From Crane to Torso: Local Skill Strategies in the City of Malmö

The City of Malmö has drawn on the skills of the city’s substantial immigrant population in its recent transformation into a centre for service, trade and finance related industries. In addition to attracting significant numbers of new residents through investment in infrastructure and a new university, the city has developed a range of initiatives to improve the labour market integration of immigrants, including a new “portfolio approach” to recording an immigrant’s skills. The city’s “Vision 2015” strategy benefits from a high level of direct involvement and co-operation between local education officials, labour exchange offices and employers. The chapter analyses whether the city has succeeded in developing a balanced approach to improving its skills-base and identifies remaining gaps to be addressed.