2023
Strengthening of Swedish for immigrants (sfi) so that more people get jobs and the opportunity to earn a living
Many people born abroad are far from the labor market. Lack of knowledge in Swedish is part of the cause of unemployment. An important prerequisite for being able to get a job and have the opportunity to support yourself is to learn Swedish. It will also be important for people from Ukraine, who are in Sweden under the protection of EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, to be able to support themselves if the stay is prolonged. In the budget bill for 2024, the government proposes a compensation of SEK 29 million to the municipalities for the teaching of Swedish for immigrants (sfi) and that SEK 80 million be set aside for municipalities to be able to offer municipal adult education in Swedish for immigrants (sfi) for people from Ukraine.
Today, municipalities and education providers do things differently when it comes to mapping the student's knowledge when a student is about to start their education. Through proposals from the Inquiry on strengthened quality and equivalence within komvux for students with Swedish as a second language, KLIVA, the requirements for an accurate mapping of the student's knowledge are tightened, which is expected to contribute to a better planning of the education for the individual student. The aim is for more individuals across the country to complete sfi.
For more information (in Swedish)
2022
A new transition study grant
The Government proposed that a new public transition study grant be introduced, as part of the reforming of the labor market. The purpose of the new study support is to strengthen employees' position on the labor market through education and make it easier to adjust to working life. The adjustment study support will make it possible to study with at least 80 percent of the salary for up to one year.
The Parliament decided on the support during the summer of 2022.
For more information (in Swedish)
Validation for competence supply and lifelong learning
In the bill, the Government submits proposals aimed at validation at municipal adult education so that it would meet to a greater extent the needs that exist in the labor market and among individuals. With improved validation, the opportunities increase to utilize the knowledge that the individual has previously acquired. This contributes to a more efficient supply of skills, a faster establishment in the labor market and increased opportunities for adjustment during working life.
The suggestions are
- that an obligation is introduced for the home municipality to ensure that those who want to have their knowledge mapped for an education or for an examination in municipal adult education are offered validation
- that an obligation is introduced for the principal of municipal adult education to ensure that a student who needs validation is offered it
- to clarifiy what is meant by validation
- to clarify what is required in terms of documentation after a validation
- that a broad authorization is given to the government, or the authority that the government decides, to issue regulations on the validation of a person's prior knowledge.
The bill proposes the necessary changes to the law. The amendments to the law are proposed to enter into force on 1 January 2023.
For more information (in Swedish)
2021
Assignment to prepare for the introduction of a new state public study grant
The Government instructs the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) to prepare for the introduction of such state public student aid (adjustment study support) as proposed in the ministry memorandum Adjustment study support - for flexibility, adaptability and security in the labor market (Ds 2021: 18) so that CSN can digitally administer it from 1 October 2022. This is a new parallel public student support system.
An interim report which, among other things, contains an analysis and assessment of the introduction of the adjustment study support must be submitted no later than 15 November 2021. CSN shall finalize the assignment no later than March 31, 2022.
For more information (in Swedish)
Reinforcement to the folk high schools
Demand for study places at folk high schools has increased based on the current labor market situation. In the spring amendment budget for 2021, the government therefore proposed a strengthening of the state subsidy to the folk high school by SEK 170 million for 2021. The government has now decided on details regarding the payment of the funds.
The strengthened state subsidy to the folk high school will be used to maintain and expand the number of study places at the folk high school.
Folk high school offers a second chance for education for, among others, people who have not previously completed a secondary school education and people who are far from the labor market. The expansion of new places within the framework of the reinforcement is estimated to correspond to approximately 1,000 annual places in 2021. Target groups for the expansion may include foreign-born people who are unemployed and young people who have not reached the goals for a secondary school education.