Ronneby Municipality's Innovative Approach to Combating Long-term Unemployment
In Ronneby municipality, a groundbreaking initiative known as 'newly started jobs' is helping to combat long-term unemployment while simultaneously addressing the needs of local organizations. This simple yet effective model involves loaning out job seekers to workplaces seeking reinforcement, allowing employers to test and develop potential new employees with the benefit of financial support from the municipality.
One of the success stories of this program is Grace Alsaaty, who emigrated from Syria in 2014. Despite holding a recent university degree in mathematics and statistics, Grace's journey into the Swedish labor market proved arduous, as her applications were met with repeated rejections due to lack of experience and professional connections. Undeterred, she took proactive steps to improve her situation, learning Swedish through YouTube and obtaining her driver's license.
After enduring months of job hunting, Grace connected with the labor market unit in Ronneby, which oversees the newly started jobs program. This connection marked a pivotal change in her life. Lisa Hjelm, an educator at Sfi (Swedish for Immigrants), received an offer to take in Grace as a resource. Initially surprised, Hjelm recognized the potential value of having such a well-educated individual assist in the classroom, particularly with students who spoke Arabic as their first language.
Although Grace lacked teaching experience, she was able to contribute significantly by assisting in classrooms and eventually focusing on math students in adult education. The synergy created between Hjelm's needs and Grace's skills proved to be a perfect match. Hjelm remarked, "It’s fantastic to see how a person can develop when the conditions are right."
The program not only provides job seekers like Grace with much-needed employment but also allows organizations to enhance their workforce. Hjelm highlighted the benefit of having an energetic and skilled colleague in the form of Grace. "Without the trial period, we would never have discovered her," she noted, underscoring the essential role mentorship and continued development played in Grace's success.
After two years in the newly started job program, Grace’s dedication and hard work culminated in a permanent teaching position, which required her to pursue further education to obtain a teaching license. While working, she pursued this education and, by March 2025, she successfully received her license, officially becoming a mathematics teacher in Ronneby’s adult education system.
Hjelm expressed satisfaction with how the newly started jobs program had worked to the benefit of both the community and the individual. "It benefits both the community and the individual when one dares to see the opportunities," she said.
For those unfamiliar with how the newly started jobs program operates, it provides straightforward support for recruiting individuals who have been unemployed for a significant period. Specifically, it supports job seekers who have been unemployed for at least 12 months, as well as newcomers to Sweden—those aged 20 to 24 years only need to be unemployed for 6 months. The initiative offers reimbursements of up to 60% of the salary cost, capped at 20,000 SEK per month, depending on the individual hired.
The compensation duration lasts up to one year for younger individuals (aged 20 to 24) and a maximum of two years for those aged 25 to 66, applicable for both permanent and fixed-term employment in various capacities. Those looking to make a difference in both their own lives and the community can find hope in the success stories emerging from this unique approach to breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment.
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