Companies across the Helsingborg region continue to face significant challenges in finding the right skills. At the same time, highly qualified international professionals already living in the region remain underutilised in the labour market.
Reveal the Hidden Competences is designed to close that gap by connecting companies with international academic talent already present in the region. The programme supports both employers and trainees: helping companies strengthen their ability to recruit and onboard international talent, while giving trainees a better understanding of the Swedish labour market and the specific workplace. By opening up new recruitment pathways beyond traditional channels, the initiative aims to strengthen the region’s long-term skills supply.
The programme is built around one clear ambition: to strengthen long-term skills supply by creating better matches between business needs and international talent.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional recruitment processes, the programme brings companies and candidates together through structured activities, practical collaboration and direct engagement with real business needs.
MindLabs – where companies meet talent in practice
A component of Reveal the Hidden Competences is MindLabs conducted by MindPark, where companies and international talents collaborate on real business challenges. During two intensive half-day workshops, participants work with concrete cases provided by companies and present their solutions directly to employers. For companies, MindLabs offers an opportunity to gain new perspectives on their challenges, identify potential future employees and access competence that might otherwise be overlooked. For participants, it provides a chance to demonstrate their skills in a practical setting, build professional networks and gain a deeper understanding of the Swedish labour market.
Stronger outcomes for companies and talent
The programme is delivered in collaboration with Helsingborg International Connections, WOW, DreamTalent and TENT Sverige. TENT contributes with extensive experience in supporting employers in inclusive recruitment and in helping companies lower barriers and improve their processes for integrating international talent. The impact is reflected in feedback from both employers and participants. One participating company, Kenvue, highlights the value of the approach.
– Reveal the Hidden Competences has a good approach, especially when it comes to finding the right competence and allowing participants to get out into companies. That has been the difference compared to what we have experienced before, says Martina Levirinne, HR Leader at Kenvue.
Another employer, Zoégas, emphasises the importance of focusing on people rather than barriers.
– The most important thing is the individuals, their interest and willingness to become part of the organisation, says Christoffer Rosell, Factory Quality manager at Zoégas.
From a participant perspective, the programme is both professionally and personally meaningful.
– The programme professionally meant for me that I will be able to acclaim experience on the Swedish market, which I know is very important. As well as expand my network. And personally, it made me motivated and inspired to continue the work I have been doing before, because I know it matters, says Monika Orlikowska, trainee at Deep Studios.
A long-term approach to skills supply
Reveal the Hidden Competences is designed to contribute to a more sustainable model for skills matching in the region. By connecting companies with international talent already present locally, the programme strengthens both competitiveness and inclusion. The goal is not only to fill immediate skills gaps, but to build long-term structures that improve matching, broaden recruitment bases and ensure that more competence is utilised in the region. When companies gain access to a wider talent pool already present in their own region, they reduce recruitment friction, strengthen innovation capacity and improve retention of skilled professionals. Ultimately, the programme contributes to a more resilient and competitive regional labour market where both companies and individuals can grow.
Finansed by Region Skåne.
