Welcome Hub Agder (WHA) recently had the opportunity to participate in two key events focused on attracting and retaining international talent.

Copenhagen: International Citizen Days, 26th-27th September 2024

WHA alongside representatives from the Arendal Municipality, visited Copenhagen for International Citizen Days, an event that has grown significantly over the years to more than 5,000 participants and 160 organisations this year. With 23% of Copenhagen’s citizens having an international background, the city has become a hub of cultural diversity and talent integration.

"Copenhagen’s commitment to welcoming international talent is inspiring, and it’s exciting to see that we in Arendal are offering similar services, just on a smaller scale. We are on par with major metropolitan areas like Gothenburg, Bologna, Barcelona, Helsinki, and Brno in terms of our activities and services", said WHA's Tonje Holand Salgado who attended the event. 

This visit has inspired WHA to bring back new ideas and initiatives as Arendal embarks on its own journey to become a more inclusive and globally connected city.

Utrecht: Cities for Talent, 2nd-4th October 2024 

WHA also participated in the Cities for Talent event, hosted by the Utrecht International Center in the Netherlands. This gathering brought together 24 international centres and government organisations from across Europe, all focused on talent attraction and retention.

"Collaborating across Europe through networks like the European Talent Alliance and attending events such as Cities for Talent is invaluable. These platforms allow us to stay close to emerging trends and learn from each other.” said Salgado who was also at the event. 

Through engaging workshops and insightful exchanges, these events have given WHA valuable tools and strategies to strengthen our own talent retention efforts. However, to continue attracting international talent, a greater collaboration between businesses, local municipalities, and regional authorities is needed. Together, we can create a region that international talent not only wants to move to but also stay in the long term.

WHA is excited to implement these learnings and continue to foster a welcoming environment for international talent in the Agder region!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact: 
Tonje Holand Salgado
Email: tonje@welcomehub.no  

Last week, Morrow Batteries officially inaugurated its cutting-edge battery factory in Arendal, a milestone event as it marks Europe’s first gigawatt-scale factory for Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.

In attendance to officiate the ceremony was Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. In his speech, Støre drew parallels to industrial pioneer Sam Eyde, who "opened the gate to the world" when he set the hammer in motion at Nes Jernverk, putting Agder on the map as an industrial hub exporting goods to Europe and beyond. Today, Morrow is reimagining these gates with a workforce from 29 nations, highlighting the power of human collaboration in driving the innovation crucial for the green shift.

Morrow is a key partner for Welcome Hub Agder (WHA), which was established following Morrow’s decision to set up in Arendal in 2021. WHA supports international talent relocating to the region, helping them navigate local systems, secure housing, and build social networks. This support is essential for companies like Morrow, which rely on international expertise.

We were delighted to meet and mingle with several Morrow employees at the ceremony, especially Ramya Sri Alluri, a familiar face at WHA. She secured a job at Morrow after attending WHA’s job start course for spouses in March this year.

Congratulations Morrow! We look forward to our continued collaboration to make Agder an attractive place for international talent to thrive and stay. 

What motivates companies to recruit internationals? What strategies and support have companies put in place to address the challenges of integrating international newcomers? What needs do internationals have and what challenges do they face in trying to settle down in Agder?  

These are just a few of the many pertinent questions that were raised at the recent Recruit Project  workshop held at Welcome Hub Agder. The research project is aimed at addressing the challenges of the labour market in Agder through cross-sector collaboration. The end goal is to enhance the region’s attractiveness to and competitiveness for skilled professionals. 

As such, the workshop focused on the journeys, needs and challenges faced by companies as they try to navigate the complicated process of attracting and more importantly retaining international talent. At the same time, the workshop also shined the spotlight on the obstacles that internationals themselves face in trying to settle down and integrate in Agder.

In attendance were presenters and representatives from several companies and organisations in Agder and Oslo including Agdering, Agder Fylkeskommune, Morrow Batteries, Norse Atlantic Airways, Gard, Byrådsavdeling for kultur og næring (Oslo), Cisco (Oslo), Invest in Agder, Eyde-klyngen, Hands Fund, Innoventi, MHWirth, Noroff, Tekna, The Network Sørlandet, UiA, Viking and also internationals and accompanying spouses. 

