”Concrete Dad” Is Passionate About ”Laying Foundations” 

Bjarne K. Andersen, the production foreman at DS Elcobyg, is passionate about helping young people get started. With fire in his soul and his heart in the right place, he helps to “lay the foundations” for young people, enabling them to enter the world of work and giving them a push in a more meaningful direction.

At the risk of giving Bjarne K. Andersen a nickname, “Concrete Dad” is the first thing that springs to mind when I speak to the production foreman at DS Elcobyg. Bjarne is passionate about giving young people a good start to adult life. Indeed, he says himself that he would like to be an “extra dad” to the young EGU trainees he has employed in production.

Bjarne has taken young people who have yet to find where they belong under his wing. Those who have stumbled over countless “educational hurdles” and oceans of opportunities that were not right for them. So “Concrete Dad” is meant in the most respectful way. It is inspiring to meet someone so dedicated to helping young people find their place in life.

Uncertainty and Poor Well-being

As you can read in the article on page 12, up to 30 per cent of our young people are struggling with poor well-being. There may be many reasons for this. But perhaps things start to go wrong in our primary and lower-secondary schools, where the “race for top marks” begins, where “practical” subjects are absent from the timetable, or where the rhetoric is that you are not “ready for further education” after Year 9 if your average grades are not high enough for an upper-secondary education. Hmm, so what are you ready for? Lifelong dependence on benefits? What if you are tired of school or simply unsure?

Bjarne K. Andersen and DS Elcobyg may have a solution to that…

From the Classroom to DS Elcobyg

Many local young people who have not yet found their educational path, some with several attempts behind them, end up at FGU Himmerland in Hobro. Here, they can take an FGU, a flexible basic education programme for young people under the age of 25 who have not completed an upper secondary education and are not in employment.

They can also take an EGU, a two-year programme that includes workplace training, through which young people gain the experience and skills needed for unskilled employment or vocational education. These are the young people whom Bjarne takes under his wing at DS Elcobyg.

“EGU adviser Susanne Christensen contacts me when, for example, she is working with a young man who is not thriving at FGU and needs to try his hand at practical work. I then take him on for a trial period of a couple of weeks (I have not yet had any female applicants). If it works out, we take him on. Anton and Sebastian are currently employed through the programme. They have been with DS Elcobyg for one year and eighteen months respectively, while Christoffer has just begun his trial period,” Bjarne explains.

“The young people design the two-year programme themselves in collaboration with FGU. For example, they can obtain licences to operate lorries, cranes, forklift trucks or mobile cranes, helping to provide them with opportunities. We take on these young people because we need employees. We respect them as new colleagues and do not exploit ‘cheap labour’ – that is not what we do. We take them on because they show promise and because it is our duty to society. They need to work alongside the ‘grown-up lads’, where they can be trained for the next 50 years of working life. They should not be left in an education system with other young people who face the same challenges as they do, where they have so far been unable to succeed. We must give them the confidence to believe that they can become successful,” says Bjarne.

There Is Only Room for One Managing Director

“I fully understand that it is difficult for young people today. We put 30 pupils in a school classroom, where they all have to do the same thing, even though they do not all have the same abilities. We must not pressure them to attend school; a company only needs one managing director. There must be room for everyone, and young people should be praised for what they can do and what they want to do. There is no room for ten goalkeepers on a football team either. We should not give them false hopes or dreams they cannot achieve, but help them find a place where they can succeed.”

Bjarne Loves to “Crack Codes”

“I have not acquired any special skills for working with young people,” Bjarne explains; “it is about understanding people—you need to get to know your new colleague. Is he the tough or the sensitive type? We must never generalise; people must be treated individually. It is not some kind of programme, and I simply love ‘cracking the code’ to get behind the façade. In fact, it is easier with young people, as we ‘older people’ have developed some bad habits. We can find it difficult to learn new tricks. Bringing young people in is really beneficial—including for the older employees—we need to accommodate all types of people, as that creates the best working environment,” Bjarne emphasises.

”The vast majority of those who come here settle in quite quickly. Some need a little more leeway. We have had young people who have struggled with drug misuse or similar challenges. Contrary to what many people believe, very few of them have struggled with regular attendance. But if they do not turn up in the morning, I may well give them a call. They need to know that it matters that they are here. Of course, we have had young people who did not settle in, but after returning to the classroom for a while, most of them come back and are given another chance. I am no pushover; I can get angry, but I do not hold a grudge”.

The First Apprentice Has Been at DS Elcobyg for Ten Years

”There will always be colleagues who disagree that we should give these young people extra leeway, but if society cannot help them to function wherever they try to find their feet, then we will have to support them. It is our duty to society to give young people a chance, and I am pleased that the vast majority miss our young colleagues and ask about them when they are away from the workplace.

”You have to believe in them before you commit to it; otherwise, you should not do it. And you need to see progress both for the young person and for the company. I work for DS Elcobyg – not for the local authority. As my boss, Carsten Sørensen Kronborg, says, I cannot save the whole world. But if I can help just one young person get started at DS Elcobyg or another company, then I am happy. For example, I have helped young people overcome addiction, and I am proud of that, but my greatest reward is seeing a young man who has found direction in life – that also makes his family proud.

”It has been almost ten years since I took on the first apprentice from the production school. He is still here; he is 26 today. I am a father myself, and it is important to me that my three children do something that makes them happy – and I would also like to teach other young people that,” Bjarne concludes.

Anton Madsen

”I came from FGU and now have an EGU placement, where I will work here for two years, with the option of taking additional courses. I have obtained licences for operating a forklift, crane and lorry, and I will also be getting certificates for transporting hazardous goods and operating a telescopic handler. It is great to have so many opportunities.

I am a concrete worker, making reinforcement and steel for the moulds. I like the variety of the work. Bjarne, John and everyone in Hall 5 are very friendly.

I tried training as a mechanic in Aalborg and Randers, but it was not interesting, and Covid-19 affected everything. I then got an opportunity here at DS Elcobyg through FGU, and after a 14-day work placement, I was offered an EGU placement. I have been here for almost a year and am very happy. I will finish in June 2025”.

Sebastian Witt lund

”I have worked here for a year and a half. I am happy to be here. My plan was to become a carpenter, but now I am waiting to see whether this might become my future. I pour and level concrete.

Bjarne is a good mentor who helps me, especially after I have been away, when I may work a little more slowly. He is good at giving me a ‘push’. My foreman, Vahid, also provides excellent support and assistance. We have good colleagues who are easy to talk to.

I worked at Jem & Fix for about two years, but I was dismissed and then went to the production school. It was fine at first, but I wanted to go out and earn more money. Having a good employer motivates me to do my best”.

Christoffer Borbjerg Nielsen

”I spent two years at the production school and have just started a work placement. It is a good workplace with good colleagues. I wanted to become a metalworker, but there was too much classroom-based learning. Now I am waiting to see whether this could be an alternative. It is a completely different world.

I went straight from primary and lower secondary school into training as a mechanic, but it did not go well. I then started at the production school and tried working as a metalworker, but that did not go well either. I came here through the production school.

It’s brilliant to make something that will be used rather than simply thrown away. I’m working with Hansen here at the beginning, and it’s really good”.

About the Author

Annemarie (Fie) Baumann

With her solid experience as both a graphic designer and art director, Fie sets the visual direction for communication across the companies in DS Gruppen. With a sharp eye for design, she ensures that the visuals support the message and capture attention. Fie also brings many years of experience as both a writer and photographer, including from her time working in publishing and running her own advertising agency. Her background also includes extensive experience with visual communication for both B2B and B2C audiences.