prop · GX0334en · 2009-10-21 00:00:00 — In the 2010 Budget , the Government presents measures to further strengthen labour market policy. In the current economic situation, there need to be measures that prevent people from being without work for a long time and measures that enhance competitiveness among those most detached from the labour market. The Government is announcing 8 000 more coaching places in the itself and a total of 4 000 more places in the work experience placement and practical skills development initiatives in 2010. Furthermore, labour market training volumes should be able to increase by 1 000 places in 2010. To further strengthen labour market policy, the Government also intends to introduce a new activation initiative, Lyft ('Boost'), in state and municipal companies and activities and NGOs with relevant activities The Government estimates that Lyft will include about 40 000 places in 2010. The Government also intends to introduce more initiatives under the job guarantee for young people, Lyft, for support to start a business and vocational rehabilitation. The Government will also give participants in the job guarantee the opportunity to participate in the guarantee part time so that they can use the remaining time to study in the municipal adult education system. To supplement the training now offered in the job guarantee for young people, the Government also intends to introduce an extra initiative with an incentive to study for unemployed young people who have not finished compulsory or upper secondary school. This will be in the form of a special initiative at folk high schools. To accommodate the increased inflow of jobseekers and maintain quality in the job and development guarantee and the job guarantee for young people, the Government also proposes to increase the 's administrative resources. Removing obstacles to labour mobility in the EU A number of activities to promote labour mobility have been taken within the EURES framework. In seven large cities in and in four small communities in 's Cross Border Area, European have been arranged in cooperation with EURES advisers from ten other Member States and employers from other countries. has taken the initiative to make services accessible at all offices. To achieve this, it was decided in 20082009 to introduce EURES assistants in the larger employment service offices. In , there were 160 people trained in EURES basic services. Staff at the call centre have also been equipped to enable them to offer EURES basic services. Other types of information about jobs and recruitment in other countries will also be accessible in the reception area of all the country's employment services offices. Recruitment to and from other countries has continued. doctors from , veterinarians from and the and Swedish teachers to . The inflow of workers from other Member States to has continued to be low. for labour is obvious in the statistics; the number of workers from other EU Member States who have come to to work longer than three months has fallen by 40 per cent during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year. The aim of introducing new rules for labour immigration has been to create an effective and flexible system focused on employers' labour At the same time, the system is to be sensitive to the business cycle in that it is the employers' demand for labour that drives it. Increased labour immigration is one of several measures for counteracting the impact of an ageing population and a reduced labour supply in the short and long run. After the new labour immigration rules were introduced in 2008, the number of workers coming from countries outside the EU/EEA was about the same in the first seven months as in the same period one This is a large difference vis-à-vis the inflow of workers from the EU/EEA which declined by 40 per cent in the first six months of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. there has been no decline is in third world labour immigration is that by far the largest group are pickers of wild working in a sector that is more weather than cyclically dependent. In addition to these people, the dominant occupational group granted work permits is IT specialists. Labour law: flexibility and security Labour legislation's goal is to lay the foundations for a working life that meets both employees and employers needs for flexibility, security and It is to be possible for both women and men to combine work and family life in all phases of life while taking into consideration A well-balanced and predictable labour law system is also an important prerequisite for sustainable growth and full Labour legislation is to provide a stable foundation for conditions in the labour market. Earlier reform programmes have described planned and implemented reforms with the aim of increasing the opportunities for temporary employment while simplifying the regulatory framework. 1990s, the has measured the strength of employment protection in According to the , was previously among those countries with the most extensive employment protection. In 2004 was deemed to have the seventh strongest employment protection of 28 countries. According to indicators, employment protection in is now more flexible. In its latest measurement published in spring , was deemed to have the 21st strongest employment protection of 30 countries. Like other national employment legislation in , the reforms consist of optional laws that may be replaced by collective agreements. Mediation Office, a central government public authority, has conducted a survey of the extent to which the reforms have been included in collective agreements. In the 2007 wage negotiations, the reforms were introduced in some agreements in the private sector that were completed after the Riksdag's decision on the reforms. The new rules had still not entered into force, however, when the majority of the parties in the private sector concluded their new