Internships and apprenticeships in Sweden, collective bargaining and social partner involvement

Abstract

In Sweden, internships and apprenticeships are shaped within a labour law and industrial relations system that is strongly characterised by comprehensive social partner engagement and robust, innovative and constructive collective bargaining. Focusing on collective bargaining and social partner involvement and the situation of young people, this chapter explores internships and apprenticeships within the Swedish system of labour law and industrial relations. The chapter discusses a number of current problems and challenges, including the risk of exploitation, poor educational outcomes, a downward pressure on wages and the crowding out of ordinary employment. In Sweden, the high level of social partner involvement has contributed in important ways to limit the urgency of these risks. However, the recent political discourse on internships and apprenticeships raises questions related to the preservation of the national labour market model and the role of social partners.