Seamless path of moving, studying and working for Sofia, Yasir and Mohamed

Did you know that it takes four months to train as an automation operator at Campus Skellefteå? Together with the industry, VUX has developed the training, which often means a job immediately after completing your studies. Sofia Waad graduated on a Friday in October and the following Monday she made her first day at Northvolt.

- I thought, wow, this is going fast. But everything has worked out really well and I like the job very much," says the 24-year-old, who was helped by Relocate with the move from Höör to Skellefteå.

Sofia came into contact with Relocate after she received a leaflet about the programme from Arbetsförmedlingen.

- I had been unemployed since 2019 and thought, why not? When I found out I had been accepted, I quickly felt okay about moving. The training was great, the teachers were very supportive and could explain if there was something you didn't understand," she says.

Relocate arranged accommodation on campus for Sofia and helped her settle in when she arrived in Skellefteå in April. And during the summer, she signed a contract for a rental apartment in Skelleftehamn.

- I felt at home quite immediately, because even though Skellefteå is growing, it reminds me of a small Skåne town, Sofia says.

Help alongside work

It was a friend who tipped Yasir off about job opportunities at the Northvolt Ett gigafactory in Skellefteå.

- He sent me links and told me about the job and that Skellefteå is a good place to live with friendly people," says Yasir.

In Malmö, he was working as a personal assistant, but after meeting Relocate at an information meeting, he decided to move and start the VUX training to become an automation operator at Campus Skellefteå. Yasir also received help with accommodation and on arrival in Skellefteå he was met by representatives of the programme.

- I was given a lift from the bus station to my accommodation and together with other participants I was given a guided tour of Skellefteå. The people at Relocate then continued to check in continuously over the following weeks to make sure everything was working for us. It was very good," says Yasir, who started his studies in April 2022 along with Sofia and 37 others.

"Changing the world for the better"

Another of his course mates, 44-year-old Mohamed Kheiri, had moved from Stockholm to Skellefteå to train as an automation operator and he too appreciates the support from Relocate.

- They helped us on several levels right from the start. For example, we were given information about various leisure activities so that we would have something to do besides work. I try to participate in different activities and have been to language cafés and Sara Kulturhus. I also spend a lot of time at the gym and the library on campus," he says.

The automation operator training includes theory and practical elements and the teaching is mainly in English. At the end of October, Yasir, Sofia and Mohamed graduated and went straight to work at Northvolt. The plan is for Yasir's wife and two children to move to Skellefteå in early 2023.

- It is a dream come true to work at Northvolt and feel that I am helping to change the world for the better. When my 6-year-old son asks me why I'm doing this, I usually tell him that he'll understand when he's older," says Yasir.

Mohamed lives in a newly built rental apartment in central Skellefteå and in December his wife and their three children will move to Skellefteå.

- It felt exciting to move north, but I talked to the family and we decided to go for it. Skellefteå is a very nice city, just the right size, and the people here are nice and helpful," says Mohamed.

Information meetings in Stockholm

On 12-15 December, Relocate will organise information meetings in Stockholm to tell you about the job opportunities available in Skellefteå. Skellefteå is currently growing at record speed due to major industrial developments and there is a great need for additional workers. The jobs are mainly in industry, but also in areas such as schools, health care and social services.

The meetings are aimed at everyone who is registered with Arbetsförmedlingen as a jobseeker, from the recently registered to the long-term unemployed. During the information meetings, Relocate explains what support the participants can get in terms of moving, housing, education and leisure activities, for example.

Sound interesting? Read more at https://skelleftea.se/relocate/startsida/informationstraffar-och-event External link.

Facts about Relocate

Relocate is a method development project initiated by Arbetsförmedlingen, Northvolt, Region Västerbotten and Skellefteå municipality and is part-funded by the EU/European Social Fund. The aim is to develop and test methods to make it easier for those who want to move to Skellefteå to work, live and work. The goal is a long-term, sustainable transfer of skills from other regions in Sweden to Skellefteå - something that will benefit the Swedish labour market as a whole. Read more at www.skelleftea.se/relocate External link.