agreements this year. The reforms have had more influence on collective agreements in municipalities, county councils and the central government than on private sector agreements. Challenges for the work environment policy in a weak economy The Government thinks that the work environment policy ought to be given a more proactive and positive content. It should not only concern preventing a bad work environment but also, to a much greater extent, view the work environment as a factor in the development of both the individual and the business activity and as a factor for success and as a competitive instrument. The main premises and reasoning stated in the memorandum The Work Environment and Exclusion a Conceptual Framework for Future Work Environment Policies (Ds 2008:16) have provided a basis for discussion with the relevant actors and parties. A new phase in this work is now about to get under way, with the aim of drawing up a long-term strategy for the future policy. In recent years, the number of people on sick leave has continued to decline. Substantial changes have been made to sickness insurance. These have probably had a strong influence on the decline. Measures have also been taken aimed at increasing the opportunities for those most detached from the labour market to enter working life. In an economic downturn, a propensity for sickness absence to decline has also been linked to employees' feeling that being absent from work when there are layoffs poses a greater risk. This means that there will be more people with some form of health problem in the workplace. It is important during the next few years to be particularly observant of developments in terms of the work environment. With respect to the effects of an economic downturn on occupational health, previous experience shows that these effects primarily occur at a later stage. It is important to heed experience from previous economic downturns. A number of initiatives aim at improving knowledge and awareness of the importance of occupational health and safety. One such initiative is the remit the Government has given Policy Evaluation (IFAU) on offering research funds in the area of occupational health and safety profitability and the initiative on increased dissemination of information and knowledge for a three-year period that the Swedish Work Environment Authority has been been given special funding for since 2009. Ensure employment-friendly labour cost developments and wage setting mechanisms Wage formation and labour costs are of critical importance for competitiveness, employment, inflation and other important factors in economic development. The forms of wage formation in are primarily a matter for the social partners. Agreements are preferred to legislation since understanding between the partners adds stability to signed agreements. The central government's role is limited to a basic rules system. The economic contraction now under way will lead to trend breaks that are difficult to draw immediate conclusions from. There are, however, long-term signs indicating that wage formation in the past ten years has had a positive impact on employment. For the greater part of the 1990s, unemployment stood at over nine per cent and labour costs increased by four to seven per cent a year. In recent years unemployment has been considerably lower, ever since breaks in the time series in the labour force surveys were taken into account. Nevertheless, the rate of increase in labour costs has been lower than in the 1990s. The lower rate of increase in labour costs combined with lower unemployment may indicate that the Government's measures such as reduced employers' social contributions in conjunction with falling demand for labour have contributed to lower unemployment now being consistent with stable inflation. 4.5Increased knowledge and quality in the educational system Expand and improve investment in human capital Adapt education and training systems in response to new competence requirements Improve the quality and increase the extent to which objectives are achieved in the education system 's chance of meeting the global challenge lies in focusing on knowledge. Our primary competitive advantage must be innovative and skilled citizens. The education system plays a pivotal role here. Education is also important since people grow with knowledge and the opportunity to learn something new. It improves the individual's position in society and in the labour market and thus may be crucial for their future. The measures described in this section are being implemented in accordance with the Strategy for Lifelong Learning (dnr U2007/3110/). The aim of the measures is to ensure access to education of good quality in all areas of education and strengthen the interaction between education and working life. Pre-school system, school-age childcare and compulsory school In the last decade, the educational content in the pre-school has assumed increasing importance. educational stimulation increases children's ability and to learn. It is particularly helpful in developing children's language and mathematical skills. In 2009 the Government has presented a number of measures to develop and strengthen the preschool's pedagogical mission. These include giving the for Education a remit to present proposals on the clarification and supplementation of certain preschool curriculum objectives. The report was presented to the Government Offices on . A special further education initiative the Pre-School Boost (Förskolelyftet) has also given pre-school staff the opportunity to enhance their skills. The proposals total million annually for the period 20092011. The Government has also proposed that the Riksdag introduce pre-school for three-year-olds, with rules similar to those for 4 to 5-year-olds. The Riksdag decided in that preschool for three-year-olds will be introduced beginning 1 2010. As a result, all children will be offered at least 525 hours