IQ Good Practice International: Two New Issues Online Now

The most recent issues of our publication series IQ Good Practice International are now available online. Focusing on innovative and transferable approaches, the current examples within this publication series focuses on Sweden’s fast tracks programme and the American NGO "Upwardly Global".

Fast-Track Integration

The first Good Practice example stems from Sweden where, starting from 2015, the government decided to promote the quicker and more efficient introduction of newly arrived immigrants into the labour market through a programme labelled "Fast Tracks". Since 2016, 14 fast tracks have been agreed upon between the Swedish Employment Services and the relevant labour market representatives. Each of the 14 fast tracks represent a job area where shortages of skilled and experienced labour exist in Sweden, including engineers, teachers, technicians and doctors. Although the 14 fast tracks all have a different design, it basically entails various competence mappings and assessments. Based on the recommendations drawn from the mappings and assessments, an individual plan is designed and executed. All of these measures pre-date the fast track programme but are now being linked to each other for the first time in order to form a transparent chain of measures.

Digital Integration

The second IQ Good Practice International is the work by, and general integration approach of, the American NGO "Upwardly Global" (UpGlo) which successfully injects digital innovation and close cooperation with the private sector into the integration mix. UpGlo’s services for immigrants and refugees include a hybrid model of in-person and virtual resources. It includes 1:1 career coaching, where a coach is designated to work with a specific client for the duration of their job search journey, but also online (language) education, virtual acculturation courses, online and offline job search skills training, and networking events with corporate partners. UpGlo’s approach also stands out because of its ongoing efforts in educating and engaging a national employer network of 300+ businesses and organisations. Over the past 17 years, with a limited budget, UpGlo has served over 10.000 job seekers from 105 countries, placed over 5.000 immigrants and refugees in professional jobs, partnered with over 300 employers, and advised national workforce and immigration policy.

Please find all issues of IQ Good Practice International here.

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