Labour Market and Recruitment

The Greenlandic workforce is flexible and well trained, although the average level of education is lower than in northern Europe.
Greenland’s central government authorizes employment from outside Greenland, differentiating between unskilled labour or qualified and skilled specialists.

The employer is responsible for obtaining a permit to employ personnel from outside Greenland. Permission to employ foreign employees is granted by the local employment office, which can also assist in finding local employees.

The Home Rule Government has initiated an effort to - at short notice - provide specially trained and skilled Greenlandic personnel suitable for assignments in major installation projects, the mining industry, etc. 

This is to ensure that foreign investors and companies can benefit from the experience of the local workforce in their Greenlandic entrepreneurial and business projects. A special training and education programme will be set up in cooperation with the employing enterprise to secure the necessary level of know-how.

In order to ensure that an adequately trained workforce is present when a project in need of skilled labour begins, enterprises are advised to contact the Department of Labour and Vocational Training at siip@gh.gl at an early stage to ensure a coordinated effort to supply the skilled workforce required.