of pre-school a year free of charge beginning with the autumn term in the year they turn three. The basic idea is that no family will need to forgo letting their child participate in pre-school activities for financial reasons. In the Riksdag adopted the Government's proposal to introduce a childcare voucher, effective 1 2009. The aim of the voucher is to develop diversity in the pre-school system and in schoolage childcare. With municipalities made responsible for giving grants to privately run pedagogic care also, such as family day care homes and similar activities, each family will have a greater possibility to decide what type of activity their children will participate in. The Government has allocated million to a special initiative during 20082010 to strengthen the school heads and schools' work in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. Pupils at risk of not achieving the goals are a high priority for this incentive grant and there will be a focus on the early years in compulsory school. A goal and a results oriented system must be followed up and evaluated on an ongoing basis in order to make it possible to assess whether the national goals have been achieved and to take relevant measures. In 2009 the Riksdag adopted the new national curricula proposed in the Government's bill Clearer Objectives and (Tydligare mål och kunskapskrav nya läroplaner för skolan) (Govt. 2008/09:87, Committee Report. 2008/09:UbU9, . 2008/09:189). each form of school the compulsory school, special school, school and the obligatory special-needs school will have its own The curriculum is to include the school's fundamental values and mission, overall objectives and education guidelines, and syllabuses for the compulsory school, special school, school and the obligatory special-needs school. supplemented with regulations on knowledge requirements for each subject or subject area. The Swedish Schools Inspectorate was established on 1 October 2008 at which time it assumed the for Educations national supervisory and quality assessment responsibilities as well as responsibility for processing permit applications for independent schools. By focusing on its inspection and control functions, the Inspectorate's activities can be made more efficient and effective, with better opportunities for methods development and more frequent inspections. autumn , the 'six-year task' was completed whereby all municipalities and all schools in the country were inspected within a six- The ambition now is, after an introductory development phase, to expand the activity with respect to both content and frequency. An inquiry chair has been appointed to review current resources for evaluation in the field of education. The inquiry, which has adopted the name Inquiry into the Evaluation of Education (Utredningen om utvärdering av utbildning) (U2008:10) is to present its proposals by 1 Beginning with the school year 2008/09, each student in the individual development plan will be given a written assessment in each subject that the pupil is taught, beginning in grade 1 of compulsory school. National goals for grade 3 in the subjects of Swedish, Swedish as a second language and mathematics are being introduced beginning with the school year 2008/09 and the introduction of national tests in the same subjects in grade 3 will be introduced beginning in 2010. obligatory tests in biology, chemistry and physics in grade 9 will be introduced beginning spring in order to provide better follow-up of students' knowledge and increase equivalence in teachers' appraisals and The national subject tests in grades 3 and 9 were tested in spring In February 2009, the Riksdag also adopted a new grading scale as proposed by the Government in its bill A New Grading Scale (En ny betygsskala) (Govt.Bill. 2008/09:66, Committee Report. 2008/09:UbU5, 2008/09:169). As a result, a new grading scale with six levels will be used when assigning grades in the public school The new grading scale will help clarify students academic progress and increase the chances for more equivalence in the student The Creative Schools initiative in grades 79 was introduced in 2008. Its aims include promoting creativity and innovation and integrating cultural and artistic expression into a school education. bring about a clearer coordination between the school's academic goals and cultural policy objectives on children and young people's right to take part in cultural life and develop their own creativity. an expansion of Creative Schools in 2010 for students in grades 46. In the three years, 20082010, the Government is allocating million on a number of measures to end traditional gender patterns in schools and further gender equality. One such measure is a gender equality delegation for the schools, which has been established with the tasks of analysing gender differences in education results, evaluating methods for ending traditional gender patterns, and proposing suitable measures. Furthermore, the for Education is responsible for implementing a number of measures such as further educating teachers and other school staff on gender patterns and honour traditions and promoting student health in order to prevent mental illness. The current Education Act dates from 1985 and a new, modern and clear structure for school legislation is badly needed. The Government intends to do just that in 2010, and has also allocated funding for tightening some provisions in the Act concerning such matters as better student health and increased right to school libraries. Unemployment is high among Swedish young people, among the highest in Europe (see Section 4.2). At the same time far too few young people complete an upper secondary education with pass grades In 2009 the Government presented the bill Higher Requirements and Quality in (Högre krav och kvalitet i den nya gymnasieskolan) (Govt. 2008/09:199) with proposals for a new reformed upper secondary school. It is the Government's