Address
Eurydice Swedish National Unit
Universitets- och högskolerådet/The Swedish Council for Higher Education
Physical address:
Universitets- och högskolerådet
Solna strandväg 68
SE-171 54 Solna
Postal address:
Universitets- och högskolerådet
Box 4030
SE-171 04 Solna
Tel: +46 10 470 03 00
E-Mail:
Website
2026
Better conditions for vocational training
Published 17 March 2026
The bill contains proposals for amendments to the Education Act (2010:800) which, among other things, aim to strengthen cooperation between school and working life and improve skills supply.
The proposals entail the following.
Vocational examinations are introduced to improve pupils' opportunities in the labour market. Education in vocational programmes in upper secondary school and in the national programmes in upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disabilities shall include a vocational examination instead of a high school project, if such an examination exists. There shall be an opportunity for students in upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disabilities to complete a high school project instead of a vocational examination even when there is an examination. Vocational examinations shall also be available in municipal adult education.
In order to be able to offer a wide range of education, it will be possible in upper secondary schools and upper secondary schools for pupils with intellectual disabilities to outsource tasks relating to teaching in vocational subjects to a public authority within the school system, and not just to an individual natural or legal person. Vocational exams in these school types, upper secondary school work within vocational education and upper secondary school work in upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disabilities will also be allowed to be outsourced.
Students on individual programmes in upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disabilities will have the right to continue their education.
The amendments to the Education Act regarding expanded opportunities for outsourcing and the right to continue education in upper secondary school for pupils with intellectual disabilities will enter into force on 1 July 2026. Other amendments to the Act will enter into force on 2 July 2028.
For more information (in Swedish)
2025
More paths to working life
The inquiry notes that many students lack eligibility for national programs in upper secondary school and are not given the same opportunities to learn a profession. At the same time, many employers state that it is difficult to find workers with upper secondary vocational qualifications.
Therefore, the inquiry proposes, among other things, that upper secondary school should be supplemented with new vocational programmes that primarily target students who are not eligible for the current vocational programmes. The students should mainly study vocational subjects.
The inquiry also proposes that the content of the new vocational programmes should be less extensive and correspond to approximately two years of full-time studies in today's vocational programmes. However, the education should be completed over three years. This gives students more time for learning.
The report will now be prepared within the Government Offices.
Centralised admission to higher vocational education programmes
The government has commissioned the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education (MYH) to conduct a feasibility study on a common system for application and admission to higher vocational education.
Today, each education provider has a separate application system. This means that a student needs to apply for education from each education provider, and that a student can be admitted to the same higher vocational education from several different education providers. The lack of coordination in the application process creates problems for both the applicant and those who are to admit applicants to the education. For example, there is a risk that places will remain empty because students will be admitted to education that they do not start.
Therefore, MYH has now been commissioned to propose how a common system for application and admission should be designed. The assignment also includes investigating whether the centralised admission system for higher education can also be used for higher vocational education.
2024
Change profession as an adult - a reformed adult education and a new vocational school for adults
In order to broaden the range of vocational training for adults at upper secondary level, the Vocational Development Inquiry proposes, among other things, that a new form of education be established within the public education system. The form of education shall be called a vocational school. The vocational school must have its starting point in the higher vocational education model and not be part of the school system.
The starting point in the higher vocational education model means, among other things, that the working life that is in need of specific vocational skills should be able to influence which kind of education will be provided. Working life must have a great influence in terms of educational provision and content. Working life also has a great responsibility by assisting with co-financing in the form of, for example, offering internships and supervision in connection with learning in a work environment.
The vocational school must be a complement to other vocational education for adults at upper secondary level. The investigation concludes that the main target group for the vocational school will be adults who want to change careers and/or strengthen their position on the labor market. The vocational school is considered to be attractive to those who want to transfer with the help of the student finance for transition and retraining.