Bonus for many

“The only people with a tighter labour market than civil engineers are tinsmiths,” Erik Strøm at The Norwegian Society of Graduate Technical and Scientific Professionals (Tekna) tells Dagens Næringsliv (DN).

The union estimates a shortage of over 7,000 engineers in total. Consultants Sweco, risk-management company Det Norske Veritas (DNV), and Aker Solutions estimate they will be hiring 100, 1,000, and 2,000 this year, respectively.

Aker’s HR Director, Berit Bjerkåsholmen, would rather classify the hunt for engineers as a “battle”, rather than a “shortage”.

“We used to upsize when we won a project, but now wish to stay ahead,” she says, informing the paper several companies in the group have also used internal incentive schemes to obtain qualified personnel.

French oil service company Technip’s Norwegian arm paid one of its personnel 10,000 kroner after hiring his friend from Iran on recommendation. Technip has 450 employees.

“Last year’s bonus was [also] very good,” the employee says.

Managing Director Odd Strømnes argues the practise allows the company to hold on to the best heads. Technip is also hiring from abroad, including Spain and Portugal.

“We are a large concern and can compensate for the situation in Norway by recruiting from places where the labour market less active,” he says.

A problem for others

Engineers are also abandoning ash-hit and cash-strapped cooler Iceland, amongst the 4,340 moved off the island last year.

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration’s (NAV) Eures (EURopean Employment Services) also helps businesses recruit qualified staff. 13 travelled with them to last weekend’s job fair in Reykjavik.

Advisor Ragnhild Synstad, says “We had to turn half a dozen of them down.”

Katrín Júlíusdóttir, Iceland’s Industry, Energy, and Tourism Minister, admits the island faces a huge challenge.

“An extremely high number of young, skilled people have moved and several more want to. We are completely dependant upon having inhabitants with the right qualifications to build the island up again to how we would like it to be.”

Analysts predict unemployment will be at 10 percent for the next few years, according to DN.

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