The industry in Dalarna, Värmland and Gävleborg have similar challenges and opportunities when it comes to securing the industry’s needs for skills and manpower. Collaboration can help to create an attractive industrial region, and several initiatives are underway in North-Middle Sweden to move forward. “It is important to meet the existing need for competence,” says Christer Rosén, who is involved in a new adult training programme to train sawmill operators.
Industrial companies are in a situation of increased urbanisation, globalisation and digitalisation, which brings new skills needs. There is also an imbalance between labour needs and supply. In addition, the population is ageing and competition for labour is intensifying. Several initiatives are underway at different levels in North-Middle Sweden to help the industry solve the competence equation.
Adult training for sawmill operators
Christer Rosén, Project Manager at Ala Sågverk.
In Gävleborg, concrete measures have been taken to address the need for sawmill operators. This is because 2,500 new sawmill operators will be needed in Sweden by 2025.
“This is partly because many sawmill operators have retired, but also because the technology has developed so much in recent years. You have to learn the new technology, but also have basic knowledge when the technology doesn’t work,” says Christer Rosén, project manager at Ala Sågverk, which is part of the Stora Enso Group.
He is involved in a new adult training programme in Söderhamn, which has been launched under the leadership of Helsingfors’ training association in collaboration with Stora Enso and STT to meet the need for sawmill operators. The training lasts for about one year and alternates theory and practice.
“The participants in the training have spent several weeks in each department with us. Among other things, they have deepened their knowledge of sawing, processing and sorting. The training has been highly appreciated and similar training courses are underway in different parts of the country. It is important to meet the existing need for competence,” says Christer Rosén.
Broad-based interventions
An example of a broad initiative in competence development is Kompetenskraft Industri NMS. The three-year project started in 2023 and is run by the IUC companies in Värmland, Dalarna and Gävleborg, with funding from the European Social Fund. Among other things, the project enables small and medium-sized industrial companies in the region to receive help in mapping out skills needs, finding suitable training courses and receiving financial support to implement them. The project covers various areas of expertise relevant to the industry, such as digitalisation, automation, robotics, lean, sustainability, work environment, leadership, marketing and business development.
Attractive workplaces for more people
In Värmland, the Attraktionskraft Värmland, project is underway, the purpose of which is to strengthen the industry’s supply of skills by providing tools and knowledge to create inclusive workplaces. The project is run by Region Värmland in collaboration with municipalities, industry organisations and the business community. Billerud is one of the companies involved in the project. It is a world leader in paper and packaging materials, with a strong commitment to sustainability.
Emma Lindgren, HR Business Partner at Billerud.
“Across the industry, issues around gender equality and inclusion have become a ‘hygiene factor’. I see the Attraktionskraft Värmland project as a huge opportunity to gain more knowledge myself, but also to spread it among my HR colleagues, managers and employees in our company. It feels very valuable, a long-term thinking in how we can become better at these issues,” says Emma Lindgren, HR Business Partner at Billerud, in a film.
Model that benefits companies and academia
Another example of ongoing initiatives comes from Dalarna University of Applied Sciences and Gävleborg University of Applied Sciences. This is where KTP – Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, a collaboration model in project form for companies and academia, is taking place. The model involves a recent graduate carrying out a strategically qualified development project in areas such as product, market and process development or energy efficiency. During the project, the participant receives market-based salary, where the company pays half and the remaining part is financed by project funds from the European Development Fund. And the model produces results: no less than 80 percent of KTP project managers continue to be offered permanent employment at the company where they carry out their project.
Maria Swartling, Operations Manager, Sustainable Steel Region.
Maria Swartling is an operations manager at Sustainable Steel Region and has previous experience of supervising project managers within KTP.
“One advantage of this project is that the project manager has both an academic coach and a business coach who can introduce and lead the work. This provides new knowledge for both the project manager and the company. The Academy’s presence in small companies can provide a significant increase in knowledge, and through this project, companies can also recruit personnel in an area in which they are not themselves experts,” says Maria Swartling.
Another advantage she sees with the KTP project is that those who have just graduated have the opportunity to build up their own network of new contacts within the working world.
“It can take many years to build up a network. Obtaining valuable contacts directly can make it much easier to get a foot in the door,” says Maria Swartling.
Joint initiatives in three regions
Dalarna, Värmland and Gävleborg collaborate in several different ways to promote sustainable, lasting and viable development. Part of the collaboration is called Focus Industry and addresses the industry’s transformation. Based on the industry sector’s challenges and need for transformation, we see six prioritised action areas. The competence issue is related to priority focus area 2. Improve matching of companies’ skills needs and workforce supply.
