Attracting and retaining labor is also closely linked to settlement. Billund Erhverv's settlement coordinator Marianne K. Thomsen helps i.a. future employees in our local companies to settle in Billund Municipality. With the close collaboration with Billund Municipality, schools, institutions, real estate agents and not least the business community, Marianne can provide a service that benefits both newcomers and our companies.
One of the families who have received help to establish themselves in Billund is Tomasz and Maria Jankowski and their boy.
The Jankowski couple originally come from Poland, and they have lived in Rødovre for many years, with a workplace in Copenhagen. When the family expanded with a small son, Tomasz and Maria decided they wanted to give the child a upbringing closer to nature and away from the city noise.
They actually had a look at a place in Ringsted, but that would mean a far too long transport time back and forth to their jobs in Copenhagen. This meant that they began to look a little beyond Zealand's borders, with a job change in mind.
The pieces fell into place for the family when, after a visit to Legoland, they decided to take a closer look at Billund city and the nature around it. They liked what they saw, and could see good opportunities for both jobs and for their son's schooling and upbringing.
Since they also visit family in Poland a couple of times a year, and generally travel a lot, they saw it as a big plus that there is an international airport close by.
They quickly decided to go on a house hunt in Billund.
House purchase in Billund
In June 2020, they came to Billund for the first time to probe the market. They came back in September where they were to meet with the settlement consultant and the real estate agent. “Marianne from Billund Erhverv has helped us a lot. She told us about the school opportunities for our son and about the job opportunities - we could not keep our jobs in Copenhagen. She also explained to us about what the future looked like for Billund Municipality, about the urban development that is underway in Billund and about all the opportunities that exist in the municipality. It has been incredibly nice to be able to reach out to Marianne when we had questions about big and small, ”says Tomasz.
The Jankowski family bought, at the first showing, a townhouse with takeover on the first of December 2020.
Now things were going well for the young couple.
Back on Zealand, they resigned their positions and apartment and got ready to move to Billund. They moved into their new home at the turn of the year and already on February 1, Tomasz started in his new job at a temp agency. As a trained electrician, he did not have a hard time finding work, and already after a few months as a temporary worker, he was hired.
Maria has a degree as a waiter and barrister, and just a few months after her husband got a job, she landed a good job in the restaurant business.
The Jankowski family has now lived in Billund for a little over a year, and they have at no time regretted their brave choices.
Billund is everything they had hoped for. It is a lovely town where they feel really comfortable and where their son gets the safe upbringing they as parents would give him. They have nature close by and they enjoy taking around the whole municipality, which they think is incredibly beautiful and versatile.
“We hope that others will also open their eyes to how beautiful it can be outside the big cities. Billund has a lot to offer, and we can only encourage others who move with tanks to jump into it ", concludes Maria and Tomasz.
