Sweden: reformed VET curricula for learners with intellectual disabilities

Background

In Sweden, upper secondary education for learners with intellectual disabilities comprises nine national vocational programmes, each of them lasting four years. During the programme, learners have 22 weeks of compulsory work-based learning, while the programme can also be completed as an apprenticeship. Learners who are not capable of following the national programme can opt for an individual programme, designed to meet the specific needs and abilities of each individual.

Establishment on the labour market after graduation 

Learners with intellectual disabilities often face challenges entering the labour market after completing their studies. A report published in December 2024 examines the transition into the labour market after graduation from the upper secondary education for learners with intellectual disabilities.  

The figure below illustrates the establishment in the labour market of learners who completed their education in a national programme in 2020. It shows their activity in the year of graduation, as well as  in the two subsequent years 2021 and 2022. ‘Daily activities’ are the most common and involve structured employment for which the municipality is responsible. ‘Employment’ means being active in the labour market and ‘Education’ refers to studies in municipal adult education for adults with intellectual disabilities or folk high schools. The category ‘Other’ is for learners whose activity is unknown.

The proportion of those having a job increases over the three years: immediately after upper secondary school, 17% have a job, but two years later this number rises to 29%, and the same trend can be seen for ‘Daily activities’. The share of ‘Other’ drops by half over the three years, while the number in ‘Education’ remains relatively constant.

Changes to increase their labour market participation

The fact that graduates of upper secondary education programmes for learners with intellectual disabilities find it difficult to enter the labour market is nothing new, and the reform of upper secondary education has taken this into account. In autumn 2025, new curricula and programme structures will come into force. The content of the subjects has been updated to meet the needs and demands of the labour market better. Additionally, the range of elective subjects within the programmes has been expanded, enabling learners to broaden their skills and improve their employability. New subjects include cleaning, service and hospitality, recycling and reuse, practical marketing and sales and service. 

The curricula for upper secondary schools for learners with intellectual disabilities have also been rewritten to align more closely with upper secondary school curricula. This aims to increase the opportunities for co-reading and to enable learners with intellectual disabilities to study subjects in upper secondary school to a greater extent. 

In addition, several in-depth vocational upper secondary programme packages for adults with learning disabilities have been developed, and will be offered from July 2025. They bring together different subjects that can lead to establishment in a particular area of working life, for example in areas such as property management, park work and leisure.

These innovations in the upper secondary education for learners with intellectual disabilities, which will be available from autumn 2025, aim to increase labour market participation rates, enabling more individuals with intellectual disabilities to secure employment and achieve financial independence.

For more information, contact the Swedish National Agency for Education