Shortcomings in efforts to get unemployed people with short education to study

People without an upper secondary school qualification often find it difficult to get – and keep – a job. They are overrepresented among jobseekers at the Swedish Public Employment Service, especially among those who are long-term unemployed.

Since 2017, the Government and the Swedish Public Employment Service have therefore intensified their efforts to transition people with short-term education into studies in adult education or at a folk high school. The Swedish National Audit Office has examined this initiative.

The overall assessment is that, to some extent, the initiative has been effective. For example, the proportion of people who transitioned to regular education increased among those who participated in the Job and Development Guarantee scheme between 2017 and 2019, that is, among long-term unemployed people.

However, both the Swedish Public Employment Service’s efforts and the Government’s management have shortcomings. For example, the Swedish Public Employment Service’s work on referrals has not been sufficiently well targeted. In addition, there is a lack of verification that the persons who have been instructed to apply for education have also done so.

“Only one in three persons who have been assigned to apply for regular education have pursued their studies. This indicates that the targeting of the referrals has failed,” says Jenny Lindblad, project leader for the audit.

The Government’s investment to increase the number of training places in adult education has not reached the entire group in need of education. This is especially true for those with very limited education and limited Swedish language proficiency.

There are currently several different ways for jobseekers to finance their studies, but funding is still perceived as a problem. The Swedish National Audit Office notes that the rules for subsistence during studies while being unemployed are complicated, making it difficult for a jobseeker to understand and plan how a coherent period of regular studies can be financed.

“Information problems lead to efficiency problems. There is a need to review the rules on subsistence during studies to make it easier to understand and make use of the existing opportunities,” says Auditor General Helena Lindberg.