Nearly every other Swedish employer reports difficulty recruiting the right skills. Meanwhile, thousands of students leave programs with internship components that never led to employment. The gap between education and the labor market is not new – but it's growing. And internships are one of the most underestimated tools for closing it.
A skills shortage means employers cannot find candidates with the right education, experience or abilities for open positions. In Sweden, the shortage is greatest in healthcare, technology, construction, IT and education. Internships during education – such as APL, LIA and VFU – are the most direct link between what the student learns and what the labor market needs.
What does the skills shortage look like in 2026?#
The Swedish Public Employment Service's shortage index and SCB's labor force barometer show clear patterns:
| Industry | Shortage level | Most common internship type |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | Very high | VFU, APL |
| Construction | High | APL, apprenticeship |
| IT and tech | High | LIA, university internship |
| Education | High | VFU |
| Hospitality | Medium–high | APL |
| Manufacturing | Medium | APL, LIA |
| Finance and administration | Medium | LIA, university internship |
The shortage is not just about numbers – it's about matching. There are students and there are jobs. But they don't meet.
Three reasons the gap is growing#
1. Education can't keep up#
The labor market changes faster than curricula. New technologies, new requirements, new roles – but programs update slowly. Without close contact with working life, schools risk educating for yesterday's needs.
2. Internship quality is lacking#
Not all internships produce labor market effects. When the internship becomes parking instead of learning, when the supervisor has no time and when tasks are irrelevant, the system loses its purpose. SCB data shows that interns with meaningful supervision have significantly higher employment rates after graduation.
3. Matching is inefficient#
Students end up at placements that match neither their education nor the labor market's needs. Schools match manually, often based on geography rather than competence. Companies with the greatest needs don't even know students are available.
Why internships are part of the solution#
Internships alone don't solve the skills shortage. But they serve functions no other educational measure does:
Verification of competence: Employers see what the student can actually do – not just what the grade says.
Real-time adaptation: During the internship, the student learns what the education missed. The new accounting system, the regional building code, the local patient group.
Relationship building: The majority of all recruitments happen through contacts. Internships create the contact.
Motivation and direction: Students who have good internships stay in the industry more often. Those who have poor ones switch – sometimes away from the profession entirely.
What needs to change?#
Higher quality requirements for internships#
Skolverket and the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education need to strengthen follow-up. It's not enough that internships exist – they must be good.
Smarter matching#
Geographic proximity shouldn't be the only matching criterion. Matching based on competence, industry needs and the student's goals produces better results – and that requires better data and better tools.
More companies in the system#
Many employers with the greatest needs don't host interns. Often because they don't know how, have no contact with schools or find it too complicated. Making it easy to participate is crucial.
Measurement and follow-up#
We know surprisingly little about what actually happens after the internship. How many get jobs? Within what timeframe? In which industry? Better data produces better decisions.
Regional differences#
The skills shortage looks different across Sweden:
- Major cities: high competition for placements, many students, more employers
- Central Sweden: balanced market but vulnerable to company closures
- Rural areas: few placements, long distances, high shortage in healthcare and construction
This means solutions can't be the same everywhere. Rural schools need different tools and more flexibility.
How Prakto relates#
A digital internship platform like Prakto can contribute by making matching between students and companies more efficient, especially where manual processes fall short. When schools and companies share the same system, it becomes easier to see where needs exist and where skills are being trained.
Frequently asked questions about skills shortage and internships#
Is the skills shortage worse now than before?#
Yes. Demographic changes, retirements and rapid technological development have intensified the shortage during the 2020s. The Public Employment Service flags that the trend continues.
Which industries benefit most from internships as a recruitment channel?#
Industries with high staff turnover and clear vocational roles: healthcare, construction, hospitality and IT. There, internships are already the most common way to find new staff.
Can internships replace other recruitment?#
Not entirely, but they complement it. Many companies that systematically host interns report that 30–50% of their hires come through internships.
What can individual schools do?#
Invest in APL quality: supervisor training, active follow-up, better matching and stronger advisory boards with local companies.
What can the government do?#
Stronger national guidelines for internship quality, better statistics on internships' labor market effect and incentives for companies to host interns – especially in shortage occupations.
Conclusion#
The skills shortage in Sweden is structural and growing. Internships are not the whole solution, but they are one of the most important. If we raise quality, improve matching and involve more companies, internships can become the bridge between education and the labor market that Sweden needs.
Sources#
- Swedish Public Employment Service – shortage index 2025
- SCB – labor force barometer 2025
- Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education – follow-up of YH students' employment
- Skolverket – follow-up of APL in upper secondary vocational education
- Boverket – forecast for skills supply in the construction sector
