Tailored workplace education for immigrants in Rural Sweden: working with resources and deficits

Abstract

Incorporation into the labour market is a key endeavour, of heightened importance in recent years due to high migration flows, for both immigrants and their recipient countries. Hence, activation and employability are major themes in both transnational and national policy discussions, which have generated various programmes and policy measures. This article focuses on one type of such initiatives: collaborative agreements intended to increase the effective establishment of newly arrived migrants through work-related educational tracks in Sweden. Drawing on poststructural policy analysis techniques and theorisation of place, the author analyses documents regarding associated policies, and views expressed by interviewed actors, in three rural municipalities. In efforts to identify hindrances and possibilities for immigrants' incorporation in rural settings, potential employers' perspectives are included. The analysis shows that a 'resource discourse' and a 'deficit discourse' are prevalent in the construction of the agreements and the employers' perspectives regarding immigrants in the municipalities, place and tracks. It also shows that the municipal strategies differ in terms of organisation and local goals of the tracks. The indications of how place is constructed in local rural settings highlight the importance of such a perspective in efforts to enhance immigrants' incorporation into the labour market, address deficits and harness resources.

Refugee women’s establishment in the rural north of Sweden: cultural capital in meeting local labour market needs

“…The large and publicly funded welfare sector of institutionalised care work in Sweden and the shortages of labour in it provide opportunities for refugee women's employment. This is particularly pertinent in rural areas of Sweden, where international migration is viewed as a solution to problems of depopulation and maintenance of social services (Benerdal 2021;Hedberg and Haandrikman 2014;Hedlund et al 2017). As Vogiazides and Mondani (2020) show, employment opportunities for the refugee women in the three studied rural municipalities are relatively good.…”

“…A migrant who participates and engages in agreed activities receives an 'introduction benefit' from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Andersson Joona 2020;Swedish Public Employment Service 2020;Wikström and Ahnlund 2018). To increase employability and integration the PES offers several state-subsidised jobs for newly arrived immigrants and refugees, and language courses can be combined or integrated with various vocational education programs, work tracks (often in care work or services such as hospitality and cleaning) and other activities in collaboration between municipalities, authorities and private actors (Benerdal 2021).…”

Structures, trends and turning points of Norwegian and Swedish integration policies

“…Vogiazides and Mondani (2020) suggest this is because of the accrued opportunities for socialization with native-born residents, which may be beneficial in the job seeking process. Benerdal (2021) points to the short decision path and the relative ease of finding the right person as advantages for immigrants running a business and working in small municipalities.…”

Assessing the Social Impact of Immigration in Europe

“…Vogiazides and Mondani (2020) suggest this is because of the accrued opportunities for socialization with native-born residents, which may be beneficial in the job seeking process. Benerdal (2021) points to the short decision path and the relative ease of finding the right person as advantages for immigrants running a business and working in small municipalities.…”