EURES helps Spanish bus driver move to Norway

Jesús Ortiz says his life is now completely different after he and his family moved to Norway for work. Jesús made the move after his work for a tour operator came to an end during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘My life came to a standstill,’ he said. ‘There was no work anywhere.’

With the help of EURES Advisers and the TMS scheme, Jesús moved to Stavanger, Norway, where he now works for Connect Bus.

‘What do I think of my life in Norway?’ says Jesús, speaking in a film about his experience that was featured in the recent 31-country EURES E(O)JD ‘Today’s dream, tomorrow’s reality’. ‘It has changed 100% for the better.’ Now, he says, ‘I have it all. My family with me, I have a good job, security, I can sleep at night. Therefore, I have everything.’

EURES TMS offered both advice and financial support. ‘I didn’t expect EURES to help and support me so much,’ says Jesús. ‘There is also assistance for relocation, at a personal and family level. The support that I received to come here, my wife and daughter received it too, and it was financial. Throughout my three years of experience here, I have nothing negative to comment on. And that is why I have been happy and content here for the past three years.’

Marit Selmer, of Connect Bus, says Jesús is one of dozens of people from across Europe now working at the company. ‘At the moment there are about 70 people working with us who were recruited through EURES. It’s a small Europe. We can offer permanent positions, full time, a stable life and decent conditions.’

Bernadette Greco, EURES Adviser in Italy, says: ‘Jesús represents a concrete example of an unemployed person who was based in Spain and couldn’t find a job in his country. And then thanks to EURES TMS he found a job in Norway.’

Christine Utheim, EURES Adviser in Norway adds: ‘The TMS aims to increase the employability of workers and also tries to match them with employers in my region.’

How EURES TMS can help

TMS helps jobseekers moving for work within the 27 EU Member States, plus Norway and Iceland. It takes an active approach in tackling labour and skills shortages, helping individual jobseekers to move for opportunities elsewhere in Europe while meeting demand from employers who cannot find the necessary skills in their own country.

It provides personalised support to jobseekers aged 18 and over, and promotes fair employment. Funding is available to cover language courses and getting qualifications recognised, as well as travel and subsistence expenses.

Businesses and organisations of all sizes can apply to take part, when offering a written work contract of at least six months for jobs or apprenticeships, or three months for traineeships.

For more information, visit EURES TMS, where you can also watch Jesús’ story.

Related links:

EURES TMS

Today’s dream, tomorrow’s reality

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