AMK – Labour Market Insights (for youngsters)

By project SKYLA

Published on 16 December 2024

Sweden

Sydsverige

About this good practice

Reaching young people seems to be a challenge all over Europe. AMK is a proven and effective way to reach young people and have dialogues/discussions about the labour market, jobs and the future. AMK (Arbetsmarknadskunskap) or Labour Market Insights for youngsters is an initiative where "communicators" visit schools and meet students (aged 13-18) to present the current status in the regional labour market as well as which areas have shortages of specific skills and what future skills needs are predicted. The communicators at times also meet parents, teachers and guidance councillors to present the same information to them. In this way AMK contributes to prioritising future skills in the region and addressing the challenges of closing the skills gap during the Twin transition, as described in the SKYLA project.
AMK communicators have updated information about the labour market and it’s future needs. Through following trends and changes in society and the outer world AMK provide up to date presentations.
AMK have existed in the Skåne region for more than 9 years and have been successful through meeting students where it matters, in the classroom.
Main stakeholders are IUC Syd, the regional government of Skåne and AMK (Arbetsmarknadskunskap) organisation.

Expert opinion

AMK is an initiative that aims to engage students aged 13–18 in classroom discussions about the labour market, current job trends, and future skills needs in Sweden. Trained communicators visit schools to share up-to-date regional labour market insights, involving not only students but also parents, teachers, and guidance counsellors. This approach helps address the skills gap and align education with future workforce demands. In Skåne, AMK is backed by IUC Syd (the industrial development centre), the regional government, and the AMK organisation. Despite modest annual costs, AMK has demonstrated a high impact and has received positive feedback from students and parents. The model is easily transferable to other European regions facing similar challenges in engaging youth in career and labour market education, with the added potential of reducing skills mismatches.

Arnault Morisson

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

Franchise fee € 20 000 per year.
Staff costs ca. € 250 000 per year.
Additional costs for reports, trend analyses, technological solutions, travel ca. € 30 000 per year.

Evidence of success

This practice has been ongoing for more than 9 years in our region, 13 years in some other regions in Sweden. It is a successful and effective way to reach young people and give them insights in the labour market and future skills needs.
Results from surveys with students and parents are proof that this is a successful and effective concept.

Potential for learning or transfer

Potential for learning and transfer exists and can be explored. Reaching young people seems to be a challenge all over Europe. AMK is a proven and effective way to reach young people and have dialogues/discussions about the labour market, jobs and the future. Other regions in Europe would be able to meet with us (IUC Syd), the regional government of Skåne and AMK to discuss the potential and the possibilities for implementing the AMK concept in their own regions. There are no unique or region-specific requirements for implementing AMK. The trends and needs within skills and skills development seem to be universal at the moment, at least when it comes to Europe. AMK already exists in at least 8 regions in Sweden and the idea has previously been discussed with regions in Ireland and Ukraine.