The Intercultural city aims at building its policies and identity on the explicit acknowledgement that diversity can be a resource for the development of the society.The city of Bergen was concerned to learn the findings of a survey which revealed that the ethnic background of public employees only reflected the composition of the city's population at the lower echelons. In 2013, the City Council passed an action plan called The Future Workplace which aimed to tackle this issue, paying special attention to the role of the municipality of Bergen as employer for minorities.
Non-nationals are now encouraged to seek employment in the local public administration, and the city encourages intercultural mixing and competences in private sector enterprises. Different initiatives are promoted in this field, such economic support to the project ‘Global Future’, led by the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises, and co-partnership in the annual International Career Fair with the Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Besides, Bergen has tried to respond to requests for cultural recognition in the workplace, and now offers such services as culturally-specific funeral/burial services, women only sections and times in sports facilities and other services such as the municipal translation agency, which provides translators in more than 60 languages and special services to residents in care-homes.
