Norway needs thousands of engineers

Here is an interesting article from DN.no in Norwegian yesterday. The article is quite a bit longer than the parts I've translated with the most important numbers, and even goes into a search for engineers by AF Gruppen in a contest of theirs to design a settlement on Mars, with the winner getting a trip to space as the prize. With its high quality of living index, second highest GDP per capita in the world, (relatively) easy language to learn for English speakers and all the other things that make Norway great, engineers from other countries would be well advised to keep an eye out for the opportunity to move there if they feel the urge to move to and work in another country.

The battle for engineers is fierce, and many of the largest engineering companies in Norway are showing a need for more of them. Norway needs thousands of engineers, as at the moment only about half of the engineers it needs are being trained in the country. Around 3000 engineers are trained in Norway every year, but according to a survey conducted by Nav (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization, or Arbeids- og velferdsforvaltningen) there were 6310 engineers needed in Norway in 2010.

AF Gruppen alone would like to hire about 600 engineers, preferably experienced, but they may not have a choice in the matter.

Numbers from another survey:

6 out of 10 employers in the private and public sector that recruit engineers say that they will need more engineers in the next three years, and 6 of 10 think that it will be difficult for them to find qualified engineers.

And finally the bit on Mars. You can see their website here (all in Norwegian) on the project.

The campaign "Bli med og bygge på Mars" (Join (us) and build on Mars) challenges participants to come up with concrete solutions in construction, infrastructure, transport, building, property, environment and energy for Mars..."In order for humans to be able to live and reside on Mars, we will first have to build protective capsules, after which you will be able to live in an artificial atmosphere. This is called terraforming, whereby one makes Mars into an inhabitable environment like Earth", said astrophysicist Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard in a comment on the subject.

Here's a video from YouTube on the contest:

Through the contest "Bli med og bygge på Mars" AF Gruppen invites creative engineers, students and others to participate in the development of an environmentally friendly and futuristic plans and technological solutions for the planet Mars. The prize is a trip to space.