Sweden

This scheme is aimed at persons with foreign education who need to supplement their education in Sweden in order to be able to work in the profession the person is trained in. The eligible group includes unemployed recent migrants who got their resident permit within the last 3 years and who have a qualification or work experience in a shortage occupation. They have to be or have been enrolled in the introduction programme and have signed an individual introduction plan. Recent immigrants with experience or training in one of 40 shortage occupations in 14 industries are offered support including validation, further education, in-service training, and work placement in order to promote a fast entrance into the Swedish labour market. Along with the described support beneficiaries are also entitled to support for living costs. 100% of study costs related to an educational plan can be funded.

The Study Entrance Grants aims to support the unemployed with short prior education whose labour market prospects significantly can be improved by gaining a qualification on the basic or upper-secondary level. Applicants must have been unemployed or in an ALP measure six months within the last 12 months. The grant is managed by the municipalities that can apply slightly different rules for the criteria an applicant and their envisaged education have to meet. In general, applicants should lack a qualification on the higher secondary level (Swedish gymnasium) and have good chances to increase their employability by pursuing a second chance education. The study programmes eligible for the grant include education on the level of compulsory or upper secondary schools (Komvux) or general courses on those levels in liberal adult education institutions (Folkhögskola). The educational activity has to be performed on a level of at least 50% (according to study credits) for at least three weeks. The benefit can be granted for a maximum of 50 weeks of full-time studies. The maximum amount of funding is EUR 10 625 plus a potential child allowance of EUR 1 931. The minimum amount of funding is EUR 319.

In Sweden, the applicable laws set no explicit limitations to a payback clause, that is an agreement between employer and employee on the payback of training costs covered by the employer in case of voluntary termination of the employment by the employee. The parties can freely agree on any component of the payback clause. Agreements deemed unfair, however, can be challenged in the Labour Corts. Overall, the application of payback clauses for training costs is perceived as of limited importance within the overall co-funding arrangements for CVT.

Adults can use a loan scheme introduced to support students in initial education to cover tuition fees in higher education and living costs during full-time education. Eligible education and training for adults include adult primary and secondary education (komvux), adult vocational secondary education (yrkesvux) as well as higher education and other post-secondary education. Students can choose the loan as an optional or additional component to a grant. The amount of financial aid depends on whether the individual is a full-time student or a part-time student.

Among other unions the organisation Unionen (Sweden's largest trade union on the private labour market) offers financial assistance in further education under the label Student Support (Studiestöd) to their members. The intention of the grant is to increase employees' skills and thus strengthen their role in the labour market. Courses at universities, in general adult education (Komvux), vocational schools (Yrkesvux) or liberal adult education (Folkhögskola) are eligible to co-funding up to SEK 3 425 (approx. EUR 322) per semester and up to SEK 13 700 (approx. EUR 1 288) in total. Eligible costs include course fees, literature and learning material costs.

Individuals are entitled to deduct educational costs of continuing vocational training that is necessary to maintain their current job position from their tax base in case all costs reported in the respective category exceed SEK 5 000 (approx. EUR 470) per year. The state co-funding - in the form of foregone tax revenues - equals eligible costs multiplied by the marginal tax rate (between 32 and 52%). The minimum earning per year required for application is SEK 20 000 (approx. EUR 1 900). Deductions are also allowed for education for which a person receives taxable study allowance. Costs permitted for deductions include study material, course costs and travel costs. Expenses regarding general education, upskilling measures for job changes and costs covered by tax-free allowances or grants are not eligible. The same applicant can re-use the scheme once in each calendar year.

All employees (that have been employed for the previous 6 months or a total of 12 months during the past 3 years) have a right to unpaid educational leave for both short and long educational programmes. They can require full-time or part-time leave. While the leave as such is unpaid, they can receive a grant (wage-replacement) through the Studiemedel scheme (Student aid - grant and loan scheme). Employees file an application for leave to their employer two weeks before the start for activities up to one week or trade union courses or six months before the start of a longer learning activity. The employer cannot refuse the training leave, but only postpone it for good reasons. The learning activity does not need to be connected to an individual job or occupation, but a hobby or leisure activities are excluded. There is no limitation to re-use the training leave.