Now we're back at work with a great fall ahead of us. Full of new opportunities! Before we went on vacation, one of the highlights was to showcase Dalarna's faith in the future and entrepreneurial power in Almedalen. Back at work, we see how Dalarna continues to develop.
But for all this development to be possible, we need more people to establish themselves in our county. As part of the work to attract more people to our part of the country, Dalarna Science Park has commissioned a national attitude survey among 25-35 year olds about their view of Dalarna as part of the "Attractive Industrial Region" project. The answers we received give us many thought-provoking insights that we want to share with you. One thing is certain - it is now the challenge of all of us to contribute to an upgraded image of Dalarna. So much has changed in our county in recent years, but we have collectively been bad at telling it.
In the survey, more than 1,000 people aged 25-35 years, spread across our country, were asked how they see Dalarna. It is gratifying that we can see many positive associations about our county. Dalarna is seen as a scenic, open and welcoming place that offers security and warmth. But the survey also confirms what we have long suspected - the 25-35 year olds surveyed do not see Dalarna as an innovative place with career opportunities, nor as a place with confidence in the future or as an attractive place to live.
Open and welcoming, but no job opportunities!
When we ask residents outside Dalarna, the survey shows that they have little knowledge of which companies are in Dalarna and the respondents give us a bottom ranking among seven selected regions in terms of which are considered to have a strong labor market with exciting job opportunities. At the same time, it is precisely exciting job opportunities that respondents highlight when we ask what would make Dalarna more attractive and thus be a reason to move to Dalarna.
Hitachi and SSAB are the industrial companies that are perhaps best known among those of us who live in Dalarna. Among those surveyed outside Dalarna, knowledge of which companies are in our county is very poor. The answer that has the most impact is "don't know". The survey thus shows that awareness of career opportunities is low.
Gunde Svan and Kalle Moraeus are the personalities associated with Dalarna. At the same time, Dalarna is described with words such as calm, happy, warm, traditional, nature-loving, pleasant, old and cozy. Positive associations that give us a good foundation but leave more to be desired.
We need to think about how we want to be perceived
As Dalarna grows at a rapid pace, it is important that we are able to attract a workforce that meets the demand from businesses. To make this possible, Dalarna must be attractive in more ways than just being a scenic county. We need to attract process engineers and automation electricians, but it is equally important that we can continue to grow in industries such as hotels and restaurants.
How do we create attractiveness for Dalarna from an employer perspective? We need to think together about what the future associations with Dalarna should be. Perhaps broaden the image and tone down the knee bones and violins and instead highlight our technological development, entrepreneurship and innovation. Together with companies such as Hitachi, SSAB and Northvolt, which are leading the way in the green transition, we can create a new attractive image of Dalarna.
Read the survey yourself!
/Angelica Ekholm, CEO Dalarna Science Park
Read about the work of the Attractive Industrial Region project here
