{"id":36501,"date":"2025-06-18T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/artiklar\/new-statistics-show-the-way-forward-for-skills-provision-in-northern-sweden\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T10:06:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T09:06:54","slug":"new-statistics-show-the-way-forward-for-skills-provision-in-northern-sweden","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/artiklar\/new-statistics-show-the-way-forward-for-skills-provision-in-northern-sweden\/","title":{"rendered":"New statistics show the way forward for skills provision in northern Sweden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"En flygbild av en stad p&#xE5; vintern. Ovanp&#xE5; bilden ligger en skylt d&#xE4;r det st&#xE5;r En plats f&#xF6;r alla \" class=\"wp-image-33474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-1-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"published-date\">Publicerad 08:30<\/p>\n    <p class=\"lead-text\">Northern Sweden is facing a massive recruitment challenge that will require tens of thousands of new jobs to be filled in the coming years. A new data-driven analysis and collaboration tool, developed with support from the European Social Fund, is now key to addressing this challenge. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch the video about coordinated skills provision in rural areas<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Koordinerad kompetensf\u00f6rst\u00e4rkning i glesbygd\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gCP1zsKdV5A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p>47,700 new jobs and 39,000 education and training opportunities. That is what is needed by 2026 to meet the skills provision needs of both the public sector and the business community in northern Sweden. These are the figures calculated by a new statistical tool developed as part of the project \u201cKoordinerad Kompetensf\u00f6rst\u00e4rkning i Glesbygd\u201d (Coordinated Skills Provision in Rural Areas, KKIG).   <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-512x768.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a suit using a laptop computer.\" class=\"wp-image-33472\" style=\"width:310px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-512x768.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-67x100.jpg 67w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2595-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin Bergvall is the head of the municipal collaboration association Akademi Norr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>\u201cNow, for the first time, we can see the full picture of the skills needs in our region. This allows us to prioritise the right initiatives and work strategically,\u201d says Martin Bergvall, head of the municipal collaboration association Akademi Norr. <\/p>\n\n<p>Thanks to financial support from the European Social Fund, which is administered by the Swedish ESF Council, Martin Bergvall at Akademi Norr, in partnership with the Lapland Municipal Association, has been able to work wholeheartedly on developing a tool and a work process for mapping skills needs. By collecting data from 27 municipalities, 30 business offices and Region Norrbotten and Region V\u00e4sterbotten, a clear picture has now emerged of what is needed to meet the challenges. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThere is a lot of talk about the three major green industries in northern Sweden, but what we saw in our survey was that 14,000 jobs need to be filled in the public sector by 2026 \u2013 and that&#8217;s just here in northern Sweden,\u201d says Martin Bergvall.<br\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-grid\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Akademi_Norr_-2556.jpg\" alt=\"Karin Erkki and Martin Bergvall  \">\n      <figcaption>Karin Erkki and Martin Bergvall  <\/figcaption>\n    <div class=\"image-grid-row\">\n    <div class=\"image-grid-left\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Adademi_Norr_-2632.jpg\" alt=\"Karin Erkki, Project Manager\">\n              <figcaption>Karin Erkki, Project Manager<\/figcaption>\n          <\/div>\n    <div class=\"image-grid_-sidebar\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-47-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Kompetensarena Norrbotten (Skills Arena Norrbotten), another project supported by the European Social Fund and run by Region Norrbotten, will now use the tool in its work to ensure the region&#8217;s labour force is sufficiently skilled. Project manager Karin Erkki explains that the statistics previously available \u2013 from sources such as Statistics Sweden and the Swedish Public Employment Service \u2013 were not useful because they could not be broken down sufficiently locally for the small municipalities and towns in the north. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cNow we have a tool that allows us to see exactly which occupational groups need to be prioritised, and that makes a huge difference when we plan education and training initiatives. In addition to mapping needs every two years, starting in September 2025, we will create a platform that makes the results visible to those who work with education and training coordination and population growth,\u201d says Karin Erkki. <br\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"block-image\">\n          <div class=\"block-image-background\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Akademi_Norr_-2619.jpg)\"><\/div>\n              <q class=\"block-image-title\">In Norrbotten, 265 nurses with basic training are needed by 2026. At the current rate, it would take 19 years to meet that need. <\/q>\n      <\/div>\n\n<p>Martin Bergvall gives a concrete example of how the tool reveals serious shortcomings in skills provision:<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIn Norrbotten, 265 nurses with basic training are needed by 2026. At the current rate, it would take 19 years to meet that need. This is completely unsustainable, and it is precisely this type of reasoning that we need to put forward. Thanks to support from the European Social Fund, we have now been able to create a platform for innovation and collaboration on the specific challenges facing rural areas.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n<p>A key part of this work is cross-border collaboration. By municipalities, regions, education providers and employers joining forces, new opportunities for data-driven solutions are created. And the data collected can be useful in several ways, according to Karin Erkki.  <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIt can be used as a basis for national actors to take concrete actions, as well as a lobbying tool at the EU level, for example when applying for rural development support or other grants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"A river flowing through a snow-covered forest.\" class=\"wp-image-33484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.esf.se\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Glesbygd_Akademi_Norr-22.