M: "a requirement that is quite human"

Labels: Integration, Migrants

Yesterday, Parliament decided in accordance with the Government's proposal to introduce a security requirement for family reunification. It was hard tongågnar in the House when the opposition opposes the proposal. TCO has, like most respondents, strongly negative opinion, including a letter that is referenced in the debate in the House.

According to the bill is one of the aims of introducing a supply requirements to strengthen the driving forces for organizing work and home ownership, thereby promoting health and inclusion. It is a good purpose. Government assumes, however, assumed that drivers today are too weak and that the migrant people do not want to develop its own security and prefer to live in low remuneration. It is a description of reality that TCO does not share. There is no shortage of drivers that allow newcomers have difficulty finding jobs. Inadequate induction, ethnic discrimination in employment and lack of jobs, especially in an era of double digit näranog unemployment, are the main reasons for the new arrivals have difficulty finding jobs. Supply requirements will be an unreasonable burden of responsibility for the establishment of labor on the individual.

A basic prerequisite for a good establishment in Sweden is that the immigrant will be able to as soon as possible to be reunited with their relatives. Not to allow relatives such as spouse or partner to come to Sweden unless related person a permanent residence permit in Sweden and has lived here with a residence permit for residence of four years is to significantly hamper a good establishment in Sweden.

The introduction of supply requirements, unfortunately, rests not on empirical basis and the government has presented no evidence that security requirements will lead to a faster start. There is however a risk of a worse establishment of new arrivals and the risk of new arrivals who have advanced training from their real ability to get a job in line with their training. The newcomers might prematurely end the language training and continuing education and take a job that does not require these skills, all to be reunited with their relatives. This leads to a waste of the individual's skills and losses for the economy.

The government insists that it is important to harmonize the rules in the EU on the issue of security requirements. But harmonization of rules across the EU must never be at the expense of humanity. Overall security requirements for family reunification unjust and will hit already vulnerable individuals in an unacceptable manner.

Mikael Ceder Bratt (M) called the House proposal to supply demands for "a requirement that is quite human." After such a defense for a reform is needed may not be much opposition, but Kalle Larsson (V) raised meritorious forward to establishing a security requirement is not beneficial integration. "If you can not live close to the near, the man chosen to share his life with, it will probably not easier but harder to feel the confidence you need to take to the labor market and the strength you need to try to overcome discrimination and obtain a reasonable accommodation. That is what I mean by that is counterproductive. "

The given stage of higher education policy debate

Labels: higher education

For the third consecutive year, offers TCO to the Conference on Higher Education, 14 April. The conference has almost become a tradition and is now an established venue where the country's leading politicians, representatives of universities, trade unions, employers and students gather to exchange ideas on higher education in present and future. Since it is election year, we invited all the parliamentary parties for a debate on the essential points higher education policy. In addition, we normally offer a packed program of ten workshops in the morning and afternoon.

This year, we want to highlight two issues that deserve more attention. Firstly, the issue of training and skill development. In today's working life, it is difficult to do without replenishment of education. The training individuals bring with them when they enter the labor market is rarely enough for a full career. Many employees want and need a new job or profession lacks the ability to do so. Individual's skills and education has become an increasingly important value for the ability to cope with transitions and opportunities for new career paths in the workplace. Therefore needed a system for skills development and training, and the regular education system should play a central role in this. How it should look like and how it is financed are issues we must resolve.

Secondly, the question of the importance of education throughout the country. During the 1990s, was built in the Swedish university out sharply. New universities were added and the number of students increased rapidly. The political motives behind the expansion was mainly to create conditions for sustained economic growth and reducing social and regional gaps. Several studies show that with the expansion also brought about this. Despite the increasingly heard demands for increased concentration and elite efforts. Some higher education policy reforms have been directly disadvantaged universities and the newer universities. But it is essential that higher education is available throughout the country for continued economic growth, regional development and the opportunities for people to study regardless of their place of residence.

TCO Conference on Higher Education is the given arena of higher education policy debate and to bring the higher education policy agenda before the election campaign.

Course fees imposed on foreign students in Sweden

Labels: higher education, tuition fees

Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz today presented the bill for fees for foreign students. Students coming from outside the EEA and who is not part of an exchange program will from autumn 2011 to pay for their education. 90 million is earmarked for scholarships.

TCO has the Globalization Council lift this as a desirable reform. The trend shows a sharp increase in the number of international students. Today there are around three million international students worldwide and the number is expected to grow to eight million 2025th Thus, there is an expanding international education market. To globalization and the changing international division of labor will continue to promote Sweden, we must constantly think about new sectors and services to develop, where Sweden has the potential to be competitive. Higher education is a sector where Sweden has the opportunity to become internationally competitive, which would allow for more highly qualified jobs in Sweden.  

