Skills supply

The move was a hit
for archer Andreas

For Andreas Häggström, his career journey has taken him north, from his hometown of Örnsköldsvik, to studies in Umeå before landing an engineering job in Skellefteå.

Here, he has found the perfect mix of a stimulating job and family life with close proximity to leisure activities - without having to turn up the heat.

The journey to Skellefteå began with Andreas studying for a Master of Engineering in Engineering Physics at Umeå University. But student life turned out to be not only a path to work but also a path to love - this is where he met his future wife Emma from Skellefteå.

It was also Emma who won the competition for a place to live, and the couple found a townhouse in Skellefteå, which they bought. In 2018, he alternated between a weekly commute to Umeå and distance learning. When his studies ended in 2019, it was time to explore the job market.

- I wanted to get my foot in the door of a company and came into contact with Adopticum, which specialises in measurement technology. I didn't have this insight before but, there are a lot of companies in the Skellefteå region that suit us technical physicists, he says.

Scholarship a stepping stone

Through Adopticum, he heard about the Sammes Foundation and their Summer Scholarship, so he applied - and it turned out to be a hit. In the summer of 2019, he won the scholarship, and the prize of running his own project at Adopticum meant a unique opportunity to further develop and put into practice his knowledge of programming and non-contact measurement methods.

- I got to develop my own project where I used a projector and a camera to add AR technology to a traditional crown game, to make the game a bit flashier using technological effects. It was a way to try something new and a stepping stone into Skellefteå's job market when this project was over," says Andreas.

He happened to be at the same lunch table as Peter Fahlgren, then owner of the IT company Complit, so after the summer he started his new job there.

- My first assignment at Complit was as a test engineer at Veoneer. There I tested one of their proprietary Lidar sensors that was to be implemented on passenger cars. It meant building test rigs and testing the system on different things, which felt very fun and just right based on my skills, says Andreas.

Chance to broaden skills

Last summer, Complit was acquired by Data Ductus - a fast-growing international IT consultancy with twelve offices on three continents.

Andreas enjoys his role as an IT consultant.

- It suits me well and because we operate in a place that is incredibly expansive, there is a wide range of assignments and it's never a problem to get new assignments. Right now I'm working on a school platform for another municipality and it's a bit more programming than I'm used to, but it gives me a chance to broaden my skills," says Andreas.

- The career opportunities are definitely good. Data Ductus is always looking for new talent, especially now that we are expanding and can take on more and more assignments, he says.

The consultancy job also offers the opportunity to work remotely from the townhouse on Morö Backe. He and his wife Emma had two twin daughters immediately when they moved up to Skellefteå, so of course a lot revolves around them.

- We like it here, it's a quiet area with the preschool nearby. It's a pleasant pace here and the proximity to all the family life makes it easier, you don't have to travel far for activities, just take the girls in the bike cart and you'll go far. We have an electric bike and it makes the city much smaller. We've discovered that there's lots to see for the whole family at Sara Kulturhus, so we're now gearing up for the Dino Delux exhibition with the girls.

Hockey referee in her spare time

Andreas has been a hockey referee at district level for 16 seasons, but temporarily put the pipe on the shelf when family life demanded more time. Now he's thinking of resuming his interest again.

- I've lived in three hockey towns and it's a fun hobby, so now I've started training a bit more purposefully this winter to be able to referee next year. Some years ago I started archery in the local archery club, it's an interest I got here in Skellefteå so now this winter I'm going to take up indoor training more frequently as well. Moving to a new place is always a social challenge but I don't think it's been a problem to find a connection here. Since we moved here, it feels like there's more of everything in Skellefteå so it feels like the whole city is moving in the right direction," he says.

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Senast uppdaterad:
2 March 2023