Dalarna shares talents
Collaboration rather than competition – this motto has been the cornerstone of Dalarna's study visit initiative: here talents are shared. Over the semesters, technology leapers throughout the region have been able to visit several different companies, meet colleagues and learn more about what the engineering profession has to offer in other workplaces.
The originator of the initiative is Frida Björnbom, HR Partner at SSAB.
"In Dalarna, we are quite good at collaborating between different companies. We think it is better to collaborate than to see each other as competitors, especially when it comes to skills supply. We started this because we want to show our Tekniksprångare that there are an incredible number of exciting companies in the local area, so that they will understand that Dalarna is a good place to live if you want to make a career.
Erik Olsson, who made Tekniksprånget at Ovako, knows that it is possible to live in Dalarna. With no connection to, relatives in or even having been in Dalarna before, he packed his bags and moved up all the way from Skåne. The fact that the employer offered accommodation was crucial in his case.
"I've enjoyed it so much. Now I know what I will continue to study and work with in a way that I did not do before. It has introduced me to an industry that virtually no one talks about down in Skåne, which I am very grateful for.
Alma Eriksson, a technology pioneer at the Swedish Transport Administration in Dalarna, agrees that the internship has opened doors.
"The internship has been wonderful, it has given me a sense of belonging, experience and purpose that the school has never been able to achieve.
Alma Eriksson also believes that it was refreshing to see other workplaces, for various reasons. Partly to see what other professions there are, but also because it gives a chance to reflect on one's own job.
"I think the study visits are useful for us technology leapers, because otherwise it's easy to get very locked in where you sit and get a fairly narrow picture of just one engineering area. The study visits allow us to open our eyes to other things and both see what else there is, but also reflect on and realize what we ourselves have worked with and learned so far.
"I think there is everything to gain from working together," says Frida Björnbom at SSAB.
According to her, it gives a chance to showcase one's own business while also being an opportunity to be inspired by others. Other companies and also Dalarna University think it is a brilliant opportunity to show off to young talents. Frida Björnholm is convinced that it will have a positive effect throughout the region.
"I think this collaboration is a pretty good result of how the business climate is in general in Dalarna; We like collaboration.