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"Everything we now do is aimed at shortening the road to self-sufficiency and we enjoy close and good cooperation with the Public Employment Service and local businesses," says Christopher von Stedingk, head for Sfi at Örebro municipality
Swedish language lessons for immigrants - known as Sfi - is a municipal responsibility. Those who sign up should be offered lessons within three months. Municipalities can deliver the service themselves, or buy it from external providers. Sfi has four levels, A through to D, where A is basic Swedish lessons aimed at illiterates.
Sfi has come in for a lot of criticism over poor results and is partly blamed for the fact that it takes on average seven years for an immigrant to assimilate into the Swedish labour market. There have been several reviews of the service. A Swedish School Inspectorate report in March concluded municipalities aren't giving Sfi a high enough priority. The Swedish National Audit Office recently presented a survey which concluded that it took far too long for foreign academics to get a foothold in the labour market.
The Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU) presented a report last summer which showed immigrants who do not choose Sfi manage as well or better during their first ten years in Sweden as those who do attend language lessons. After ten years, however, five percent more of those who attended Sfi had found work. Sfi lessons proved particularly beneficial to women and to people with poor education.
Sources:
The Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation
The Swedish National Audit Office
http://integrationiarbetslivet.se/ (in Swedish)
The reports can be found using the search word Sfi.
Work Research Institute
OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University,
Postboks 4 St. Olavs plass, NO-0130 Oslo
The Nordic Council of Ministers is not responsible for the content
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