Venstre calls for 1,000 new trainee posts to aid unemployed graduates

Abid Raja of Venstre pointed out that unemployment among recent master’s graduates in Norway has reached a historic high, with many sending hundreds of applications without interview callbacks. He criticized one outlet budget draft for containing no specific initiatives aimed at this group. Raja proposes that the state create 1,000 new trainee positions each year and set a requirement that a portion of new hires in public procurement contracts be recent graduates.

He emphasized that the state, as the largest employer, can facilitate entry-level experience, and that the measure would not cost taxpayers if applied to private contractors delivering services to the government. The Labour Party’s Employment and Inclusion Minister Kjersti Stenseng rejected the proposal, saying existing recruitment efforts already prioritize other groups and that the government will focus on broader labour-market needs.