Key takeaways from discussions at the workshop on the challenges of recruiting international talent are that:

• current recruitment processes are often outdated and follow traditional methods which translate to not including international talent in companies’ search and/or selection process
• there is a lack of discussions around the value of hiring international talent, at both a local and national level
• language barriers pose significant challenges for internationals who work for companies where the main language used at the workplace is Norwegian
• most companies have limited in-house resources to provide settlement support for new hires

Internationals, on the other hand, highlighted two major challenges that they face when settling down in Agder:

• finding employment for accompanying spouse
• establishing a social network 

The lack of job opportunities for spouses and concerns about the overall well-being of the family are the two push factors for internationals leaving Agder. 

Solutions offered to address these challenges included:

• implementing an onboarding programme for internationals and their families 
• introducing a buddy programme for new hires within the organisation 
• organising social events and activities outside of working hours

Attendees left with a better grasp of a wide range of complex issues and received valuable insights and some clear and actionable steps to help improve the hiring and retaining of internationals. If a diverse and inclusive workforce is indeed the goal, then it is now up to society at large to find solutions and more importantly effectuate these solutions with sincerity and some urgency. 

If you would like to know more about how your business can get involved in this project, contact Ingvild Jensen at Agdering. 

Contact: 
Kamachi Ruthramurthi-Nilssen
Email: kamachi@welcomehub.no  

Welcome Hub Agder is delighted to introduce and welcome our new team members, Tonje Holand Salgado and Tove Hardaway. 

Tonje will be the driving force behind one of our key initiatives - the Talent Hub programme. The programme comprises courses and seminars devoted to helping internationals secure a job and also Agder’s very first Talent Database which allows them to register their skills and competencies. The ultimate aim of the programme is to bridge the gap between businesses seeking diverse talent and the skilled internationals eager to enter the job market.

"By welcoming newcomers and showcasing our city and region, we help people thrive, build close relationships, and find meaningful jobs that foster a sense of belonging. Newcomers offer fresh perspectives and opportunities. I believe both residents and businesses in Agder need to be challenged to open their minds and arms to newcomers, both Norwegian and internationals. It all starts with a warm, welcoming smile," said Tonje.

In addition to professional integration, Welcome Hub places great emphasis on community involvement through our other new initiative - Community Hub. Tove, with almost two decades of volunteering experience, will head this project which is funded by Gjensidigestiftelsen. 

Community Hub seeks to encourage internationals to engage with local activities and social networks. Tove firmly believes that by providing opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the community, newcomers experience a key aspect of Norwegian life and go on to build lasting connections.

“I love to see people thrive and connect through volunteering work. I believe this initiative will generate networks and long-lasting friendships, and a wish to stay on and  live in Agder forever,” Tove said. 

With a bigger team of professionals from diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences, Welcome Hub is better poised to empower international talent and support their integration into the vibrant community of Agder. 

“As we look to the future, our focus is on promoting the wealth of international talent already residing in the area and facilitating connections between these individuals and local businesses. With these initiatives, Welcome Hub Agder is committed to creating a welcoming environment where international talents can thrive, contribute, and feel at home,” said CEO of Welcome Hub, Megan Strand.

Contact: 
Kamachi Ruthramurthi-Nilssen
Email: kamachi@welcomehub.no  

The Community Hub will launch three new projects open to both internationals and Norwegians this year. 

This follows a recent workshop it conducted which brought together people interested in participating in volunteer projects. 

Participants from 15 different countries showed up to share their thoughts and interests and settled on three projects to work on - Salsa Classes, Cooking Classes and Hiking Trips.

Efforts to get the classes up and running are now underway. Project Manager of Community Hub, Tove Hardaway says there is a fair bit of work to be done but everyone is excited to see the projects take shape. 

“Together with the participants, we are now organising committees to undertake the necessary arrangements to get these projects up and running. This includes scheduling sessions, securing resources, and marketing these classes. We all can’t wait to see these classes take off,” says Hardaway.

The Community Hub is Welcome Hub Agder’s latest volunteer initiative aimed at connecting internationals and Norwegians through fun-filled activities that also help internationals to build a social network. By doing so, internationals moving to Agder will have a more fulfilling life and be encouraged to stay for the long run. 

Contact
Tove Hardaway
Email: tove@welcomehub.no