- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The Agency for Higher Vocational Education (Myndigheten för yrkeshögskolan) has, since its inception in 2009, been responsible for deciding which programmes qualify to be offered as HVET and for funding them, by allocating government grants to the education providers offering the programmes. Education providers are institutions or establishments such as local authorities, private training companies or universities and their programmes are tailored to suit the needs for competence provision. The programmes are offered as full-time or part-time studies. One out of four programmes are offered as distance schemes. In many of these the learners meet two or three times each semester for lectures, seminars and examinations, while in others the learners' study remotely through the internet without physical meetings.
Due to its responsiveness to labour market needs, HVET is a flexible scheme and HVET programmes, therefore, change over time. New programmes start and old ones are discontinued as the needs for competence provision change. Most HVET programmes offer work-based learning as part of their scheme. Completion of a 1- to 2-year lasting programme results in a higher vocational education diploma which is placed at SeQF level 5, and completion of a 2- to 3-year lasting programme results in an advanced higher vocational education diploma which is placed at SeQF level 6.
Objectives
The objective of the expansion of HVET is to ensure that adults are better qualified for the labour market, which will lead to economic growth.
Description
The Swedish Government has increased the funding to the Agency for Higher Vocational Education, to ensure that employers have access to qualified professional skills to create growth. The Agency for Higher Vocational Education has been able to approve more than a 56% increase in the number of study places between 2014 and 2019. The most rapid expansion has taken place in the last two years with an increase of 36% from 2017 to 2019.
In April 2020, the government proposed additional funding for a temporary addition of HVET study places. The bill proposed an additional SEK 245 million for 2020 (about EUR 24 million), of which a quarter is earmarked for the new CVET scheme with shorter courses. The bill was passed by parliament on 17 June 2020. The scheme is called HVET flex and is a pilot that will be operating until 2023.
The government stated in its budget bill for 2021 that new CVET schemes with shorter HVET courses also need to be developed so it can meet both the needs of working life for the skills development of its employees and provide training for other groups (e.g. migrants and refugees) to strengthen their opportunities to get a job.
In 2021, the authority has paid out government grants for a total of 49 730 annual places for programmes within higher vocational education.
In 2022, the authority has paid out government grants for a total of 49 730 annual places for programmes within higher vocational education, which is at the same level as in 2021.
The budget bill for 2023 presented funding for HVET at the same level as previous years.
In the round of applications from education providers, the National Agency for Higher Vocational Education (MYH) granted 40 000 study places, approximately 14 000 starting already in 2024. That is an increase of six percent in one year.
Due to the expansion of HVE, programmes that are delivered through remote/online learning or divided into several locations with flexible arrangements also have increased. Nearly a third of the programmes are offered remotely, while 15% of the programmes can be studied from several different locations. This means that students who live in parts of the country where there are fewer location-bound programmes are given the opportunity for lifelong learning and to train for occupations that are in high demand in the labour market.
Bodies responsible
- National Agency for Higher VET
Target groups
Learners
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Adult learners
Thematic categories
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Expansion of higher VET: Sweden. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/et/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/36427