U.S. attracts more international students, but losing market share to countries like Britain, Germany, France and Australia, which is aiming to profile their universities. Sweden has several advantages that could be developed and attract international students in Sweden:

• Sweden has a strong education system with high-quality higher education and universities that in some areas are internationally renowned.
• Sweden is well advanced in more areas such as life sciences, materials engineering, climate science, environmental engineering, public health, medicine, design and information technology.
• Sweden has, in addition other benefits that may attract students who are capable of rich nature experiences, many speak good English and many courses taught in English, high standard of living and an internationally interesting welfare both to live and study.

For Sweden to succeed in attracting international students, but with some changes such as increasing international profile of the courses, activities on social activities for international students and marketing.

If it should turn out that tuition fees for foreign students, after an expected decline in numbers in the short term, leading to unwanted few foreign students in the longer term, of course, reform reconsidered. The same applies if the reform leads to other standards of quality and incentive problems, such as the requirements for foreign students would be reduced when the institution is in need of their contributions.

Many workplaces will not promote equal rights and opportunities

Labels: discrimination, inclusion, equality

Today, presented the study on positive action. It is positive that the study suggests a broadening of the active measures to cover all grounds. As for active policies of discrimination grounds ethnicity, religion and other belief that is a clear need for programs with a structured and targeted work is also an improvement.

But it is able in any way outweigh the clear step back as the investigation suggests otherwise. Union President Cecilia Fahlberg writes today insightful in Dagens Industri on problems with the proposal requiring a majority of the jobs will not have to carry out any work at all for promoting equal rights and opportunities in the workplace in terms of recruitment, working conditions and wages, and wage survey that just should be done every three years, despite the annual wage survey were been an effective tool to accessing unjustified differences in pay between men and women.

TCOs General Counsel Ingemar constraints has participated as an expert in the investigation and also criticized several aspects of the proposal and would instead look to the statutory active measures for employment account party model: In the Swedish model performed the important development of the standard work in the vast extent of the social partners. The work is performed under medbestämmandelag with negotiations and collective bargaining and other employment law and health and safety legal framework as additional support and foundation. Would you as legislators to endorse this model, which combines a good and effective prevention of discrimination protection for employees with collective agreement flexibility should be ensured that the law creates incentives for collective bargaining. Teams active measures should be semidispositiva to enable the parties to the central level anpssa legal requirements for the sector concerned by mandatory collective bargaining. Daily interaction rule should also be sanctioned for damages for the employer's part when it is a problem when an employer refuses to cooperate with the employees' representatives.

Close to a college decision on studies

Labels: design of college, higher education, academic work, social bias in recruitment

Agency for Higher Education, today announces its figures on regional differences in how many young people who begin university studies.   In some municipalities, three-quarters of young people started a university course at the age of 24. In other municipalities, the corresponding share just one quarter.

Reading this report, along with economist Susan Holzers current thesis, which she identified the impact of recent decades, higher education policy, so it can be concluded that the differences between municipalities, as well as differences between social groups, had been even greater if the government in the 1990s not invested considerable resources of growth across the higher education system.

Holzer shows that proximity to a university allows a growing number of non-academic home study at the nearby university, but (and this is very interesting) also at other colleges. A strong compelling reasons to the 1990s focus on the higher education sector was to increase recruitment to higher education from other social groups than those traditionally found their way to higher education. The policy has succeeded where recruitment to higher education has been broadened. There has been a sudden increase in students with parents who have only high school background, the group likely to study has doubled in 25 years.

The effect is as Holzers they had access to a college near where they live. More young people without academic backgrounds namely to study whether there is a college nearby. And it has been well above the threshold that the studies are a natural choice so you might as well choose to move and study in an institution away. Geographical proximity to the university, therefore, increases the social proximity to higher education, not only on the local college, but in general.

Higher education institutions have not only an important role in the region's development and growth but also for the case to broaden recruitment to higher studies.

Saco and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise Integration

Labels: Integration

Saco and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise today presented a report on the labor market situation of foreign-born in the Swedish labor market. In the morning there was a major seminar in which Sacos President Anna Ekström highlighted that how long a foreign born remained in Sweden have a bearing on the social situation but also to the region the person has come from playing the role. In addition, the potential impact of discrimination on the job and support themselves for the foreign-born people in Sweden. Förvånand I was when I returned to the office and read the press release sent out by the Saco and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise in which it is alleged that in the social context is irrelevant where they are born. It is manifestly wrong, also based on the report they presented at the seminar and developed by Statistics Sweden.

