Håndverksgruppen Region Innlandet in Norway recently participated in the "Career Evening" at Elverum Upper Secondary School, where they met more than 200 enthusiastic pupils from both lower and upper secondary schools. The aim was to inspire more people to choose masonry, tiling or painting and wallpapering - occupational areas for which Håndverksgruppen still needs more skilled apprentices.
Great interest in vocational subjects
At the stand of Håndverksgruppen, the students were given a thorough introduction to the opportunities available in "Masonry and tiling" and "Painting and surface technology".
- We want to show young people the career opportunities available in our companies and how useful a vocational education is. The first two years at school, followed by two years as an apprentice, can provide a solid foundation for an exciting job with us, says Marianne Hoel Twiddy, recruitment manager for Region Innlandet.
The students were particularly interested in hearing about how the apprenticeship scheme works and what opportunities there are. The recruitment films on the stand of Håndverksgruppen - where current apprentices shared their experiences - also attracted a lot of attention.
Recruitment as the main focus
Participation in trade fairs, career days and school visits is an important part of Håndverksgruppen's recruitment work.
- There's a lot of competition for students in the industry, and the effect of visiting and informing upper secondary schools is crucial to ensuring a steady influx of craftspeople into our companies. We also invite pupils to visit the company so they can get an insight into what a working day at our company looks like, says Marianne, and adds:
- The fact that young people choose the wrong educational path entails major costs for society, which is why the long-term effect of open days like this is also a preventive measure against dropping out of school.
Marianne emphasizes that the systematic work Håndverksgruppen puts into recruiting and following up apprentices is yielding results:
- Statistics show that steady recruitment efforts lead to more completed journeyman certificates. This not only strengthens Håndverksgruppen, but also the industry.
We are proud craftspeople leading the way!
