Rectors of Chalmers and KTH: Introduce deductions for skills investments
Continuous education is becoming increasingly important to ensure Swedish competitiveness. For the first time, we now present joint proposals on how lifelong learning can be promoted in concrete terms," writes IT&Telecomföretagen together with representatives of seven higher education institutions, five other employer organizations and the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers.
Time, structure and clarity. These are the cornerstones of our proposed model for lifelong learning and thus the basis for Swedish companies to be able to compete globally in the future.
We call the model, or framework, Study Friday and it opens up for a deeper and effective collaboration between universities and companies with a focus on the individual's opportunity to be trained and developed for the benefit of Swedish competitiveness.
The Swedish economy is largely built on a successful export sector that now includes both products and services.
A high technological content in these has always been both a characteristic and a success factor. A key question is therefore how technical excellence can be strengthened to meet increased global competition.
It is important that there are opportunities to add new knowledge and skills to their existing education and experience. Our higher education institutions need to clarify what training is required by businesses and employees and when they are expected to be able to provide it. A company's management must be able to plan both for the next delivery of goods or services and its long-term ability to develop new ones.
In other words, it must be possible for companies to have their needs for advanced training met in a reasonable scope and form. Individual employees must also be able to find and apply for similar courses on their own initiative, with the intention of taking responsibility for their own skills development and strengthening their position in the labor market.
We call this framework Study Friday, but this does not mean that all professional development must take place on Fridays. The term is used as a metaphor for defining when skills development should take place and who it involves.
This can be done locally in agreements between several companies and higher education institutions and with individuals. To make this possible on the basis of the current system, we see the following changes as necessary.
This part of the education system must function well for Sweden as a knowledge nation, but it is also a crucial issue for the work to create a dynamic labor market that the social partners are now carrying out to create new rules for employment protection, restructuring and skills development.
- Develop admissions systems. Admission systems need to be simplified and developed for those who already hold a higher education degree. Already today, alumni can easily be welcomed back to their previous institution to learn new skills. This happens in a few institutions, but more could make this possible.
To make it possible to admit a person with a degree from another institution or to meaningfully tailor relevant training, for example by breaking out modules from the regular course offer, the national system also needs to be developed. A model could be the way admission works for specialist nurses and midwives.
- Appropriate funding for courses for professionals. It is not necessary that continuing education and training for professionals must result in traditional higher education credits in the same way as for a student undergoing initial training. Continuing education and training is one of several forms of lifelong learning.
However, points are the yardstick that the state currently uses to compensate higher education institutions financially. The state's compensation to higher education institutions for providing education must be changed so that contributions to lifelong learning are also rewarded. Clear funding will increase the incentives for higher education institutions, not least for their long-term planning.
- Adapting courses to professionals. With this framework and effective funding, our higher education institutions will have incentives to change and adapt their course offerings to a new target group, the professionals. This will make it interesting to divide courses into different modules and develop new forms of distance learning, providing flexibility and thus new opportunities to meet the training needs of engineers and companies.
- Allow deductions for investments in skills. Investing in cutting-edge skills also benefits Sweden as a whole. Advanced research, development and innovation must continue to be hallmarks of our country.
In 2012, the then government introduced the possibility for companies to deduct employer contributions for investments in research. We want to see a similar system for investments in employees' skills. This would also allow advanced studies to be carried out during working hours.
Our proposal will have the positive side effect that in the future we will see experienced professionals attending the same lecture, workshop or laboratory as tomorrow's employees who are today's students. The encounter between young and experienced will be a completely new element in teaching, creating new creative environments and learning. Professionals can thus also contribute to the development of education.
We, the signatories, represent seven major engineering education institutions, six technology-heavy industries and more than 150,000 individual engineers. We set out not to create new systems or institutions to make the change possible. Instead, we took the current situation as a starting point and tweaked it.
Sweden's new Minister for Higher Education and Research, Matilda Ernkrans, has clearly stated that lifelong learning is a top priority. Our proposal is in line with this ambition. We are now seeking the cooperation of the government and its agencies to facilitate its implementation.
Hans Adolfsson, Rector, Umeå University
Stefan Bengtsson, Rector Chalmers
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn Vice-Chancellor Luleå University of Technology
Ulf Nilsson, Dean of Linköping University
Jonas Hagelqvist, CEO Innovation and Chemical Industries Federation
Per Hidesten, CEO Industrial Employers
Carina Håkansson, CEO of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation
Magnus Höij, Director of Innovation Business Sweden
Åsa Zetterberg, Director of IT&Telecom Confederation
Sigbritt Karlsson, Rector of the Royal Institute of Technology
Ulrika Lindstrand, President of the Swedish Association of Engineers
Klas Wåhlberg, CEO Teknikföretagen
Eva Åkesson, Vice-Chancellor Uppsala University
Viktor Öwall, Rector of Lund Institute of Technology