Spokesperson of the Employment Service, Milda Jankauskienė, says that in order to attract the necessary specialists, it is very important to understand that it is not enough to offer them a job.
“Employers should publish very specific job offers, with clear guidelines regarding financial and career prospects. And the authorities must assess that the returning person decides not only the job, but also the place of residence, school or kindergarten, the employment of other family members or health issues. An emigrant has to make an important decision, and nice promises do not help him make a decision.” , the interviewee talks about the importance of a complex approach.
Returning emigrants could boost regional economies
Mr. Jankauskienė says that at the beginning of this year a study was published on the significant change in emigrants’ attitude towards returning to Lithuania: “Currently, up to 55 percent associate the future with Lithuania”. emigrants. That’s 15 percent. more than three years ago. It is also interesting to note that those who have lived abroad for more than 10 years and had many opportunities to integrate into another country are more likely to consider returning.”
In the report, the interviewer emphasizes that more and more people who dream of returning would like to settle not in big cities, but in the regions: “Compared to the previous survey, 2.2 percent of those who want to live in big cities decreased by 2.9 percent. the number of people wanting to live in the region is increasing. »
Kaunas district is one of those regions where not only jobs are recorded, but also population growth. District Mayor Valerijus Makūnas says that according to the latest data from the Registration Center, the Kaunas district has already reached 113,000 inhabitants. population limit.
“It is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country. In 2022 alone, we grew by almost 6,000 residents. The growth is due to both birth rates and migration, both internal and international. When the war broke out in Ukraine, we took in around 2,500 war refugees.
Our compatriots who previously worked abroad also return and willingly settle in the Kaunas region, they usually choose accommodation in the municipalities of Užliedų, Domeikava, Karmėlava, Raudondvaris,” the interviewer rejoices.
The object of attraction is the Kaunas SEZ
Among the main reasons why working and living in the Kaunas region is becoming extremely attractive, V. Makūnas cites the fact that the largest free economic zone (LEZ) is located here, the press release explains.
In Lithuania, where world-famous companies such as “Continental”, “Hollister Incorporated”, “Hella” operate.
“About a hundred local and foreign companies are located in the LEZ, employing more than six thousand people, and the total value of investments in the projects reaches 1.35 billion. Eur.”, says the mayor of the Kaunas district.
And he is happy that the SEZ will become a center of attraction: “Although currently the majority of workers in the SEZ are residents of the city of Kaunas and the Kaunas region, a number of workers also come from municipalities of Jonava, Raseiniai, Kaišiadorių and Vilnius.”
Shayan Ali, director of the companies “Continental Automotive Lithuania” and “Continental Autonomous Mobility” located in the Kaunas SEZ, assures that the company is indeed looking for specialists both outside the Kaunas region and outside the country. According to him, the company already has around 800 employees.
“We promise to continue growing steadily by a few hundred employees each year to reach the goal of 1,500 employees,” – the interviewer shares his long-term future plans. And there are a number of such companies in Lithuania.
The greatest value lies in qualified employees
Naming the reasons why the company decided to invest in Lithuania, Sh. Ali mentions both the business-friendly environment and the scientific potential. But above all he emphasizes that people are the greatest value: “Here, employees are not only qualified, but also motivated to work and improve in the technological field.”
It is true that even the most sought-after employers are not always able to find workers in certain fields very quickly.
“We are really facing difficulties in finding quality control and facility maintenance specialists. There is also a great lack of experienced engineers and technicians capable of working on the maintenance of production facilities,” explains the interviewer.
And he says that the company is looking for specialists both outside the Kaunas region and abroad.
“Together with my colleagues from other electronics manufacturing companies, we calculated that taking into account all our projects, we see that the Kaunas region would need several thousand additional electronics workers. This prompted us to re-evaluate our strategies and to seek new ideas to contribute to the development of the specialized technical knowledge necessary for our operations.”
Vytautas Petružis, General Director of the Kaunas SEZ Management Company, is convinced that foreign direct investments really contribute to the positive demographic indicators of the Kaunas region.
“The fact that the population is increasing in the Kaunas region is of course not only the merit of the companies operating in the Kaunas SEZ, but also the result of the policy of the entire region. Finally, we have “an environment and conditions that motivate competent specialists to return to the Kaunas region and from abroad. Since companies located here create high value-added production, they can offer competitive salaries, which exceed elsewhere the Lithuanian average, as well as attractive career opportunities,” explains the interviewee.
It is true that the mayor of Kaunas district does not hide that the rapid expansion of the SEZ creates certain challenges for local residents. This is why the municipality invests as much as possible in infrastructure and seeks joint solutions with the managers of companies operating in the SEZ, on how to improve it.
“More than 2,500 new places for kindergartens have already been created, stadiums, schools are being renovated and new educational institutions are being built,” he says.
V. Makūnas emphasizes that the profits of companies established in the SEZ are not limited to investments, job creation and payment of taxes, but also benefit local communities: “Companies buy a lot of raw materials, long-term services and assets. More than a third of these needs are met through local suppliers, who in turn contribute to the economic growth of the region and the entire country. »
Source: The Delfi
