Inflation, which in 2022 took a decent leap in the air and for several months was with price increases of approximately 10 per cent, has not been so bad that it has not been good for anything.
At Femern Agency, which is an advanced job centre in Rødbyhavn and a link between consortia, subcontractors and the unemployed, you can feel that the situation with obtaining the right workforce has improved a bit.
– If there is something positive to be found in the fact that inflation has affected the labour market, it is that, unfortunately, it also causes more people to become unemployed. But this means that there will be more qualified vacancies to recruit from, says Per Bech Grønning, head of Femern Agency.
Searching all over the country
Now the pool of unemployed people has become slightly larger, but Femern Agency also makes a great effort to make the pool even larger by recruiting not only from Lolland-Falster, but by cooperating with job centres throughout the country, especially in Eastern Denmark, to find qualified hands.
Most recently, Femern Agency, Femern Link Contractors (FLC) and the Agency for Labor Market and Recruitment (Star) entered into a Jobservice Denmark agreement.
– This means that there will be even more national attention to help with the recruitment for the Fehmarn project. We have been able to manage much of it ourselves, but the project is getting bigger and bigger, and therefore it is important that job centres, municipalities and unemployment funds throughout Denmark and not least in Eastern Denmark help find qualified unemployed people for the jobs, explains Per Bech Grønning.
Large proportion of Danes
Overall, he declares himself satisfied with the recruitment and the share of Danish labour on the project.
– It is a large international project with many large international companies, and seen in that light, I think it is going very well. Just under 40 per cent of FLC’s employees are residents of Denmark, says Per Bech Grønning.
He does not want to use the term Danish workforce, as among the 40 per cent there may be foreigners who have worked and been residents in Denmark for many years without having become Danish citizens.
Needed right now
Right now, Fehmarn Agency is particularly focused on FLC, as Fehmarn Belt Contractors (FBC) has completed the largest part of its work.
– Right now, FLC is starting up the tunnel element factory, and people will be needed for that during 2023. But I don’t know how many of those who have already been employed can be used at the concrete factory, says Per Bech Grønning.
– In addition, in connection with the fact that FLC Village is soon to be fully developed, we have helped recruit, among other things, catering and service staff, adds Per Bech Grønning.
