1. Competence Centre of Gävle Ulf Halleryd Distance Learning Centre, The Adult Education, Gävle Municipality ulf.halleryd@gavle.se

2. Contents: Definition Background and part of a larger network Participants and collaboration partners Issues, challenges and needs Activities Feedback and recommendations from You Competence Centre of Gävle

3. Definition: Competence Centre of Gävle is a collaborative forum aimed to develop and energise the skills supply in the region of Gävle. 3

4. Competence Forum Gävleborg Background and context: Competence Centre of Gävle is part of a larger network, consisting of the county's other local centers through the platform Competence (Skills) Forum Gävleborg run by the Regional Development Council of Gävleborg. The Regional Development Council of Gävleborg is in charge of implementing sustainable regional development and founded by the 10 municipalities in the region. The aim to establish Competence Centres in each of the municipalities, is a better integration on the education system's role to the benefit of local commercial and industrial life and employment..

5. The Competence Forum Gävleborg Higher Vocational Education Supplementary Education Folk High School Contract Training Education system Working Life Trade Unions Labour Market Training Public Employment Service Employers in Public Sector Local and Regional Activities for Increasing Skill Supply Other Actors and Activities X-Vux YH Gävle-Dala Högskolenod Universities The Municipality Department of Trade and Industry Companies Upper Secondary School National Network of Competense platforms Competence Forum Gävleborg International Networks Trade Associations Local Competence centers Labour Market Actions

6. Purpose Create an arena and a systematic process where labour market and public sector stakeholders develop a clear picture of future competence needs at local and regional level. Objectives A better integration of the education system's role in order to strengthening the commercial and industrial life in Gävle by a more effective skills supply. Definition Competence Centre of Gävle is a collaborative forum aimed to develop and energise the skills supply, in the region of Gävle. Mission Initiate and support for collaboration between industry and community stakeholders. Competence Centre of Gävle

7. Participants and collaboration partners Initially Competence Centre of Gävle consists by working group of various community stakeholders with an interest in and responsibility for skills supply issues. - The Public Employment Service - The Swedish Association of Business Owners - SME - Chambre of commerce - Recruitment – and Staffing companies - University of Gävle - The Municipality of Gävle represented by Upper secondary school, Adult Education, Vocational Education, Business Unit and Executive Office. Competence Centre of Gävle

8. Some of the issues, challenges and needs  Mismatch between demand and supply on the local labour market.  Large group of people who are faraway from the labour market.  Difficulties to make companies stay in the region when they can’t find a qualified working force and the right competence to expand.  Lack of Competence Development Plans for existing employees - many companies don’t have the knowledge to do that on their own.  A lot of people will be retired in the coming ten years. How to cope with Generation-shifting and retirements?  What conditions are necessary for small businesses to grow?  Hard to find the right combination of education and work experience.  Working with attitude issues concerning education and work.  As industrial jobs disappear, also the office jobs are lost.

9. Competence Centre of Gävle Activities  Study visit to Antwerp in January 2013  A three-stage-rocket; 1. ”The Morning Couch”, February 7, 2014 2. Workshop, March 7, 2014 3. Collaboration groups 1 - 5, and a Follow up-meeting, October 7, 2014  ”The Education Opportunity”, 6 times during 2014

10. Study visit to Antwerp in January 2013 Study visit to Antwerp in Flandern, Belgium Intentions: Learn by others, get inspired and get some good advices from more experienced colleagues. Similar difficulties Collaboration and networking Clear and common goals – what’s in it for us? Bonus: A good start for us to get to know each other

11. ”The Morning Couch”, Februari 7, 2014 Subject: How to solve the labour shortage in Gävle? A breakfast event with special invited guests in order to discuss, inspire and give suggestions how we in a subsequent workshop a month later, can improve and strengthen the skills supply in Gävle. 120 participants!

12. Workshop, March 7, 2014 Subject: ”How to turn words into action?” Intentions: Pick up ideas and suggestions from The Morning Couch. Encourage and inspire the participants to form five different collaboration groups, in order to get the groups started. Can we together by collaboration “turn words into action”...? 60 participants!

13. Working collaboration groups 1 – 5 “Turning words into action” Five different collaboration groups have started their work: 1.Marketing of Gävle and its ability to attract skills and business. 2.How do we facilitate young people's entry into the labour market? 3.Entrepreneurship for new businesses 4.Inclusion and diversity - How can we capitalize on the diversity locally, in an increasingly globalized world? 5.How can we develop better collaboration between industry and upper secondary school / higher vocational school / university and other education stakeholders?

14. Follow up-meeting, October 7, 2014 The next step after The Three-Stage-Rocket; 1. ”The Morning Couch”, Februari 7, 2014 2. Workshop, March 7, 2014 3. Collaboration Groups 1 – 5, March and forward... is a Follow up-meeting, in October the 7th, 2014; What has happened so far???

15. ”The Education Opportunity” - Education open on to jobs! A meeting point for the public where they can meet employers and education/training providers, who provides the education and training the employers asks for. Arranged every “last Friday of the month” by Adult Education. So far have a lot of employers, education providers and job seekers found each other at The Education Opportunity.

16. Competence Centre of Gävle Feedback and recommendations from You? Employer engagement? How can we effectively engage employers in the workforce development debate? What is in it for them? How do we use this for wider city benefit? How do we create a win-win situation where LAP delivery reaps clear rewards for all involved? How can we transcend public / private working languages and cultures How do we help employers recognise the importance of informal skills and how do we help people communicate the value of informal skills?

17. Competence Centre of Gävle Thank you for your attention! Ulf Halleryd Gävle Municipality ulf.halleryd@gavle.se