New fast-track programme for foreign workers

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find enough workers from EU countries to meet the current staff shortage in the Faroes.

To solve this problem, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been looking at expanding the labour mobility agreement between the Faroes and the EU to include the rest of the world.

A big step was made yesterday when the Faroese and Danish trade ministers signed a fast-track programme for workers from outside the EU.

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This is good news for many Faroese employers, who have for years been calling for easier access to workers from outside Europe.

“With this new programme, the processing time for work permits for workers from outside of the EU will be cut down from 6-9 months to one month. This is great for us as it will provide a much steadier workforce,” explains Hjørdis í Dávastovu, HR manager of shipping company Smyril Line.

“Initially, we will be targeting workers from the Philippines. They speak good English, which is important to us, and many of them have the required certificates to work on our ships.”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.