Agnete, aged 5, waits at the gate when mum comes to collect her from Svelgen nursery school in Bremanger. Fortunately, Maja Vedvik works just a stone’s throw away. It saves time in a hectic weekday as a parent of small children. A proposal from the municipality can give parents even more room in the weekday: 100 per cent pay for 80 per cent work – for parents of small children with municipal jobs. – Personally, it would of course have been great with a reduced position. But for the municipality and society, I think it will be a very difficult proposal, says Vedvik. If Agnete does like the rest of the young people in the municipality, she will move away in ten years. Photo: Håkon Vatnar Olsen / news Shortage of people In Bremanger in Vestland, they have enough money. People are worse off. The municipality, with a population of around 3,300, has many vacancies, particularly in health and care. – The aim is to make it easier for people to apply for the positions. We believe that this type of measure can contribute to that, says mayor Anne Kristin Førde (Ap). If the scheme comes to fruition, the hope is that they will have a net plus with labour, according to the mayor. Photo: Ole Kristian Svalheim But if the scheme is introduced, they will start uphill. According to Fjordenes Tidende, there are 63 municipal employees with children in kindergarten. 50 of them work full-time. If the 50 lose their jobs, the municipality will lose ten man-years overnight. – It is not actually a solution to the staffing crisis that we should work less, says Vedvik. Bait in District Norway Almost all municipalities in the districts stated in 2022 that they have schemes to increase immigration and prevent immigration. * Higher wages: 118 municipalities * Paid education: 78 municipalities * Housing allowance: 78 municipalities * Offer for rental housing: 71 municipalities * Relocation allowance: 61 municipalities * Schemes linked to working hours: 31 municipalities * Subsidization of services: 42 municipalities * Cancellation of debt: 11 municipalities Source: Ministry of Local Government and Districts Almost all young people move away Almost all 15-16-year-olds move away from Bremanger when they finish primary school. Namely, they do not have secondary school. Many disappear for good. – They will come back again when they have retired. We are an attractive municipality for pensioners, because we deliver good services, especially in health and care, says the mayor. Of the 3,378 residents in the municipality, only 295 are in their 30s. Wind and water power, industry and aquaculture mean that Bremanger has money on its books. There are fewer and fewer people to share them with. Photo: Håkon Vatnar Olsen / news In District Norway, it is quite common to lure with financial carrots to keep the municipalities alive. – But I haven’t heard of anyone else using this variant, says director Marit Mellingen of the District Centre. KrF proposed earlier this year to give full pay for 80 per cent work for everyone with children under the age of three. 200,000 for house building The municipality already has several schemes to attract people. Free kindergarten, for example. You can also get NOK 200,000 to build a new house. Workforce from temporary councilors keeps the ship afloat, as at Svelgen care centre, where Vedvik works as a nurse. The nursery is new in Svelgen, and there is room for several children. Photo: Håkon Vatnar Olsen / news The 41-year-old is himself a newcomer to the municipality and comes from northern Norway. – Tinder is no obstacle. I worked as a nurse in Hammerfest. And when you live in Finnmark, you must have Tinder within a 160 kilometer radius. Then my future husband worked on a platform 80 kilometers out to sea. And suddenly I’m sitting here. The emigration from Bremanger * The municipality has 3,378 inhabitants * 631 of them (18.6 per cent) are in their 20s and 30s * In 2000, 4,170 lived in the municipality * In 24 years the decline has been 19 per cent * In 1980 the population was 5287 * In 44 years, the decline has been 36.1 per cent Source: Statistics Norway A recruitment initiative Oslo, Stavanger and Hammerfest are among municipalities that are trying out full pay for 80 per cent positions as a recruitment initiative in the nursery sector. Alta wanted to go the same way, but the board sent the proposal back to the administration with instructions to find other solutions. In Hammerfest, the municipality received good numbers of applicants for vacancies at Kvalsund kindergarten. Professional responsible for the kindergartens in Hammerfest municipality, Unn Wenche Slettvoll, says nevertheless that it is too early to draw conclusions. The trial period of three years will show whether it pays to continue the initiative, or whether it should be extended to other nurseries. – At the same time, we will look at sickness absence and staff density in this nursery versus other nurseries in the municipality that do not have this arrangement, Slettvoll says. Believes in other measures In Bremanger, Vedvik believes that other measures are better for getting people to the municipality than letting people work less. – Everyone must bring out their inner northerner and make a little more noise about the place here. The most important thing is to tell how good it is here. – We have lots of pleasant people and lots of vacancies. So it’s just for people to come here. When we have got enough people, then we can start looking at 80 per cent work with 100 per cent salary. Whether Vedvik and other parents of young children will be allowed to work less, the politicians in the municipality must decide before the end of the year. Published 08.10.2024, at 15.51
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Bremanger will give municipally employed parents full salary for 80 percent of the position – news Vestland
