Miestyön Osaamiskeskus is a competence center that conducts research, carries out development projects and offers training programs related to men’s issues, reinforcing the competence of professionals working with men. Research on men and male specificity is at the heart of its operation, and the center aims to communicate the knowledge gained from this research by organizing training, seminars, and lectures.
The objective of the competence center is to reinforce the competence of the social, health care, educational and youth work sectors in working with and encountering male customers. This is done by carrying out training and development projects together with various co-operative networks.
Development
The competence center is active in developing male specific practices. The objective is to bring coherence to the field and to find new ways to support men and their local communities. This is done by carrying out training and development projects within the association as well as together with various co-operative networks.
Development at Miessakit ry is linked to the implementation of our evaluation and monitoring strategies. By evaluating and monitoring our operations and units we gather data that help us develop our operations. We also use the data to produce reports and in training programs.
Training
Miessakit ry organizes training, seminars and lectures whose aim is to reinforce the competence of professionals and students of the welfare sector and other individuals in supporting the wellbeing of men. The training covers several themes including working with men, how to encounter male customers in welfare services, fatherhood, divorce support, violence/aggression and men’s peer activities.
The goal of our training programs is not only to offer concrete suggestions for improving encounters with men but also to develop the participants’ understanding of male psychology. The training programs also focus on the themes related to male customers in welfare services and the possibilities of integrating male specific practices into the core operations of organizations.
Training is available in the form of single themed sessions, interventions whose aim is to develop the male specific practices of working communities, and our training program.
Themed training sessions and lectures are short presentations focused on how to support the wellbeing of men. The content of these training sessions is usually focused on professional interaction with men or on male specific crises.
Interventions involve developing methods that help working communities to develop their services so that they are more accessible to men. Together with the client, our experts chart the current situation of the community and help develop practices geared specifically for their working community. Typically, clients approach us when they notice a need for developing their operations, for example, in order to increase the number of men in their customer base or to strengthen men’s commitment to their services.
In 2022–2023, Miessakit organized a training program centered on recognizing needs specific to men, encountering men as clients and creating male specific services.
The program was built upon a solid foundation of practical experience of working with men; Miessakit ry has worked to promote the wellbeing of men since 1995.
Training is organized by our competence center (Miestyön Osaamiskeskus) in co-operation with our different units.
If you are interested in training or further information on working with men, contact us.
Contact information
Joonas Kekkonen
044 751 1331 | miestyon_osaamiskeskus(at)miessakit.fi
