Etableringslyftet works with foreign-born long-term unemployed and newly arrived immigrants and their entry into the labour market and society. A large proportion of the target group lives in disadvantaged areas.
Organiser
Collaborative project between Upplands Väsby, Sollentuna and Sigtuna municipalities in close cooperation with the Swedish Public Employment Service and with support from the European Social Fund.
Summary
Foreign-born long-term unemployed and newly arrived immigrants are surrounded by traditional authority systems and silos that are not fully capable of solving the problems they are supposed to solve. Entry into the labour market and society is delayed, and this affects women more than men. At the same time, employers find it difficult to find the right workforce.
The project works with social sustainability in an innovative way, where the target group’s perspective is the starting point for all activities and initiatives. Etableringslyftet communicates rather than informs about crucial themes concerning the individual’s own role and responsibility in society and provides integrated information that would otherwise be given to the target group at different times via different actors. Language and cultural support enables participation even for people who have not yet learned Swedish.
Needs-based group activities are organised and individual support for work and CSN studies is provided with integrated language and cultural competence. Etableringslyftet has a well-developed collaboration with both the Swedish Employment Service and employers in the region, and a large proportion of employers return to Etableringslyftet to recruit new employees. In this way, both women and men who are otherwise far from the labour market are given the opportunity to meet employers, find employment and become part of society.
Target group
Etableringslyftet works with newly arrived immigrants and foreign-born long-term unemployed people aged 20-64 living in Upplands Väsby, Sollentuna or Sigtuna municipalities who need extra support.
These are usually individuals with poor Swedish language skills, education and work experience, and slow progress in SFI (Swedish for Immigrants). Because of this, they are not eligible for work-related initiatives at the Employment Service, or alternatively, they are unable to benefit from the initiatives offered.
The initiative has a particular focus on women, and the majority of participants are women. The initiative is also aimed at employers who need labour.
We would have liked to have had this at an earlier stage and for a longer period of time.
Description of the activity and expected results and effects
The Establishment Boost aims to help the target group find their way more easily in society and on the Swedish labour market. This is done from a holistic perspective, where problems with poor coordination and gaps between initiatives are bridged and misconceptions are prevented.
The target group receives individually tailored support so that the labour market becomes accessible to individuals. Social exclusion is reduced by making society accessible to individuals who would otherwise easily be excluded due to a lack of language skills, work experience and education. Employers in need of labour are given improved conditions for recruiting skills in a way that meets their needs. This support gives groups that would otherwise risk being marginalised in the labour market greater opportunities to have their skills utilised.
Participants are enrolled in the project, where they take part in various dialogue-based group activities tailored to their needs. They receive support from language and cultural assistants who help them overcome linguistic, cultural and bureaucratic barriers. During the project, they meet regularly with employers who need to recruit staff and are offered internships with support from Etableringslyftet. Participants are usually enrolled in the project for between 6 and 12 months. 74% of all participants have found employment or started CSN studies.
Theory and knowledge
Etableringslyftet is a collaborative project that has received support from the European Social Fund in three rounds since 2018. Over the years, the project has developed its own methodology that incorporates elements of supported employment and case management and is consistent with the findings of BIP research. The project’s specific methodology is based entirely on the participants’ perspective, and this linguistic and cultural perspective characterises all the initiatives and activities carried out.
Skills
What we have learned in this project is something everyone should hear.
Economy
Etableringslyftet consists of a team of ten employees who work closely with the Swedish Public Employment Service. The initiative is partly funded by the European Social Fund through a call for proposals on social innovation.
Entreprenörens bedömningar och deltagarnas åsikter
Initiativet är verkligen fördelaktigt. Genom detta initiativ får deltagarna det stöd de behöver för att förstå samhället och därmed bli en del av det. Detta leder bland annat till att majoriteten hittar arbete eller påbörjar studier.
The project asks participants to complete surveys at the start and end of the project. They also get to reflect in groups on the group activities they take part in.
We would have liked to have had this at an earlier stage and for a longer period of time.