Andreas Ludvigsson, staff scientist in Vilhelmina:

"I enjoy short decision paths and variation."

Personal Scientists Andreas Ludvigsson thinks it is fun and stimulating to think freely and that the decision paths are shorter in a smaller municipality such as Vilhelmina. You can quickly connect with the entire organization, including managers, the variety of tasks is large, and it is easier to drive through changes.
Vilhelmina is not as small as you can believe.

At the HR department in Vilhelmina Municipality, Andreas Ludvigsson has worked as a staff developer since August last year. In a small, tight team, he works primarily with supporting managers. He feels that the roads and contact areas are shorter in a small municipality like Vilhelmina than in larger cities.
All possible questions may arise from recruitment ads to legal affairs. Sometimes you need to create a dialogue between different parties to help them move on.

At the time of interview, Andreas is moving to a new role in the department as a quality and skills strategy, which he is looking forward to a lot.
"It will mean even more problem-solving, which suits me well because I am also technically interested," says Andreas, who thinks the best thing about the job is to help solve different problems, especially when he can deliver over expectation.

From Tvärålund to Umeå, Sigtuna and Gothenburg

Andreas was born in Tvärålund a few miles west of Umeå. He tried various studies in Umeå and Sigtuna before joining Gothenburg, where he was employed in retail. There he had different roles before becoming the department manager at Fazer Confectionery as a sales specialist. He enjoyed the job but felt something was missing.

"The winters in Gothenburg are rainy and dark, and I realized that I longed for real winter with snow and cold that we have up here in the north.

Andreas then took leave and moved up to Umeå, even though he didn’t know what he wanted to do.

"First half of the year I did nothing, thinking about becoming an engineer, but then looking for the staff science program at Umeå University. When I started studying in autumn 2021, it felt right.

William surprised positively

During his internship at Region Västerbotten, Andreas had a supervisor who had previously worked at the municipality of Vilhelmina. She was also a trained staff scientist and mentioned the benefits of working in a smaller town like Vilhelmina, especially for someone who is newly graduated. Getting the chance to try out different tasks is especially valuable when you are newly trained, says Andreas.

"It sounded good, so I told my cohabitant a little joke; we may be prepared to move to a smaller municipality in the hinterland.

Sambon Charlotte, who was pregnant and had a job as a leisure leader, was not entirely on the notes, says Andreas. So the service appeared, Vilhelmina Municipality sought a staff developer, and Andreas did not want to miss the chance. After reasoning back and forth around different solutions, the couple decided to try.

We went there on a summer day to feel. Vilhelmina city center was bustling that day, lots of tourists and movement everywhere, not what we expected. We were both positively surprised.

Hunting and Fishing Biggest Interest

Andreas went in advance and tried a couple of weeks before the family, now extended with a small daughter, switched a second in 60 squares to an entire townhouse for about the same monthly cost. They enjoy, and feel that people are genuinely friendly and welcoming. The couple regularly hang out with their neighbors as they quickly got to know.

A hello here really means something. You get to know people in a completely different way.

After parental leave, Charlotte has started working as a teacher at the resource school. The anchor, which is a primary school for students with special needs. It wasn’t planned, but she has really enjoyed both the students and colleagues since day one.

Närheten till skog och fiskevatten är en stor anledning till att Andreas drogs till inlandet.
–Mina stora intressen är jakt och fiske. Närheten, att kunna gå iväg och fiska efter jobbet är oslagbart. Jag har Baksjön på baksidan av huset och går bara ner över gräsmattan till sjön. Det hade jag inte i Umeå. Jag har promenadavstånd till jobbet och att åka och handla är ingen stor grej som det kan vara i större städer. Egentligen behöver jag ingen bil, skulle kunna cykla överallt, säger Andreas som inte saknar något.

–Här finns flera välsorterade butiker, Grönlunds är en favorit när det behövs lite tips eller något för jakten eller fisket. Och skulle jag behöva shoppa något mer är jag en flitig näthandlare.

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Text: Monica Wiksten Gideonsson
Photo: www.ricke.se