– We want to reward those who help us get hold of more people. That’s what Stian Nesvåg says, general manager of the carpentry company Miljøbygg in Ryfylke. The company has struggled to get hold of enough professionals. So Miljøbygg has now, together with two sister companies, chosen to think outside the box. – If you nominate someone who is employed in one of our companies, you will receive a reward of NOK 20,000. If you are a carpenter and nominate yourself, you can keep the money yourself. The project has been named “Carpenter Wanted”. The goal is to get good tips for new colleagues. – People want to be something “more”. Nesvåg believes that the craft profession has lost its status, and that this contributes to the challenges of obtaining labour. – We find that some of those who have become carpenters choose to go on to further education. I suspect that being a craftsman has no status. People want to be something more. – I don’t think people understand how nice it is to be a carpenter, says Stian Nesvåg. Photo: Willem Jacobus Leendertse / news Challenging for companies in the districts Construction is one of the industries with the largest labor deficit. According to NAV’s company survey (external link) from 2024, the industry will lack 5,500 workers. 14 per cent of the companies have serious recruitment problems. It is both about the size of the companies and where they are based, according to Trond Bjørnsen. He is a training consultant in the training office Byggopp Rogaland. – In Norway, 90 per cent of carpentry and construction companies have less than ten employees. If these suddenly get a contract for two or three detached houses with quick start-up, they need people right away. In addition, the vast majority of those who live in smaller places are local. – There are very few immigrants. It is rather the opposite. For companies in these areas, such as Miljøbygg in Ryfylke, it will therefore be challenging to get enough people. Miljøbygg and the sister companies in Ryfylke want tips. And they pay handsomely. Photo: Screenshot – Must educate local young people Kjetil Tvedt is director of competence and seriousness at NHO. He believes that recruiting local youth is crucial for companies that are far from the beaten track. He thinks the “Carpenter Wanted” project is exciting. – In the districts, you are more dependent on getting hold of local young people who are training for local workplaces. Here, they have clearly not succeeded to a large enough extent. We have to train more local young people for local jobs, and then you have to think a little differently. However, the situation is not the same everywhere. In Western Norway, there is currently a lot of new construction, Tvedt explains. – The construction industry is doing best in the west during the day. This is not something you see in the rest of the country. Kjetil Tvedt in NHO likes that companies find creative methods to get hold of people. Photo: Trond Cornelius Brekke Received several applications after bounty stunt Stian Nesvåg and Miljøbygg are well aware that the construction industry is currently doing best in the west. It is going so well that they now simply do not have enough employees to satisfy the need for carpentry assignments in the area. But, maybe it wasn’t so stupid to think outside the box in the search for new colleagues. It has already produced results for the company, which previously struggled to get a foothold at all. – After we went out on Finn and social media, we have now received seven applications in total. Published 04.08.2024, at 16.53
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Carpentry companies in Ryfylke give a bounty of NOK 20,000 to those who procure carpenters for them. – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
