EXPO a step on the road to a new life – and a new workforce

In densely populated Netherlands, hundreds of thousands of people dream of a future in another country. This weekend, Norrbotten is at the Emigration Expo to meet them.

This weekend, 16 people who have made up their minds to leave the Netherlands are expected here. They are well-read, motivated and looking for the right place in the world to build a future for themselves and their families. Norrbotten is there to show them our opportunities with exciting jobs, beautiful and easily accessible nature, security, white winters and lots of space.

Under the joint name Arctic Sweden, representatives from the municipalities, the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Norrbotten Region are on site in Utrecht.

– There is fierce competition in Sweden and the world for licensed professions. So for us it is important to be on site at EXPO and build personal relationships, says Nina Ekbäck, HR Region Norrbotten.

“Our life adventure came true”

In Norrbotten, many people, couples and families who have taken the step and built a new life for themselves in our county already live and work. With us at EXPO, we have two Dutch people who have already taken the step: Gabrielle Knobbout, head of unit for the Public Dental Service in Gällivare, and Cornelis Uittenbogaard, who works with community planning in Övertorneå municipality.

– Our life adventure was realized through the move to Övertorneå two years ago, where we have now found a home. This weekend I am representing my employer Övertorneå Municipality at the Emigration Expo with the aim of attracting my compatriots to the quality of life and future opportunities that exist in Norrbotten, says Cornelis Uittenboagard, urban planner at Övertorneå Municipality.

Jokkmokk and Kiruna are two of the municipalities that have representatives on site in Utrecht.

Emigration Expo is expecting record attendance this year. The trend in the number of people moving from the Netherlands is increasing. Approximately 150 Dutch people move abroad every year. One of the main driving forces is a desire for a higher quality of life and a safe and natural environment for children to grow up in.

Popular option

Of those who visit the fair, 65 percent move abroad within two years, and Sweden is a popular option for the Dutch. Norrbotten has a shortage of labor in almost all industries. This is an attempt to bring together labor in search of a new future with a Norrbotten in great need of new residents, to show the possibilities. For the fair visitors, the meeting at our stand can be a step on the way to a decision to move that may come in a few years.

Next to the Arctic Sweden stand are LTU and LKAB. The mining company has also brought some of its international employees, including from the Netherlands.

– For us, it is an absolute necessity to look to other countries to be able to fill the recruitment needs and find the specific skills we are looking for. Since before Christmas, we have been actively working to increase awareness of LKAB in Sweden and the rest of Europe, and participating in the Emigration Expo was a good piece of the puzzle in that work, says Åse Juhlin, HR Manager at LKAB.

Fair participation is arranged within the framework of the North Sweden Green Deal project, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

Text: Sara Stylbäck Vesa

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).