Kompetensbristen inom tillverkningsindustrin : En studie som undersöker upplevelsen av kompetensbristen på organisationer inom tillverkningsindustrin belägna i Gnosjöregionen

Sammanfattning: This study aims to investigate manufacturing industries in the Gnosjö region’s perception of the skills shortage within the industry and how they experience the situation and are affected by it. The overall research question focus on examining how manufacturing industries within the Gnosjö region address the skills shortage. This is explored through breaking down the research question to examine the organizations’ understanding of the causes of the skills shortage in the region, their perspective on competence and their strategies to counteract the skills shortage. By using a hermeneutic methodology and a qualitative approach, interviews with eight HR professionals working at organizations in the manufacturing industry in the Gnosjö region formed the basis of the study’s findings. The results were interpreted based on the study’s theoretical framework and the presented prior knowledge. The conclusions are drawn from the findings and show various aspects. Causes of the skills shortage included outmigration from the Gnosjö region and a negative perception of the industry which reduces interest in working in the sector. Respondents primarily viewed competence in terms of longterm perspective and noted a redefinition of the concept of competence due to the skills shortage. Different ways to counteract the skills shortage are presented, including organization’s role in increasing interest in the industry, building of reputation to become attractive employers, recognizing well-being as a significant factor for employee retention, and approaches to competence development. This study aims to shed light on the problem of the skills shortage in the manufacturing industry, how to handle the skills shortage and provide different perspectives on competence.