Sweden faces new challenges in skills development and risk of exclusion as its economy transforms, especially for youth and immigrants who have higher unemployment rates. However, Sweden has a strong legacy of active labor market policies like higher vocational education programs, entrepreneurship training, and large-scale urban renewal initiatives. The review identifies opportunities for employers to get more involved in skills training and for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors at the local level to improve skills utilization.

1. SWEDEN: HIGHLIGHTS FROM
AN OECD REVIEW
10th Annual Meeting of the OECD LEED Forum on
Partnerships and Local Development
Presentation by Lars Niklasson, Linköping University

2. Sweden’s unemployment challenge
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2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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Unemployment rate as % civilian labour force, Sweden, 2000-2012

3. • Sweden has a strong reputation for active
labour market policy.
• But the transformation of the economy
presents new challenges for skills
development and a greater risk of
exclusion (especially youth and
immigrants).
Sweden: A strong legacy

4. • Yrkeshögskola: higher vocational ed.
• BraFöre: for SMEs and their employees
• Ung Företagsamhet: entrepreneurship
• Unga in: a new way to reach the young
• Järvalyftet: large-scale renewal
• Gävle: 1,5% non-traditional employees
• Competence platforms: a forum for
collaboration on skills development
Sweden: Strengths and good examples

5. • Employers can be more involved in:
– articulating their needs for skills,
– delivering skills training and education programs,
– working with schools and designing career
pathways.
• The public sector can:
– collaborate more internally and with employers.
– work on skills utilisation with employers
– can allow greater local flexibility.
Sweden: Policy Opportunities

6. • The OECD review on Sweden will be
published in September
• A draft will be circulated for comments in
May
• Questions and comments to:
lars.niklasson@liu.se
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