- The member benefits are there to be used
"The benefits of being a NITO member are many. Which benefits are best for you? Bjørn Selnes-Volseth encourages other engineers and technologists to join NITO and use the good membership benefits.
He has an engineering degree in renewable energy, and works at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at NTNU in Trondheim. Here he works with the operation of labs related to the department's activity on battery technology. Selnes-Volseth also heads the NITO group at NTNU.
- My everyday life is quite varied, it is full of activities and constantly new challenges. A good part of the time when you are a union representative is spent talking to people, with my members, and making sure to have a good dialogue with the management," he says.
The company group board he chairs consists of eleven union representatives who in turn work for more than 300 full-time NITO members.
- Very often it is about salary, working environment or professional issues. Salary is an important issue for the members, and even though salary negotiations can be demanding, I experience good strength in our community.
Which professional network suits you?
- If you have a technological background, or are an engineer, then NITO is the organization for you, you should join, says Selnes-Volseth.
He himself is interested in the professional network, especially in battery technology, AI and energy. He encourages all members to find the professional networks that best suit them. For him, NITO membership is about more than just subjects
"The academic community and professional networks that NITO offers are important. It's about having someone's back, both in good times and bad. Someone who can speak for you.
With NITO's back, you always have someone to talk to, preferably if something is unclear or if you encounter conflicts.
Bjørn Selnes-Volseth
Many advantages
You can also get legal help in matters other than work-related matters. Selnes-Volseth has himself used legal first aid when he got into trouble with a developer who went bankrupt in the middle of a house project. He felt that the lawyer via NITO gave good advice.
- The security of being able to discuss your case with someone who has legal expertise was invaluable and the lawyer could quickly clarify whether there was something to proceed with legally or if there were other things I could do with the case.
He is also happy to say that in addition to legal assistance and having a union representative in the workplace, the membership gives you access to courses, events, career advice, CV and application help and also a wide range of financial membership benefits.
- Choose security and community through NITO, and get good prices on insurance, good bank agreements, discounts on sports equipment and several other benefits in addition, he says.