Ekstrom picked up some important things at the seminar as the need for more professional Swedish professionals, including social and kulturvetare the same way as it now exists for medical personnel, the need for a job with professional and specialist skills, and the important work of creating networks as Sacos mentoring projects Profession Colleagues who are often the way into the labor market.

Swedish Enterprise Vice President Christer Agren statement a desire for Sweden to be a world leader in terms of establishment of foreign-born labor. Very good! However, the proposals were awaited as to make it easier to dismiss employees because of personal reasons and lower minimum wages. Clas Olsson, Head of the Analysis Division of the Employment Service countered that it was the lowest wage that was the problem so should more employers use the step-in job where employers only pay a few hundred dollars of salary. But employers do not seem to be interested in step-in job that came up in a very small volume.

Olsson also highlighted that the establishment of foreign-born labor market conditions vary widely with respect to the immigrants of education. For foreign-born people with a long education is a matter of good opportunities for the validation of training, completing training, language training and work to establish contacts and work against discrimination. For foreign-born who does not have an education equivalent to a primary or secondary education is required to do so a comprehensive strengthening of knowledge in the same manner as is required of young people who failed to measure up to the goals of the Swedish upper secondary school. For without a high school education is something that is not on today's job market.

What was missing at the seminar was a proposal to combat the discrimination that we know exists in the Swedish labor market. Just a brief comment from Ekström that zero tolerance will prevail and that discrimination is illegal. But the great work that we as social partners have to do is actively working to achieve equal rights and opportunities in the workplace. Let me suggest three key pieces of work:

- Awareness of discrimination and racism in the labor market is low. So-called gatekeepers to the labor market, that is, HR managers, directors, employment services staff and others in both public and private sectors, as well as trade union officials, should be trained in how discrimination manifests itself.

- To get a job through contacts is the most common way to get a job today. A much smaller proportion of jobs are added after being advertised in the Employment Service. All employers ought to advertise all vacant positions so that everyone has the opportunity to search the available jobs and not just those with the right connections.

- Local needs recruitment process of staff review with a view to provide equal opportunity to seek and obtain employment. As a model for the process that produced the FAIR stand. The local work to ensure that all employees be given equal opportunities to education, training and promotion also need to be intensified.

Recipe against lack of housing for students

Labels: housing policy, students, social studies

Housing Board recently came out with a report on the housing situation for students and their proposals are fully in line with those TCO and Stockholm University's student union announced in early autumn. Now it is up to national and local politicians to act on the matter.

The number of students has risen sharply in recent years, both because of the recession and because of the large youth hills. This has led to a glaring lack of housing. But the National Housing Board shows that the need for housing for students is not fast transient with a better economy or the smaller youth hills that we have to wait in a few years. Several of the major universities are located in metropolitan areas and in other emerging regions have long had a shortage of housing. Demand for higher education will remain high and it is thus a long-term need for housing suitable for students. Among other things, this needs to be done to improve the situation:

--          Students' financial situation needs to be strengthened, particularly through an increase in student aid. Building and Planning as well as TCO is critical to the student welfare committee's proposal to reduce the possibility of housing for students.

--          Real estate fee for student housing needs to be changed and the neutrality of taxation of various forms of tenure introduced. Students live in a high degree of tenancy and the higher taxation of rental properties compared to other forms of tenure affects significantly this group.

--          Lower the parking standard for student housing in which few students have cars and need parking.

--          Provide the opportunity for universities to a greater extent than today provide housing for students.

--          Municipalities must plan for students' needs for housing and an active land and work plan by the municipality to facilitate the production of housing for students.

--          Boverkets studies suggest that it is difficult to produce student housing at a cost that students can afford. Housing Board would like to explore alternative solutions to increase the production of housing for students. The mission should be.

Integration Minister Nyamko Sabuni impressed with Timbro

Labels: Integration

Timbro announced this morning a report on the integration policy: "The poverty trap shuts - Somalis in the exclusion of Sweden". Timbro came to the Timbro expected conclusions that the solution lies in reducing wages, lower taxes and abolish the Employment Protection Act (LAS). We've heard it before.

On the other hand impressed Integration Minister Nyamko Sabuni at the seminar by focusing on the general policy instruments, including a general policy against long-term unemployment, in the form of lower payroll taxes. Sabuni were made with the proposed changes to the introduction of new arrivals that contain useful changes such as increased responsibility for the Employment Service and an individual financial contribution to both promote female participation and allow part-time work. Sabuni also highlighted the importance of the PFI-lift as the government invests in the to improve the SFI-teachers' skills, which is an extremely important step when many SFI-teachers do not have requisite knowledge in the subject of Swedish as a second language.

