Suvi Ukkonen found her way to Coor through a joint initiative with the City of Helsinki aimed at helping people with disabilities to find employment. When Coor was looking for a positive and outgoing cleaner for a customer in Helsinki in spring 2023, Suvi’s professional coach suggested her for the job. The coach was there to provide guidance in the beginning, but now Suvi can do the job without assistance.

The large building where Suvi cleans contains several restaurants, meeting rooms, training facilities, office space and even a museum that tells the story of the company’s history. Suvi’s work includes cleaning and watering flowers, every weekday from seven to noon.

Everything is the best thing about the job
“I love everything about my job! The very best thing are my colleagues and I enjoy cleaning,” says Suvi. This is her very first job and she felt nervous at first. Getting up early was also a concern as the shift starts at seven every weekday, but now she is used to it.

“I was unemployed for a long time and was so happy to get a job,” says Suvi enthusiastically.
“In the beginning it was difficult to wake up early, but luckily I am always happy when I wake up,” she continues.

Suvi receives praise from her boss for her ability to learn and for how quickly she has integrated into the team. She quickly learned to find her way around the labyrinthine building and is quick to learn new methods of cleaning. Suvi’s team includes employees from many cultures and she enjoys having a chat with her colleagues in the morning when they tell her about their home countries, and sometimes offer her exotic snacks from countries like the Philippines and Nigeria.

In her free time Suvi looks after her canary, goes for walks and in the summer she plays golf. Recently, inspired by her sister, she also became interested in collecting Marimekko bowls.“I don’t think I have any big dreams for the future. I dream of remaining in this job for a long time and maybe getting another canary one day,” says Suvi.