A study conducted in Sweden has shown efforts on recognition of foreign qualifications are making big contributions to integration in Swedish society – and offering advantages to women in the process.
Sweden’s Council for Higher Education (UHR) released the Integration in the Labour Market, Skills Supply and the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications report, showing recognition statements are significant for immigrants in both the “short and long term”.
It found that women had a greater chance than men of entering the labour market and being skills matched if they have a statement of recognition – regardless of their education level.
Rwaa Ishak, a credential evaluator at UHR, called the difference for women “particularly significant”.
The report was conducted by UHR to assess how much recognition statements contributed to integration of immigrants and workers from overseas into the country’s labour market.
“I couldn’t imagine having a job like this (the one I have now) when I first arrived in Sweden.
“Offering the service to translate my diploma, means (Sweden gets) a fully educated person in the labour market. I think there’s a lot to be gained,” said one interviewee whose master’s degree from a European country was recognised through the system.
Statements are issued at three levels of education – upper-secondary, post-secondary vocational and higher education.
“Employers mainly use the recognition statement at the beginning of the recruitment process, and the statement can be decisive in whether a person is called to a job interview or not,” Ishak said.
“I couldn’t imagine having a job like this (the one I have now) when I first arrived in Sweden”
The study comes as Sweden recently decided to make work permits only available to immigrants in the country “who earn a salary of at least 80% of the Swedish median salary”.
The report also said that society as a whole in Sweden benefits directly from the “available competence… in the shape of people with education that was not paid for by Swedish society”.
On the other side, people who get the recognition statement feel they’ve gained a “certain value” from said recognition.
“It is important to them to receive some form of confirmation from Sweden, to know that the education to which they dedicated years, and in many cases also paid for, is appreciated and useful in the Swedish society.”
It pointed out that this was also actively contributing to social integration in the country as well.
It did note, however, that better skills matching would “increase the benefits for society through, for example, higher levels of participation in the labour market and improved welfare services” – something particularly important, it added, when it came to shortage occupations like engineering, healthcare and education professionals.
“By investing in education, research and diversity, and by promoting lifelong learning, Sweden can remain competitive and ensure sustainable economic development in the future,” the study added.
