In Focus
Sustainable work for a sustainable development
The Nordic countries don’t particularly stand out when you focus on what factors create a sustainable work place. It’s all about being seen and being heard. It’s about working at a speed you can live with, and with resources and tools good enough for the task at hand. And not least – the work must be meaningful. But in a time of perpetual change, is it really possible to create sustainable work places?
Order at work is the order of the day
That’s what Eva Natka, 28, values most in her work in Estonia. ”I’ve always got a big pile of papers on my desk. When it shrinks, I’m happy.”
Norwegians hard to convince they need to work after 62
To avoid a future total collapse in the Norwegian retirement system, more people have to work for longer. That is the main message from the Norwegian Pension Commission. But how realistic is it to expect those between 62 and 66 to continue working? And do employers really want them?
Scania: A health conscious company
"People who feel well are more creative and do a better job. The result is a win-win situation," says Gunnar Hedlund, head of the health and work environment unit at the Scania buss and truck- factory in Södertälje in Sweden.
The best mix: old and young together
“We should look after our senior staff, but it is not our intention to turn Linjegods into a workplace exclusively for older workers. We must also attract the young, so that we get what we call a success mix of age groups, says Asbjørn Aanesen, who is organisational director at Linjegods.
Annette changes tack
Annette Pedersen decided she wanted to become an electrician. She simply changed tack to get out of unemployment.
Finland's special commitment to disadvantaged jobseekers
A Finnish pilot project providing special services for the long-term unemployed becomes permanent. An ambitious programme will establish 25 so-called employment service centres across the country. It is part of the government's ambition to create 100.000 new jobs during this parliamentary term.
Between East and West
“Talking about a northern dimension, it is quite easy to disregard the northernmost parts of the North, and the cooperation carried on between these parts of the countries of the so-called “North Calotte” and Russia,” Governor Eino Siuruainen of the Finnish province Oulu claims.
The Mental Bridge
Education and research in the Øresund region has created strong connections between Denmark and Sweden – but there’s a small difference.
A story of cooperation across the borders
Knowledge about the labour market and personal relations is essential whenever employment services are called for. This is even more essential when you are charged with the provision of employment in another country. The following are some of the conclusions drawn by Oili Nätynki, based on many years of experience as an employment intermediary in the Nordic countries and as a Eures consultant.
The Nordic labour market in an extended Europe
Ever since the early Nineties there has been a close cooperation between the Nordic and the Baltic countries. As the Baltic countries and Poland become members of the EU, the professed openness acclaimed by the Nordic countries through fifty years of cooperation is being put to the test.
Senior citizens must rely mainly on their own efforts
The efforts made to find employment for older people in Denmark are based on local networks run by the unemployed themselves, since they are the ones who need to achieve results. In addition, efforts are made to keep older workers employed.
Preparation for a long working life should start early
Preparation for a long working life should start early. Finnish authorities, trade unions and employers’ organizations are trying to bring about a change in attitudes that will once again make older people feel welcome in the workplace.
Norway: Investing in Grey Gold
Norway is making a conscious effort to encourage more older people to stay in work longer. This move is aimed at fighting the myth that older people cannot keep up with developments and making it worthwhile for companies to hold onto their older workforce.
Sweden: The Activity Guarantee
Being unemployed for long periods is neither good for one's self-confidence, health or psychological state. If you cannot find a job quickly, your chances of finding a job lessen. Sweden is currently making a big effort to get the long-term unemployed back to work.
The Nordic Model - will it survive?
At the start of the 1990s, the question was asked whether the Nordic model could survive. Many employers claimed that collective agreements and central bargaining were not flexible enough to provide industry with favourable enough terms. The level of organisation among employees fell. Wage earners, too, advocated many individual solutions. But the model has proved to be more resilient than many believed.
Denmark: Flexible working arrangements and sheltered employment
It is better to change the workplace than to force people into early retirement. This is the catch phrase of a reform currently taking place in Denmark. New ways of working have been introduced: flexible working arrangements and sheltered employment.
Is Volvo a car or a computer?
The Nordic countries are well advanced in the use of the new technology. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are at the forefront of Europe in terms of home PCs, Internet connections, and, not least, ownership of mobile telephones. But the lack of skilled labour can be an obstacle to continued rapid development, warn many experts.
Electronic jobs service attracts new visitors
In 1999, the Norwegian jobs website had 47 million hits. This was more than a quadrupling in terms of the previous year. In Sweden too, there is a great amount of interest in its jobs website, Platsbanken. On any day, 100,000 persons visit the site and read 600,000 adverts for jobs. The Swedish system will now form the basis for a European jobs database project.
The hunt for skills
A central feature of developments is the hunt for skilled personnel. Developments are taking place so fast that it is necessary for people to constantly upgrade their knowledge. For instance, it is estimated that there will be three generations of technology during a graduate engineering course. The various countries are now going in for skills updates.
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