STEFAN LÖFVEN AGREES WITH SVERIGES INTERNATIONELLA TALANGER (SIT): the Swedish labor market here is closed to foreigners and this situation must be addressed. In an exclusive interview published on January 1st in AftonBladet ”Ibland får man försöka tänka om” Statsminister Stefan Löfven talar ut om sin tuffa höst, he points to the quarter of asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq who are highly educated and whose knowledge, experience, and competence can be used to make Sweden stronger. He advocates cooperation across all the political parties to address this missed opportunity:
"Människor kommer till Sverige för att söka skydd. Det som händer i Syrien och Irak
säger allt. Alla förstår det. Vår arbetsmarknad fungerar inte tillräckligt bra för att vi ska ta
tillvara på all den kraft som finns hos dessa människor. Många är ju akademiskt utbildade.
Ungefär en fjärdedel. Jag är helt övertygad om att arbetsmarknadens parter måste vara
med och forma hur vi ska göra det bättre. Där tänker vi att det finns all anledning att
bjuda in parterna och börja ett sådant samtal. Där vill jag ju ha med mig flera partier. Så
jag har inte stängt dörren i de andra frågorna."
WE THOUGHT THAT INTEGRATION OF FOREIGN TALENT WAS NO LONGER A POPULAR TOPIC. It was discussed leading up to the elections (and SIT even elicited some responses from party candidates on the topic through the open letter we sent), but we were convinced that the press was moving on to other subjects. We are encouraged to read that it is still a recognized problem and that now the new Prime Minister is trying to address it.
OF COURSE, "FOREIGN TALENT" IS NOT LIMITED TO JUST THOSE educated Syrians and Iraqis who come to Sweden seeking asylum. Referring to this population somehow makes the issue more understandable, tangible, and urgent. But what about the highly educated, experienced professionals who are already here and who run into hurdle after hurdle in finding qualified work? These foreigners are not in a distinct ethnic or cultural group, are spread around the country, and are unrepresented. This is why Sveriges Internationella Talanger (SIT) continues its efforts to give foreign academics- Syrian, Iraqi, and otherwise - a voice, regardless of which politicians happen to take notice.
WE AIM TO BE THE VOICE BUT BELIEVE ALL PARTIES MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY- and we do not mean the political parties. Each academic must learn Swedish, understand how the labor market here works, develop a clear CV and LinkedIn profile, and adjust his or her strategy, accordingly. On the other side, each company and recruiter must realize that: foreign education and experience is not inferior, each non-Swede brings a richness in thought and perspective, and that problem-solving, innovation, and consequently, profits increase through a diverse workforce. Of course, if the political parties also take responsibility and create incentives, laws, and programs to help integration normalize and take root, then of course, that is welcome, too.
To add your voice, join our LinkedIn community.
To help us amplify our voice, read more here and contact us.
"Människor kommer till Sverige för att söka skydd. Det som händer i Syrien och Irak
säger allt. Alla förstår det. Vår arbetsmarknad fungerar inte tillräckligt bra för att vi ska ta
tillvara på all den kraft som finns hos dessa människor. Många är ju akademiskt utbildade.
Ungefär en fjärdedel. Jag är helt övertygad om att arbetsmarknadens parter måste vara
med och forma hur vi ska göra det bättre. Där tänker vi att det finns all anledning att
bjuda in parterna och börja ett sådant samtal. Där vill jag ju ha med mig flera partier. Så
jag har inte stängt dörren i de andra frågorna."
WE THOUGHT THAT INTEGRATION OF FOREIGN TALENT WAS NO LONGER A POPULAR TOPIC. It was discussed leading up to the elections (and SIT even elicited some responses from party candidates on the topic through the open letter we sent), but we were convinced that the press was moving on to other subjects. We are encouraged to read that it is still a recognized problem and that now the new Prime Minister is trying to address it.
OF COURSE, "FOREIGN TALENT" IS NOT LIMITED TO JUST THOSE educated Syrians and Iraqis who come to Sweden seeking asylum. Referring to this population somehow makes the issue more understandable, tangible, and urgent. But what about the highly educated, experienced professionals who are already here and who run into hurdle after hurdle in finding qualified work? These foreigners are not in a distinct ethnic or cultural group, are spread around the country, and are unrepresented. This is why Sveriges Internationella Talanger (SIT) continues its efforts to give foreign academics- Syrian, Iraqi, and otherwise - a voice, regardless of which politicians happen to take notice.
WE AIM TO BE THE VOICE BUT BELIEVE ALL PARTIES MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY- and we do not mean the political parties. Each academic must learn Swedish, understand how the labor market here works, develop a clear CV and LinkedIn profile, and adjust his or her strategy, accordingly. On the other side, each company and recruiter must realize that: foreign education and experience is not inferior, each non-Swede brings a richness in thought and perspective, and that problem-solving, innovation, and consequently, profits increase through a diverse workforce. Of course, if the political parties also take responsibility and create incentives, laws, and programs to help integration normalize and take root, then of course, that is welcome, too.
To add your voice, join our LinkedIn community.
To help us amplify our voice, read more here and contact us.