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"infobox bg-with-white-text\" style=\"background-color: #124261;\">\n      <h2 class=\"infobox-title\">Fact box \/ Koordinerad Kompetensf\u00f6rst\u00e4rkning i Glesbygd (KKIG) project<\/h2>\n  \n      <div class=\"infobox-text\"><p>KKIG is a collaborative project involving Akademi Norr and the Lapland Municipal Association. The municipalities involved are Arjeplog, Arvidsjaur, Dorotea, G\u00e4llivare, Jokkmokk, Kiruna, Kramfors, Pajala, Lycksele, Norsj\u00f6, Sollefte\u00e5, Sorsele, Storuman, Str\u00f6msund, Vilhelmina, \u00c5sele and Skellefte\u00e5. The project works closely with Lule\u00e5 University of Technology, Ume\u00e5 University, Mid Sweden University, the units of the non-profit organisation F\u00f6retagarna in Norrbotten, V\u00e4sterbotten, V\u00e4sternorrland and J\u00e4mtland, Region V\u00e4sterbotten&#8217;s Unit for Education and Knowledge Development, Norrbotten municipalities, Vinnova, various vocational education actors such as Lernia, FEI, Medlearn, and others.  <\/p>\n<p>The project aims to strengthen the operational capacity to coordinate efforts relating to higher education among the actors in the geographical area. The overall objective is to give men and women living in our rural areas better opportunities to participate in higher education, give our municipalities and companies better opportunities to recruit educated personnel and thereby reduce the consequences on the labour market caused by sparsely populated geography. <\/p>\n<p>KKIG was launched in January 2023 and concluded in December 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n  \n                          <a class=\"arrow-link-wrapper mt-4\"\n         title=\"l\u00e4s mer om projektet i v\u00e5r projektbank\"          href=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/projekt\/koordinerad-kompetensforstarkning-i-glesbygd-2\/\"\n         target=\"\">\n                <div class=\"arrow-link\">\n                      <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 14\">\n              <g transform=\"translate(2751.553 -2040.461)\">\n                <path d=\"M1423.483,3895.065l6.453,6.454,6.453-6.454\" transform=\"translate(-6636.377 3477.381) rotate(-90)\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#124261\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"\/>\n                <path d=\"M-2734.859,2047.445h-16.694\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#124261\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"\/>\n              <\/g>\n            <\/svg>\n                  <\/div>\n\n                  <span class=\"bold\">l\u00e4s mer om projektet i v\u00e5r projektbank<\/span>        \n        <\/a>\n\n                              <\/div>\n<div class=\"landingpage\">\n                <div>\n        \n        \n                  <ul class=\"landingpage-links landingpage-links-boxes two-column\">\n                                        <li class=\"landingpage-link with-description\" \n                   \n                      style=\"background: #bfdde3;\" \n                                >\n                \n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/socialfondsprogrammet-esf-2021-2027\/#D:-%C3%96ka-kapaciteten-i-den-glesa-geografin\">\n                  <h2 class=\"landingpage-link-title\">22 February 2022 Programme Area D<\/h2>\n\n                                      <div class=\"landingpage-link-description\">Initiatives are aimed at the sparsely populated regions of Upper and Central Norrland and are intended to contribute to strengthening local and regional structures and to development and collaboration between different organisations.<\/div>\n                                  <\/a>\n              <\/li>\n                                        <li class=\"landingpage-link with-description\" \n                   \n                      style=\"background: #e0e7d0;\" \n                                >\n                \n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/utlysningar\/?Fond=ESF%2B&amp;Programomr%C3%A5de=D&amp;Status=%C3%96ppen\">\n                  <h2 class=\"landingpage-link-title\">See open calls for proposals in programme area D<\/h2>\n\n                                      <div class=\"landingpage-link-description\">Here you will find all open calls for proposals in programme area D in Upper and Central Norrland. Join us in strengthening capacity in sparsely populated areas in northern Sweden! <\/div>\n                                  <\/a>\n              <\/li>\n                      <\/ul>\n              <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"daexthefup-container\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"daexthefup-container daexthefup-layout-side-by-side daexthefup-alignment-left\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-post-id=\"36501\">\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-feedback\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"daexthefup-title\">Hj\u00e4lpte informationen dig?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-buttons-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-yes daexthefup-button daexthefup-button-type-text\" data-value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-button-text\">Ja<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-no daexthefup-button daexthefup-button-type-text\" data-value=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-button-text\">Nej<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-comment\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-comment-top-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label id=\"daexthefup-comment-label\" class=\"daexthefup-comment-label\"><\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-comment-character-counter-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"daexthefup-comment-character-counter-number\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"daexthefup-comment-character-counter-number\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-comment-character-counter-text\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<textarea id=\"daexthefup-comment-textarea\" class=\"daexthefup-comment-textarea\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Hur kan vi g\u00f6ra sidan mer hj\u00e4lpsam f\u00f6r dig?\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmaxlength=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t400\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"><\/textarea>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-comment-buttons-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"daexthefup-comment-submit daexthefup-button\">Skicka<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"daexthefup-comment-cancel daexthefup-button\">Avbryt<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefup-successful-submission-text\">Tack f\u00f6r din feedback!<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watch the video about coordinated skills provision in rural areas 47,700 new jobs and 39,000 education and training opportunities. That is what is needed by 2026 to meet the skills provision needs of both the public sector and the business community in northern Sweden. These are the figures calculated by a new statistical tool developed &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":33483,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_helpful_pro_status":1,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[313],"class_list":["post-36501","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-en-plats-for-alla"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/36501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esf.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}