Swedish trade unions and their business counterparts are helping new immigrants to obtain decent employment. The ‘Fast Track’ programme has already found 5,000 jobs for experienced chefs, for example, with backing from the Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union (HRF).
In cooperation with the Swedish Public Employment Service, the scheme aims to cut unemployment periods for new arrivals by rapidly validating their skills, especially in industries that are short of workers.
It covers assessment of experience and qualifications, Swedish language training, mentoring in workplaces and vocational guidance. Tripartite talks have taken place in a number of sectors including tourism, healthcare, transport, forestry and agriculture. Trade unions have warned employers against using new arrivals as a source of cheap labour.