“Facts about skill needs provide the right interventions”

Fact-based information about employers' skills needs is an important basis for Luleå Municipality to meet the challenge of skills supply. Through the collaboration in Kompetensarena Norrbotten, the municipality wants to map the needs - and translate facts into concrete measures.

Fredrik Hansson, municipal councilor, Luleå Municipality. Photo: Peder Jonsson.

In Luleå, investments are underway in industry that will increase the need for people with the right skills. At the same time, there is a shortage of personnel in more or less all professions and unemployment is low.

– Competence supply is a huge challenge that the region needs to tackle together. We need to become more numerous and grow as a county. Without the right competence, industry cannot implement its investments here in Luleå and there is also a risk that socially important functions will suffer, it is about our welfare, says Fredrik Hansson, municipal councillor for Luleå Municipality.

During the autumn, employers and entrepreneurs in Norrbotten will be asked to answer a survey about their needs for skills development, recruitment and training. The answers will form the basis for concrete measures within skills supply.

– To make the right efforts, we need fact-based information on what needs actually exist, it benefits everyone. It will be an important basis for decision-making for us as politicians and the municipality can plan relevant training with Adult Education. It also opens up collaboration between employers who share similar challenges, says Fredrik Hansson.

Survey responses lead to action

In order for the survey to lead to the right measures, employers and companies need to respond to the survey, small and large players and all industries need to have their say.

– The more people who respond, the better the basis, and a solid basis leads to more accurate measures, says Fredrik Hansson.

Text: Stina Engman, Brightnest

About the survey

The survey is digital and will be conducted in the fall of 2025, starting in October.

Here you can find more information about the survey.

Kompetensarena Norrbotten is a project that aims to manage the county's increasing skills needs as a result of the extensive industrial establishment in Norrbotten.

The project is run by Region Norrbotten in collaboration with the county's municipalities and business companies, Akademi Norr and the Lapland Municipal Association. It is funded by the European Social Fund, ESF+.