– I love Tromsø and really want to stay here. That’s what Azin Vedadi from Iran says. She is currently working on her second master’s degree. – But to be honest, I don’t see a future here, because it is so difficult to get a job that is relevant to my education. From her home country, she already has a master’s degree in international law. She is now doing a master’s degree in international maritime law at UiT Norway’s Arctic University. On Monday, she traveled to an event to meet potential employers. It is LO Troms and Finnmark and the organization ProTromsø that have invited companies and politicians to meet immigrants with higher education who cannot find a relevant job. Vedadi dreams of working as a researcher, and hopes to meet a company on today’s speed dating between employees and companies. – If I don’t get a job in Tromsø, I will have to apply in Canada, where my sister lives, she says. She is not alone in having little faith that the job market in Northern Norway’s largest city will have room for her. Will not get further than an interview George Menyoli from Cameroon also has two master’s degrees. One in political science from a German university, and one in peace and conflict studies from UiT. – I have many friends who have moved south to get a job, but I want to live in Tromsø, he says. George Menyoli from Cameroon has two master’s degrees. Photo: Aslaug Aarsæther / news Menyoli says that many of the people he studied with, both from African countries and the USA and Canada, wanted to stay in the city when they graduated in 2021. – After a while of job hunting, they gave up. They say that there is greater acceptance in Oslo for English as a working language, he says. Menyoli had a part-time position at the university when he was a student. After he completed his education, he has not come any further than an interview. He dreams of working with refugees in an organization such as the Red Cross or Amnesty. Northern Norway is crying out for labor In Northern Norway, companies are struggling to get the skills they need. In NHO’s competence barometer for 2022, 75 per cent of companies in Troms and Finnmark state that they have an unmet competence need to a large or some extent. This is the most in the country, but there is a particular lack of people in the restaurant and food professions, service and tourism. Lisbeth Kåberg works as a district manager in Adecco Troms and Finnmark. She recognizes the stories of highly qualified immigrants who cannot get a relevant job. Here is Lisbeth Kåberg, who is district manager in Adecco Troms and Finnmark, on a speed date with a potential employee. Photo: Aslaug Aarsæther / news – Tromsø is the largest northern Norwegian city, but we have not reached the point where you can speak English wherever you work, she says. – Isn’t Northern Norway crying out for labour? – We scream for everything possible, but the language barrier is there, she says. Large companies often set strict requirements for knowledge of Norwegian, says Kåberg. – It hurts my heart to say it, but we have a lot of people with us who have completely different jobs than they are qualified for, including people with doctorates. She still believes that can change. – Look at young people today, they speak almost as much English as Norwegian. – Have hope The initiator of the meeting is Andy Loko, who calls himself a proud drum islander from the Congo. It was love that brought him to Tromsø. Loko believed that a solid education, relevant experience and courage would get him a job. Andy Loko is the initiator of a dialogue meeting that will get more immigrants with high education into relevant jobs. Photo: Aslaug Aarsæther / news – I find it stressful. I know I have experience and can work, he says. Despite his economics education, he has a job that does not require an education. He says that many immigrants he knows who have education up to PhD level work as waiters, taxi drivers and cleaners. – There are good jobs, but it doesn’t match their qualifications, he says. He came into contact with the organization ProTromsø, which works to provide more jobs for the city. They took his story seriously and employed him in a project to work to get more highly educated immigrants into relevant jobs. He hopes the meeting on Monday can be the start of a change. – There are a lot of politicians here. They have the power to change things, so I’m optimistic.
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Immigrants with higher education struggle to get a relevant job – news Troms and Finnmark
