Best Practice 25

The Government wants newly arrived immigrants in Sweden to quickly find a workplace that is relevant to the individual’s education and experience. At the same time, there is a shortage of labour in many industries; these are now being helped with the provision of skills through the creation of fast tracks by the Swedish Public Employment Service and the industries, to make it easier for newly arrived immigrants to establish themselves in the labour market.

In March 2015, the Government launched a first round of tripartite talks on ‘fast tracks’ with particular focus on newly arrived immigrants under the introduction system. The purpose of the talks was to work with the social partners and the Swedish Public Employment Service to identify forms and measures for making the best use of valuable skills possessed by newly arrived immigrants with education or experience in shortage occupations so that they can be matched more quickly with the needs of industries and enterprises.

The initial tripartite talks with central organisations were followed by in-depth talks with the partner constellations that had expressed an interest in forming fast tracks in their industry. Relevant government agencies, such as the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Swedish Council for Higher Education, the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education, the Swedish Forest Agency and the Swedish Public Employment Service also took part in the in-depth tripartite talks.

Objective

The aims of Fast Track are:

• • Shorten time from arrival to work.
  • Use skills in the right way – newly arrived immigrants must not only find jobs, they should find the right jobs.
  • Industries where there is a shortage of labour will get help with the provision of skills.

Fast track components

• • Swedish language training will start as early as at the asylum centres.
  • Early assessment of the experience, skills and motivation of newly arrived immigrants.
  • Validation and assessment of education and professional skills according to industry-specific requirements.
  • Vocational and study guidance.
  • Fast track and employment matching.
  • Swedish language training that is relevant for the professional area.
  • Supplementary educational initiatives as necessary.
  • Language training/supplementary courses will be combined with a work placement or job.
  • Language support, supervisors and mentors at the work places.

Sectors:

Tripartite talks have been held in the following industries: pharmacies, tourism, health and medical care, local government, industry, health and social care, transport, painting, timber and graphics companies, real estate, energy and electronics, building, forestry and agriculture.

Fast tracks in many professions

The social partners and the Swedish Public Employment Service have also produced fast tracks for a wide range of professions, for example teachers, doctors, nurses and electrical and mechanical engineers. The fast track is based on the major groups of newly arrived immigrants.

It is too early to give a general view on impact, however following programs are in implementation phase:

1)      Fast track for social scientists and social workers

The fast track for newly arrived social scientists – including economists and lawyers – means that the Swedish Public Employment Service’s various measures can be used in parallel. For example, work experience can be combined with lessons in Swedish for the workplace and a supplementary education programme at a higher education institution. To make use in the Swedish labour market of the skills of university graduates educated abroad and to ensure that they find employment that is in line with their education and experience, the social partners see the need to establish a fast track for those with an academic background in the social sciences.

The fast track for social workers targets newly arrived immigrants with a degree in the area of social work. The fast track is a combination of work experience, lessons in Swedish for the workplace and a supplementary education programme at a higher education institution that currently offers social worker education, with the aim of supplementing foreign education in social work or a closely related subject to skills corresponding to those necessary for a Swedish degree in social work

2)      Fast track for teachers and preschool teachers

The proposal for a fast track for newly arrived teachers means that the Swedish Public Employment Service’s various initiatives for newly arrived immigrants can be used and undertaken in parallel, for example by combining work experience with Swedish for the workplace and supplementary education. The fast track for teachers and preschool teachers means that individuals will be able to enter a school or preschool through work experience and employment. The fast track is being established in cooperation with the social partners – the Swedish Teachers’ Union, the National Union of Teachers, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, and Almega, the Employers’ Organisation for the Swedish Service Sector – as well as the Swedish Public Employment Service, other relevant government agencies and several higher education institutions.

3)      Fast track for professions requiring registration in health and medical care

The social partners and the Swedish Public Employment Service have produced a fast track for the twenty-one regulated professions in health and medical care. The fast track is based on the major groups of newly arrived immigrants in the area – doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists – and the goal is for the path into the labour market and a licence for newly arrived immigrants in these professions to be predictable, legally secure and as short as possible.

4)      Fast track for chefs

The Hotel and Restaurant Union (HRF), Visita and the Swedish Public Employment Service jointly created the very first fast track, which meant that newly arrived immigrants who have experience working as chefs can validate their skills in their mother tongue. Validation is carried out at a real workplace and means that newly arrived chefs undergo career aptitude assessment conducted by professional assessors who are certified to carry out validation in their mother tongue.