The Dormitory Town That Woke Up

What happens when a huge innovation company starts operating in a small town? What is the best way to support massive growth in the economy in a short period of time? How do you manage a workforce that grows by hundreds every month? Where are the people supposed to live? How can a small town be prepared so that everything goes well?

It's safe to say that Icelanders will get a valuable opportunity to learn from the experience of Swedes at Bransadagar, as Tore Karlsson, Director of Education, and Simon Dahlgren from Skellefteå VUX are visiting. They will give a talk titled: Skellefteå VUX/Northvolt - From “Sleepy town to the new “Klondike” on Thursday, May 16th, between 4:00 and 5:00 PM. They will go over the challenges that came with the giant company Northvolt setting up its headquarters in the small town of Skellefteå in rural Sweden. Northvolt is a relatively young company that specializes in producing lithium batteries in a more environmentally friendly way than many others and works with companies such as Volvo, BMW Group, and Volkswagen.

International cooperation in innovation and education

Helen Gray, Head of International Affairs at IÐAN Education Centre, has built relationships with the education center VUX – Skellefteå. Last spring, she received an inquiry about an Erasmus+ study visit from a special education teacher at VUX - Skellefteå. The aim of the visit was to learn about IÐAN's activities and draw lessons from our work. “Ann Charlott Nordenstam, Maria Walter, and Elin Bolander at the VUX education center were interested in continuing education, validation of prior learning, assessment and recognition of foreign education, and further cooperation. They described well the environment and challenges they were facing. They mentioned that due to the transformations their community was undergoing, they needed support to help immigrants with little or no formal educational background enter the job market in the town in childcare and elderly care, service jobs, and restaurant jobs.

I immediately informed Sigurður Svavar Indriðason, head of automotive studies, of their interest, as these circumstances the Swedes are in are something we want to learn from. They visited us in the autumn of 2023, and then Sigurður Svavar and Sigursveinn Óskar Grétarsson, head of metal and mechanical engineering studies, visited them recently.” Those interested in human resources, major technological advances in the automotive industry, and growth in industry and the labor market should not miss this lecture. Let's learn from the Swedes! Register here!