– It is not good at all. We see how incredibly difficult it is for companies to deal with skills shortages. Many different types of roles are needed, and high school qualifications in particular are in high demand in the industry, says Anna Zedig, project manager at the Chamber of Commerce.
“School and industry must work together”
The Chamber of Commerce in Jönköping County works to be a link between schools and businesses in the county. Anna Zedig says that when they are told that a company experiences a lack or need for some competence, they always talk to the education administration in order to be able to control the training so that it corresponds to the companies’ needs. She believes that they work in the right way, but that the young people still do not apply for the training.
– We need to reach out to guardians and young people to a greater extent so that they will want to apply to, for example, apprenticeship programs. Then we need to make efforts right from primary school. Everyone must be on the track to reverse the trend.
Gnosjö upstream
There are municipalities in Sweden where there are now more applicants than there are education places.
Hear Anna Zedig tell more about it in the clip above.
In Jönköping County, Gnosjöandan’s knowledge center, GKC, has also this year succeeded in attracting young people to industrial technology. Before the re-selection period that ends today, May 10, the school had thirteen applicants for twelve places. Eight of the students were eligible, but that may change after the spring semester’s grades.
– It’s not quite as good as last year, but almost, says Martin Alkemark, head of high school at GKC. He states that it is fun for the school but boring for the industry.