OECD Workshop on Workforce Development and Local Job Creation

1. SWEDEN: LESSONS ON
YOUTH FROM AN OECD
REVIEW
U.S. Department of Labor-OECD Workshop on
Workforce Development and Local Job Creation
Presentation by Lars Niklasson, Linköping University

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

3. Sweden: Strengths and good examples
• Schools and local governments need to
work with the Employment office
• Apprenticeships introduced very recently
• Unga in: a new way to reach the young
• Ung Företagsamhet: entrepreneurial skills
• Yrkeshögskola: higher vocational ed.

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

5. Read more
• The OECD review on Sweden will be
published shortly
• Questions and comments to:
lars.niklasson@liu.se