DESIGN & COMMUNICATION
TECH & DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
STRATEGY, TALENT & MANAGEMENT
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The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
For many years, FMV has had a challenge in recruiting specialists in IT security. Thanks to the cooperation with Nexer Tech Talent, it has now strengthened its operations with 12 newly graduated engineers and systems scientists. The strategy of talent programs to secure skills shortages has now been made permanent and another program will start soon.
MISSION: TO MAKE SWEDEN SAFER
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, procures and develops equipment and services for the Swedish Armed Forces. The agency runs around 700 projects, and orders include a new submarine, a series of warships, air defence systems, improvements to the Gripen fighter aircraft and much more. The Swedish armed forces are being upgraded, and that places greater demands on FMV.
CHALLENGE
By 2026, FMV will need to recruit nearly 700 people, many of them engineers with various specialist skills. One bottleneck has long been specialists in IT security, where there is strong competition for skills.
– For many years, we have had major problems recruiting enough people with cybersecurity skills. Competition in this area is fierce,” says Sherlot Jonsson, HR strategist and head of the competence supply area at FMV.
SOLUTION
Recognising that a new approach was needed to address the challenge, FMV launched the first cybersecurity talent program in 2021 in partnership with Nexer Tech Talent. Nexter Tech Talent handpicked more than 20 candidates for the program’s 12 slots. In the final stage, candidates were interviewed by hiring managers at FMV. The selected tech talents then completed the 12-month program, which included onboarding, coaching, mentoring and a tailored IT security training package.
RESULT
After completing the talent program, all 12 candidates were hired by FMV, which has now strengthened its operations with key IT security skills. The talent program as a strategy to attract skills shortages has now been made permanent at FMV. In autumn 2023, FMV and Nexer Tech talent will start a talent program within cybersecurity.
– Nexer Tech Talent is a very professional counterpart – responsive, flexible and agile. One example of this is that we were very short of time in the start-up phase, and they helped us shorten many of our processes. We also had a situation during the program where we felt the candidates had not been given enough expertise in certain areas. Nexer Tech Talent tested their skills and put together a refresher course very quickly. We are very pleased with the outcome, and all candidates are now employed with us, says Sherlot Jonsson, HR strategist and head of the competence supply area at FMV.