On October 25, 2022, we had the honor of participating in the Nordic Welfare Centre’s seminar under the Nordic Council of Ministers: “Combatting Long-Term Unemployment Among Immigrants Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
It was a great pleasure to listen to the many presentations, share our own initiatives and projects, and contribute to a knowledge exchange that aims to strengthen integration and the labor market across the Nordic countries.

The seminar was based on a report from the Nordic Welfare Centre and included insights from companies and institutions across the Nordic region – including KHRS.

The event emphasized a range of crucial aspects that have proven essential in addressing unemployment among long-term unemployed immigrants. It was both educational and affirming. At KHRS, we have for years taken social responsibility in helping immigrants gain employment. It was particularly interesting to hear about job training for immigrant women and how the holistic approach—which we also apply at KHRS—is gaining traction in more and more places.

In the report, Nora Sánchez Gassen and Åsa Ström Hildestrand from Nordregio write:

“Learning Danish language is necessary, but not in itself sufficient to find work in a highly skilled labour market such as the Danish one. In addition, close co-operation between employers, unions, civil society, and national and local government actors is essential in identifying the needs of jobseekers and employers and increasing and matching immigrants’ skills to local labour market demands. Adult education and on-the-job skills and language training are cornerstones of this approach, as the work of the KHRS Academy shows.”

The seminar also focused on the role of employers in developing relevant upskilling and training materials. At KHRS, we have firsthand experience with the needs of industries that often face labor shortages. This allows us to provide targeted upskilling for immigrant jobseekers that leads directly to employment—both within KHRS and externally.

This is one of the reasons why, in projects like the Gribskov Model Point 44, we could offer job guarantees to participants who completed the program. Relatively short, intensive training programs with job guarantees deliver results—this is why the Gribskov Model lives on today in other formats, such as the Sector Model (Branchemodellen).

At KHRS, we will continue our work to help immigrants into employment—for the sake of the individuals, for society, and for ourselves.

A heartfelt thank you to the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic Welfare Centre, and all the other fantastic participants we met in Stockholm and via video conference.

Read the full report here