International labor: a future investment in a green economy

International labor: a future investment in a green economy

The development of a new business area with a focus on the capture, storage and use of CO2 is a good opportunity to attract and retain highly qualified international labour. Many international citizens have a relevant educational background and an interest in working within the green area, which is why there is a great rationale for investing in international labour.

In International House North Denmark, the vision is to make the process of attracting, receiving and retaining international labor as easy as possible for North Jutland companies. This is the vision because there is a need for labor on the North Jutland labor market, and because the skills international workers bring contribute to the knowledge-based development within the green area in the region. Innovation is essential to succeed in the green transition, and innovation often arises from diversity. This diversity brings international labor into play, therefore there is potentially much to be gained by having an eye for green skills in the international workers. And if you, as a North Jutland company, want to recruit international labour, it is important to focus on the recruitment and integration process for new employees.

Investment in international labor requires a holistic perspective

International labor is an investment that can benefit North Jutland economically, innovatively and professionally. But it can bring a number of challenges. It is not only about attracting the international employee by offering the right job, but also about them being able to thrive in North Jutland both at work and in their free time and that family life works well for the individual employee. They face many challenges, everything is new and it can be difficult to navigate Danish culture and society. The challenge can be even greater when the citizen has a spouse with them, who also has to navigate the Danish job market and settle in socially in their local area. Some experience loneliness and may find it difficult to create a network. There can thus be many needs that must be taken into account in the integration process. The consequence of not seeing the citizen's situation in such a holistic perspective can be that they return home after a short time in North Jutland.

As part of CO2Vision, International House North Denmark therefore offers inspiration, sparring and guidance on attracting, receiving and retaining international labor to companies that work with the capture, transport, storage and use of CO2.

As a concrete example, International House North Denmark offers the program Spouse Space, which is targeted at accompanying spouses. Spouse Space focuses on creating relationships and networks among the accompanying spouses and partners, helping them to look for jobs and generally to be integrated in North Jutland. The participants meet every other month, and help to decide the topics and themes for the meetings.

A global challenge – a local need

It is not only from a regional perspective that there is a climate-friendly financial gain in recruiting international labour. The philosophy behind and the necessity of the green transition is global, and if you want to reduce CO2 emissions and solve the climate crisis, joint thinking between the local and global society is essential. International labor can be an important factor here. It is a good way to create a dynamic for learning, knowledge exchange and the formation of networks across cultures and national borders. In this way, international labor can become an investment in the North Jutland economy and at the same time an investment in a common planet and climate, by making use of the labor where it can make a difference.