Employers in Skellefteå and Västerbotten have a limited window to recruit highly skilled international talent, many of whom are former Northvolt employees. A new municipal campaign aims to make the recruitment process smoother and help local businesses access these non-EU, highly-skilled former Northvolt staff before their three-month work visas expire.

According to a Skellefteå municipality press release, the campaign, called "Talangerna flyger"(Talents are Flying), will encourage small- and medium-sized businesses to explore trial hires of international professionals. With growing demand for skilled workers, and with these ex-employees' work visas expiring soon, there’s otherwise a risk these talents will soon leave the area for good.

To make hiring international professionals more accessible, the municipality is offering three main support measures:

• Language training: Swedish lessons will be provided for newly-hired international employees.
• Practical assistance: The municipality plans to offer administrative support to reduce the workload for employers -- the ambition is to help deal with the paperwork generated by issues such as work visa renewals or applications, or other admin-heavy matters.
• Mentoring funding: Financial aid for workplace mentorship and support for new hires is being explored to ease onboarding challenges.

The press release also says that the initiative not only aims to benefit individual businesses but also seeks to enhance Skellefteå’s reputation as a hub for highly-skilled professionals.