Hundreds apply for Sweden’s only advanced hydraulics training programme

A unique hydraulics training programme at the ITH vocational college in Örnsköldsvik attracts over 300 applicants annually, as Sweden’s only provider of advanced technical training in the field, reports public broadcaster SVT.

The 8–18 month programme, offered both on-site and remotely, has seen rising interest in recent years amid strong industrial demand for skilled labour. Graduates specialise in assembly, maintenance, or design, with a focus on hydraulics—a technology using pressurised fluids, typically oil, to generate mechanical force in heavy industrial applications.

Jon Sandström, CEO of ITH, highlights persistent labour shortages in the sector. “There’s a constant need, especially for our hydraulics training. It’s severely understaffed, and we’re the only institution in Sweden offering this level of technical education,” he said.

Andreas Bylin, a current student with prior industry experience, chose the programme for its local availability and alignment with his background in automation. “The training was here in Örnsköldsvik, so I didn’t need to relocate,” he explained.

Industry expansion in the region has intensified competition for skilled workers, with companies increasingly investing in their own vocational training to meet demand.