose that’s what’s both exciting and challenging about my studies, that they create a lot of opportunities. There’s a lot happening in Norrbotten right now, and I’m open to ending up in a lot of different places: it could be in the private sector, the independent sector, or the public sector. My dream would be a job where I get to be creative, work alongside people and have a positive impact on society. I see my studies as a new channel for my social involvement. Now that I’ve got more tools to work with, I want to end up in a workplace at the cutting edge of these issues where there is a will – and the courage – to become involved.

Would you consider staying in Piteå?

I’ll stay here to start with, then we’ll see how things go. An advantage with vocational programmes is that there’s a local connection with the business community and there are more people here who know us competence coordinators and what skills we provide. What we study is relevant and becoming more and more sought after, so that’s positive when it comes to future work opportunities. I feel a strong commitment to the north of Sweden, so to participate and further advance its development feels both beautiful and exciting.

What would you tell someone who’s thinking of studying the same as you?

If you are attracted by the idea of a programme that doesn’t offer any ready-made answers, where you’re allowed to be creative and pick your own way, I’d say: go for it!