view that the preparatory programmes for higher education must provide a better preparation for further studies. To prevent students with inadequate knowledge from being accepted into preparatory programmes for higher education, the Government has proposed new stricter qualifying rules for these programmes. The Government is also of the view that upper secondary school vocational programmes must better prepare students for working life. Therefore there will be more time for more in-depth study of vocational subjects. Students learn in different ways. Some prefer production-related reality-based learning in working life. Therefore apprenticeship programmes will be introduced as an ordinary course of studies in upper secondary school. Furthermore, cooperation at the national level between the for Education and industry representatives will increase with the of national councils for vocational programmes, as recommended by the and others (, Learning for , ). With the introduction of an upper secondary school certificate which can be earned to obtain a vocational qualification or to qualify for higher education a clear performance measure is introduced and there will be more potential for national management by objectives. Countrywide equivalence thus improves, leading to higher quality. The aim is for students to be admitted to the new reformed upper secondary school in 2011 if the Riksdag approves the bill. In the 2010 Budget , the Government has proposed allocating million for 20102012 for implementing the upper secondary school reform and certain other school reforms. The pilot project for the upper secondary school apprenticeship programme conducted for programmes that start in 20082010 has been expanded from the original 4 000 new places to 6 000 places a year. In the school year 2008/09, about 3 700 students began an apprenticeship training. The upper secondary apprenticeship programme aims to provide students with basic vocational training, more work experience, and an opportunity, tutored by their workplace supervisor, to acquire more advanced vocational skills. A national apprenticeship committee with industry representatives has been given a remit to promote the pilot project, follow up its results and assess whether it is meeting its objectives from the perspective of the needs of the business community, and draw attention to development needs (dir. 2008:106). In addition, an inquiry chair has been given the remit to investigate the possibilities of combining employment and studies, an approach now common in other countries, in the upper secondary school apprenticeship programme (dir. 2009:70). Adult education is important, both for society and for individuals' lifelong learning. A working group in the Government Offices has submitted its report examining and presenting alternative proposals on how adults' right to participate in upper secondary adult education and upper secondary adult education for the mentally disabled could be designed. The premise on which the assignment has been based is that the individual should have the right to study in the municipally-run adult education system in order to acquire basic eligibility for admission to a higher education programme. is an participant in the work with the programme initiated by the that involves measuring the adult population's knowledge and skills in a number of countries, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC). One important premise in adult education initiatives is that the wishes and needs of the individual should be key determining factors. As far as the municipal adult education system is concerned, the Government therefore intends to present proposals on improving the requirements whereby the municipalities permit other bodies to provide education. The planned legislation is expected to contain proposals on increased opportunities to contract out the exercise of public authority in education and possibly conduct Swedish for Immigrants in the folk high schools. There are plans to present a bill to the Riksdag before the end of 2009. To counter the economic downturn and meet the needs of larger cohorts of young people, the Government has decided to sharply increase the number of education places in vocational upper secondary adult education (adult vocational training). The initiatives also make it possible for the individual with a theoretical upper secondary adult education to take vocational courses, which is a significant change in the selection rules. The municipalities also have the opportunity within the framework of the initiative to offer vocationally oriented Swedish language training linked to vocational training courses. In order to evaluate these initiatives, there will be a follow-up at the individual level. On account of the ongoing economic downturn and larger cohorts of young people, the Government in the 2010 Budget has announced an increase of about 10 000 more places in adult vocational training for 2010 and 2011. Adult education plays an important role in adults opportunities for learning, not least for those with education. have been established for state grants to the liberal adult education sector. One of these areas is lifelong learning, which, for example, may be aimed at helping level out education gaps and raise the level of knowledge and education in society. Individuals concerned are, for example, people with disabilities. Adult Education has submitted its final report, Democracy and Digital Participation, in 2008. It describes the possibilities for improving the conditions for older people and other excluded groups to use modern Training in Swedish for immigrants The Government is also focusing on Swedish for Immigrants, SFI. Government wants to see improved results and throughput of participants The Government has therefore decided to introduce new national final exams for the various courses. The exams will be and will be possible to use beginning 1 January 2010.