The government makes several good efforts in this area, although criticism can be directed in particular against the active prevention of discrimination is lacking and the need for a national system for validation of training and knowledge in the context of the new reception system for new arrivals education and skills should not be discarded.

SNS on ethnic and resource-based segregation

Labels: labor, integration, training

Skans and Åslund has written SNS Welfare report in 2009 on the segregation in large cities which were presented at the DN-debate yesterday. At the SNS website is the report under the heading "Segregation is no adverse impact to support research". However, it is not what Åslund and Skans to say, although they argue that ethnic segregation is not in itself the most problematical, but it is the resource-based segregation is the main problem. They argue that the difficulty in breaking the poverty according to research by strengthening the surrounding area is also poor, but as a rule, not the surrounding ethnic composition.

Expression in a different way, so estimates Åslund and Skans that segregation has two main problematic aspects. Firstly, there is much credible evidence that discrimination is a factor contributing to segregation occurs. In this regard, the segregation to be regarded as a symptom of a serious social problem. The second negative aspect is that segregation in the broad sense indicates significant underlying differences in resources. These differences can often be alarming and lead to specific action by the society. On the other hand does not seem that the poverty problems that significantly enhanced by the spatial segregation between communities themselves.

Skans and Åslund has a very good point when they argue that policy should thus focus on the underlying problems: "Long-term unemployment and poverty in large groups of immigrants are at a level that would hardly be accepted if they were native Swedes. In some areas there are apparently also housing in a condition that would not be acceptable in other contexts. "They therefore recommend interventions in the induction, labor and education policy and work against discrimination, as this may discourage both the resource-based and ethnic segregation.

Åslund and Skans questioning thus the policy is that immigrants should not be allowed to live wherever they want. They argue that the experience of the previous deployment policy suggests that the immigrant make better decisions than governments in order to succeed in the labor market - those who themselves chose where to stay chose regions that offered greater opportunities for jobs. Although the ethnic segregation is causing divisions in society that reduces trust between groups in society so it is not reasonable that they immigrated to bear the full burden because they must be prevented to settle wherever they want. And particularly noteworthy is that if you believe that discrimination by majority groups are a driving factor behind the underlying patterns. I have previously blogged about the rights of immigrants to settle wherever they want.

Lack of contacts and employment discrimination

Labels: higher education, integration

Today Sweden will present new statistics on the Swedish labor market for college-educated foreign-born. Statistics show that in April 2009 was 7 of 10 college-educated foreign-born work (including self-employed) as their principal occupation and the corresponding figure for graduates home births was 9 of 10. There has been little change from 2004.

Of the college-educated foreign-born people with foreign education and work as their principal occupation has only two-thirds work in whole or in part, consistent with their education. One in five has a job that requires no education. The foreign-born are also more often temporary jobs and part-time jobs. Foreign-born and home-born graduates, however, were self-employed to the same extent.

Foreign-born, regardless of Swedish or foreign education, feel that they are difficult to get a job in line with their training. 73 percent of highly educated foreign-born found that loss of contact was the main obstacle to get a job that was consistent with their education. A "non-Swedish 'names, the foreign background and language difficulties was assessed also as main reasons.

The college-educated foreign-born referred to in the statistics have immigrated to Sweden between 1996 and 2007, and is thus fairly recent immigrants to Sweden. The fact that statistics is not clear how long the foreign-born were in Sweden or the education of foreign-born have been difficult to derive policy-oriented conclusions regarding the introduction of newly arrived scholars and social functioning.

Lena Schroeder wrote last spring on behalf of TCO, a report on the Swedish labor market for foreign-born scholars with a Swedish university. She came to the following conclusions of the labor market situation and what the union can do, worth in this context, highlighting again:

• Education pays for all, but a Swedish university pays less for those born in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia or Latin America. They are more likely to be unemployed than domestic-born scholars with the same focus of their training. Among those who have a job is also a higher risk that the work is relatively low-paid.

• Compared with home births are foreign-born scholars more oriented towards a higher education or health sector Science and Technology, namely education areas that usually leads to a qualifying job.

• Foreign-born graduates applying for jobs more intensively than home births. But they have less access to strong resource network to provide contacts in the labor market. Employment discrimination exists against foreign-born scholars with a Swedish degree.

• Unions are able to intervene in some of the mechanisms underlying these differences in the labor market. Ettsystem with mentoring can compensate for the lack of Network and combat discrimination. The union could also monitor the application documents of foreign-sounding names are not rejected in the recruitment process very first step. The fact that at all work for a recruitment procedure in which an individual's merits outweigh personal contacts would benefit the foreign-born scholars. Collective agreements can be used to counteract discrimination.