Old patterns must be broken if Norrbotten is to grow
Norrbotten's skills supply requires us to reconsider old truths, break old patterns and also examine ourselves.
– We may let new people into society, but not always into our own personal sphere, says Annika Fredriksson, CEO of the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board.
Norrbotten's labor shortage is a societal problem and a threat to the green transition. Increased immigration is required to solve it. In the sub-project Attraction in the North Sweden Green Deal, the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board is working to strengthen the municipalities' ability to attract new residents and best manage interest.
– We are working now and have reached out to all municipalities. In the spring, we will put in the fifth gear and implement more ideas. It is going very quickly, but this is a way to start a journey, a development, says Annika Fredriksson.
Because Competence and Attraction are so closely linked, Annika Fredriksson participated this week when the Competence Council met at Boden Business Park. In front of the 20 members of the Competence Council, she spoke about the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board's work with attraction.
Based on the municipality's needs
The goal is for each municipality in Norrbotten to have a well-functioning reception capacity. This includes handling marketing, dissemination and receiving inquiries. The work is based on each municipality's unique needs and wishes.
– In one municipality they think it has great reception capacity, their problem is that they need to get in touch with more people. Then we can help them work with marketing. Another municipality thinks they need help building positive PR around their municipality.
Profiling and positioning is another important thing to clarify. Who is this place suitable for, what kind of life can one live here? What is the profile of the business and cultural life? What is the nature like - mountains, coast or forest?
AI as a tool
Once it is in place, Swedish Lapland will have the opportunity to use advanced AI to connect with people who are interested in our part of the world.
– We know them as tracks, pixels, cookies and know what they are triggered by. We can send out films and images that they click on, share, react to.
Through testing, they have already received feedback from hundreds of people around the world who are curious about the opportunity to work here. The attraction that can entice someone to travel can also entice a lifestyle change – and lead to lifestyle migration.
– Visitors appreciate things we are blind to at home. This attraction, this type of driving force also exists to make a lifestyle change. It is a huge opportunity.
In practice, this is about labor immigration and talent recruitment. It may be easier to get a Frenchman here than a person from Västerås. But then what? When the recruits are going to thrive and settle in – that's when we Norrbotten people really have to step up.
Needs to be more welcoming
– Our self-image is that we are welcoming and open, but do we let people into our network? Unfortunately, the answer is usually no. We let people into society but not always into our personal sphere.
If we Norrbotten people don't do our part, the big lifestyle change may just be a new job. And that's rarely enough for those who move in to start feeling at home and stay. Most of us who live in Norrbotten today probably don't want to live in a "fly in - fly out" society tomorrow.
– Some people have an overconfidence that they move for a job. For many, life is the reason for moving.
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The North Sweden Green Deal is an initiative to realize a sustainable societal transition, in the wake of the new industrial establishments.
The project is run by Region Norrbotten and Region Västerbotten together with a number of other actors. It is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Within the framework of the project, the Competence Council is taking a closer look at how the supply of competences should be resolved.
