Matching skills and competences for newly arrived engineers

Purpose and goal

The objective was to develop a model and to match recruitment needs in municipalities with relevant academic expertise of newly arrived immigrants and asylum seekers. The aim was to help municipalities find labour and at the same make immigrants feel they can contribute with competence into society. A model was developed and tested through a customized internship for immigrants that had a degree in engineering professions with municipalities that had recruitment needs within technical professions, particularly focusing on water and wastewater technologies.

Expected results and effects

The participating interns have through the project raised knowledge and awareness of the Swedish labour market, improved their language skills and received both work experience and a regional network within the profession. The employing municipalities have gained unique competence and new perspectives on recruitment possibilities. 7 out of 11 interns have been offered employment or have continued studying. The project has led to continuing work including both private and public employers within the whole environment- and planning sector, which means a need for more competence.

Planned approach and implementation

The project has developed a customized internship for immigrants, with no demands on residence permits or a certain level of knowledge in the Swedish language. English has been accepted as a support. Academic certificates do not need to be translated or validated. Focus has been on identifying the employers´ needs of recruitment and finding the right competence. The project has also focused on the regional perspective and made it possible for immigrants to participate in the programme, regardless of which municipality the immigrant lives in and where the internship is situated.

External links

På ovanstående sida finns en beskrivning av projektet samt även alla klipp och artiklar från media