Imtas Invests in Young People: “We Must Start Long Before We Advertise a Position”

At Imtas in Mo Industrial Park, recruitment is about more than filling a vacant position. It is about building expertise over time.

– If we are to have access to the workforce we need, we must start early. This is not something we can wait with, says John Eskild Hildrum, HSE Manager at Imtas.

Together with staffing and recruitment manager Jørgen Fagermo, he works systematically to secure future professional expertise.

– We have a clear goal of always having 10 percent apprentices in operations, says Hildrum, noting that they are currently above that target.

The group employs around 200 people in total, including 24 apprentices. With major industrial projects and daily services for the process industry, the demand for skilled workers is constant.

Elias Bang Ravlo (16) is a first-year student in Technology and Industrial Production and spends one day a week in practical training at Imtas. He appreciates having the opportunity to gain experience in a company already during his first year.

Starting Early

That is why Imtas invites school classes to visit, accepts applications for vocational specialization training (YFF), and has made it easy to apply digitally.

– We do not want to miss out on a potential industrial mechanic simply because he or she was not great at paperwork. What matters most to us are attitude, interest, and punctuality.

Among the placement students are 18-year-olds Martin Almli and Ian Øwre from the second year of industrial technology studies. They are now in their second placement period and have spent nearly six weeks at Imtas in total.

– Lots of friendly people. And there is a lot of fun work. Jens makes sure we get fun work. Real work, says Øwre.

Being allowed to take part in real tasks means a lot.

– It is great to see that what we do actually leads to something. It is not just about sitting around practicing, says Almli.

First-year students also get the opportunity to try themselves in the workplace. Sixteen-year-old Elias Bang Ravlo studies Technology and Industrial Production (TIF) in his first year and has been on placement one day a week since November.

– I think it is great to be here. It is more practical. What we do is actually used for something.

He feels the work placement provides a different understanding compared to school alone.

– You get to see that what you do actually matters.

Ravlo originally started in construction studies but later switched to TIF.

– I do not regret that. I see myself working in industry in the future.

Pedagogy and Responsibility

In the workshop, supervisor Jens Kristian Solhaug works most closely with the young trainees.

– It is going very well. They are skilled young people. Thoughtful and interested.

Imtas is among the companies taking in the highest number of industrial mechanic apprentices in the region. Last year, they also became one of the first companies in Nordland to offer apprenticeships in structural assembly.

– We assemble large steel and concrete structures, so structural assembly was a good fit for us. We now have two apprentices in that trade.

Elias Bang Ravlo (16), Martin Almli (18), and Ian Øwre (18) are gaining practical experience at Imtas in Mo Industrial Park. Through workplace placement, they gain experience with real work in the industry.

More Than a Trade Certificate

For Imtas, it does not stop with a trade certificate. Several of today’s leaders started as skilled workers.

– You can become a supervisor, project manager, or earn several trade certificates. Last year, we sent eight employees to project management school through the Vocational College in Viken, says Hildrum.

With a total of 24 apprentices, many placement students throughout the year, and a clear recruitment strategy, Imtas has made investment in young people part of the very foundation of the company.

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