Welcome House Skövde welcomes new Skaraborg residents

In a big window on a building right next to Skövde Travel Center is a happy, yellow robot. Inside, newcomers to Skövde and Skaraborg can find all kinds of information about events, sights and everyday life in Skaraborg. Maja Söderberg and Linda Ilsefjäll work here as guides for visitors and newcomers.

Students at the University of Skövde are an important target group for Welcome House, and it’s mostly the international students who have questions. More than 300 international students joined the University in the fall of 2024.

In addition to being able to walk in with questions during Welcome House opening hours, people can also email or book appointments for meetings at other times. And if Welcome House cannot provide them with the answer right away, it will help them find one.

“We work closely with the Skövde Municipality contact center for municipal affairs. It’s difficult for newcomers from abroad to find their way around, and Welcome House can help them do just that,” says Maja.

Career Program

International master students and partners accompanying people who have found jobs in Skaraborg are encouraged to join the Welcome House Career Program. The program is for people wishing to acquaint themselves with the Swedish labor market and expand their contact network. In a series of eight meetings, participants take part in a thorough program on the subject.  The program addresses such things as résumés, covering letters, interview processes, inter-cultural skills, labor law and the importance of the Swedish language.

“Program participants are highly educated people who live in Skaraborg and want to stay for the long term. They usually need help in understanding how the Swedish labor market works,” says Linda.

Welcome evenings, city walks and Language Lunches

Welcome evenings for new residents in Skövde are arranged four times a year, where Welcome House invites them for coffee, information and city walks. Once a month, language lunches are arranged in collaboration with Science Park Skövde and Skövde Cultural Arts Center, where people can practice their Swedish language skills.

“Participants in these activities don’t usually want to go home! We note that new arrivals here have a need to meet others in a similar situation. Our goal is to give everyone that little extra,” says Maja. 

We welcome your questions about Skaraborg

So far, Welcome House Skövde is the only one in Skaraborg, but more municipalities have already begun the process for similar setups.

Skaraborg aims to be a place that welcomes people from all over the world. If you do not live in the area today, feel free to contact our relocation guides to find answers to your questions, and if you ever swing by Skövde, there’s always a warm welcome at Welcome House!