Minister for Employment and Gender Equality Visits Norden in Kalmar
During a visit to Norden Machinery in Kalmar, the Minister of Employment and Gender Equality, Mrs. Eva Nordmark, learned about the manufacturing of tube filling machines – as well as how to match skills to available jobs in a traditional Swedish industry.
The Swedish Ministry of Employment is responsible for issues and matters concerning the labor market, labor law, and the work environment. Fair working conditions and equality in working life is a priority for Norden Machinery, situated in the new facilities at Snurrom alongside the E22 highway, and employing 300 people in Kalmar.
“When we get a chance to cooperate with Swedish high schools and universities, it is always interesting for us to push the need for high school technical training programs and Civil Engineering programs in our region,” says Mary Winblad, HR Manager at Norden. “When students come to visit Norden they get a chance to experience a modern industry environment, learning about which type of tasks one could be working with as a Norden employee.”
The Minister showed great interest in the perceived challenges around recruiting for technical jobs, as well as specializations such as automation engineers, which are needed when the machines reach a higher level of automation. The feedback is positive: there are jobs, and the challenge for the employer is to attract both newly graduated and experienced workers to the industry.
While touring the premises and testing her skills in operating a tube filling machine, Minister Eva Nordmark, was joined by colleagues from the City of Kalmar and members of Norden Management team.