Simon Asplund

With activation driving labour market policy, job-seekers are often offered subsidised employment on the condition that they fulfill certain obligations, such as job searching and participating in training. Nevertheless, such initiatives often receive criticism for their ineffectiveness, and little is known about how these policies can achieve their desired results in practice. This study explores how active labour market programme participants, caseworkers and workplace supervisors perceive the feasibility, acceptability, and value of a structured development plan within an active labour market programme (ALMP). The development plan was piloted for one month in a Swedish municipality and was followed by focus group or individual interviews. The findings indicate that the development plan was perceived as strengthening structured communication among the actors, increasing awareness and reflection on development progress through the use of concrete goals; enabling the combination of long- and short-term goals, and finally, clarifying the responsibilities of various actors involved in the ALMP process. In conclusion, this study contributes to knowledge on how individualised support can be provided in a feasible and structured way, and identifies mechanisms that may support future implementation and evaluation of individualised support within ALMPs.

Introduction: Research suggests that holistic, person-centred support may be effective in facilitating employment for people with complex needs. A model based on such principles, labelled SMILE, was developed for this purpose. This study aimed to explore caseworkers’ experiences using SMILE, to identify which aspects they perceive as key to helping people with complex needs achieve sustainable employment. Design and methods: The study employed a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with 13 caseworkers who had first-hand experience working with the model to enhance employability among people with complex needs. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The respondents emphasised the model’s holistic, person-centred support as essential for enabling targeted and relevant interventions. They also stressed the importance of clients having access to all interventions through a single point of entry. They also highlighted that progress served to energise and motivate clients. Another key aspect was ensuring the availability of continuous and easily accessible support from caseworkers, providing a sense of security for clients. This allowed them to make progress, cultivating empowerment and leading to a sense of self-efficacy and belief in their ability to attain sustainable employment. Conclusions: Key aspects of the model that facilitated employment for people with complex needs included: providing holistic, person-centred support accessible through a single access point. Continuous and easily accessible support from a consistent caseworker was also essential for facilitating steady progress and fostering a sense of self-worth and confidence in their ability to gain employment.

Labour market integration of immigrants remains a key policy priority, yet practical implementation continues to face challenges. This study aimed to co-design and re-design solutions to strengthen support within an Active Labour Market Programme (ALMP) to promote immigrants’ sustainable working lives. Using a co-creative qualitative design, data were gathered through workshops with caseworkers, job coaches, immigrant participants, and workplace supervisors in a Swedish municipality. The findings identified four central aspects for improvement—providing timely and accurate information, aligning efforts toward shared goals, targeting individualised support, and integrating language learning at the workplace—emphasising the need for coherent and collaborative programme structures to facilitate a sustainable working life for immigrants.