At Belman in Esbjerg, a shortage of skilled labor has led to an intensified effort to attract blacksmith apprentices. The company is working strategically to reach both young people and their parents, including through fairs, events and its own initiatives. The goal is to dispel prejudices about the blacksmith profession and secure more hands for a developing industry. This is what Business Esbjerg writes.
– We try to be visible in as many places as possible. For example, we just participated in Dit Karrierevalg. Here we had the opportunity to meet a lot of young people and their parents. Several wanted to talk to us, and we made some good contacts. I am now waiting to hear from a few people I have promised a tour of, says head of production Tonny Østergaard, who is responsible for production at Belman.
Belman A/S is a Danish company based in Esbjerg. They specialize in the design and manufacture of expansion joints for industries such as power plants, refineries, the ship and steel industries, and district heating plants.
Your Career Choice is an event where companies meet students and parents to talk about educational opportunities.
According to Tonny Østergaard, events like Your Career Choice are not only an opportunity to meet young people, but also to enter into a dialogue with their parents.
– Also because we can talk to the parents, as they often have an idea of what is best for their children. If they do not have a deeper knowledge of the blacksmithing profession, they may have a prejudice that it is hard, dirty and can cause injuries such as bad lungs. Then I tell you that we have machines for much of the hard work today, and our production is warm, clean and bright with a ventilation system that is top-notch, he says.
Special focus on the apprentice effort
Belman also participates in other initiatives such as Ude Nu Esbjerg and Fagenes Fest. Ude.nu Esbjerg is a platform that brings together learning opportunities from external environments in the municipality for daycare centers and schools. Fagenes Fest is an annual celebration of newly trained journeymen and the companies and teachers who support their education.
Right now, the company has five apprentices, including adult apprentice Simon Nielsen, who is one year away from his journeyman's certificate.
- I have ADHD and could never sit still in school. It took me a while to find the right shelf, but I love the blacksmithing profession. It's great to use both your hands and your head and be allowed to think a little outside the box, says Simon Nielsen, an adult apprentice at Belman.
For Tonny Østergaard, the most important thing is that the apprentices have the desire to learn and can show up on time. He sees it as a shared task in the industry to train new craftsmen.
- Of course, we could stop taking on apprentices and save that time. But we have a shared responsibility in the industry to attract and train as many craftsmen as possible. We would like to take on that responsibility, he says.
Belman continues to prioritize apprenticeship efforts and is working hard to increase the number of apprentices in the future.
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