Girls Learning more about Technical Professions

90 girls from the 9th grade in Flora municipality, got to experience and learn more about 12 different scientific and technical professions during our recruitment day last week.

There is a growing demand for more employees in the ocean industries in Western Norway. Female technicians are in demand and most of them want to be a part of the driving force creating more future values.

Recruitment Needed

Western Norway has a very low unemployment rate. In addition, a significant part of the labour force will retire in the near future. – We are already experiencing rough competition among businesses in the ocean industries to recruit skilled people with the right competence, says Linda Sinclair Aukland in Adecco Florø.

– Businesses have to promote themselves in new ways to be attractive for young professionals seeking employement. Interesting tasks and sustainability must now be a part of the business profile, Aukland states.

Varied Professions

The occupations we presented for the pupils were structural engineer, offshore crane operator, electrician, HVAC engineer, welder, biomedical laboratory scientist, project engineer, business developer, ICT and digitalization trainee, maintenance manager, carpenter, architect and harbour master.

We arrange this event every year, in collaboration with Hub for Ocean and Flora Municipality.

– It is very relevant and useful for the pupils to meet the industry and our experience from earlier events is that the pupils are inspired by meeting female professionals like they did today, says Tone Aasrud from Flora Municipality.

Education Based on Marked Demand

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has educated a large number of students through their Bachelor programme in Underwater Technology. Two of these graduates are now working at Westcon Yards Florø as Project Engineers.

GCE Ocean Technology has collaborated closely with the university developing and promoting the programme. – It was actually Trond Strømgren in GCE Ocean Technology that introduced me to the underwater technology bachelor study when he visited my science class in Sogndal, says engineer Ellinora Høyvik Grimelid.

Engineers; Marie Stensvoll, Amalie Kalland Svardal and Sigrid Sellereite were also manning the stand. – It is important for us to meet young people and tell stories about our interesting work day, good colleagues and being a part of the expanding ocean industries.

– We hope that some of the 9th grade girls educate themselves in a technical direction, states the four Westcon Yards engineers.