What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
Fast Track Initiative was launched in Sweden in 2015 with the aim of introducing newly arrived immigrants with qualifications and experience in certain fields to the labour market in a time span of two years, validating their professional credentials, taking Swedish language courses and participating in professional trainings, which would allow them to find employment in their area of expertise while simultaneously reducing the shortage of labour in certain spheres.
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
In March 2015, the first tripartite discussions on the initiative began with the aim of developing an effective system of introducing immigrants with qualifications to the labour market and matching their skills and qualifications to the spheres that needed workforce.
The Swedish Public Employment Service and social partners conducted in-depth discussions to identify the measures to be taken to implement the initiative. Relevant agencies that took part in the discussions included the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Swedish Council for Higher Education, the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education, and the Swedish Forest Agency.
Fast track encompasses several components, such as Swedish language training upon arrival at asylum centres, language support, early assessment of skills and experiences of the immigrants, as well as subsequent validation of their qualifications in accordance with the requirements of the labour market, additional educational initiatives, and providing supervisors and mentors for workplace integration (European Commission, 2017; Government Offices of Sweden, n.d).
Fast Tracks are offered in 30 occupations across 13 spheres:
- 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,
- teaching.
21 institutions of higher education are involved in the initiative, providing complementary courses in 16 professions (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2018).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
Associations of both public and private sectors are involved in the initiative. The main stakeholders are the Government of Sweden and relevant 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. The initiative is implemented at a national, regional, and local level, involving trade unions and employers from the private sectors (Labour – INT, n.d).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Whom does it benefit and how?
The implementation of the initiative has had a discernable impact on the integration of the newly arrived into Swedish society. It is noteworthy that the newly arrived do not always prioritize lifelong learning, considering it not of the foremost importance at the given moment in their career. For migrants, clear pathways to find stable employment remain a priority, which is why they often ask for more guidance in finding reliable employment. Considering that lifelong learning encompasses additional trainings even after completing a degree in a certain sphere, the initiative does fit into a specific model of lifelong learning, allowing individuals to participate in supplementary courses answering the shifting demands of the labour market (Ennerberg, 2021).
Although several evaluations of the Fast Tracks have been conducted, the evidence is not sufficient to make claims about its effectiveness. For professions that do not require a license, 38 per cent of the Fast Track participants secure employment after 13–15 months, and 54 per cent after 19–21 months. The figures for occupations that require a license are lower – 24 per cent of participants acquire a job after 13–15 months, and 40 per cent after 19–21 months. Most participants of the Fast Tracks aspire to work in the fields of education, healthcare or social sciences, all of which require a license. A part of the initiative that focuses on newly arrived entrepreneurs was also evaluated, showing an increase in knowledge and motivations of the target group, leading to 83 new businesses being established by participants of the project (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2018).
References
Ennerberg, E., 2021. Fast track to the labour market? Experiences of learning in an active labour market policy measure for migrant teachers in Sweden. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance [online] Available at: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10775-021-09461-8.pdf [Accessed 29 July 2021].
European Commission, 2017. Swedish Public Employment Service's status report of the work with ‘fast tracks’. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/librarydoc/swedish-public-employment-services-status-report-of-the-work-with-fast-tracks [Accessed 26 May 2021].
Government Offices of Sweden, 2019. Fast track – a quicker introduction of newly arrived immigrants. [Online] Available at: www.government.se/articles/2015/12/fast-track---a-quicker-introduction-of-newly-arrived-immigrants/ [Accessed 26 May 2021].
Labour - INT, n.d. From arrival to work – fast tracks – a quicker introduction of newly arrived refugees and migrant. [Online] Available at: www.labour-int.eu/sweden/ [Accessed 26 May 2021].
Nordic Council of Ministers, 2018. Labour market integration of newly arrived in the Nordic countries. [PDF] Copenhagen, Rambøll Available at: https://nordicwelfare.org/integration-norden/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/06/Labour-market-integration-of-newly-arrived-in-the-Nordic-countries_2.pdf [Accessed 26 May 2021].