On 12 June 2017, State Secretary Thorben Albrecht welcomed Anna Ekström, Sweden’s Minister for Upper Secondary School and Adult Education and Training, for talks on the integration of refugees into schools and vocational training as well as the general labour market.
Sweden, like Germany, has taken in a large number of refugees. Both countries face the challenge of integrating them into society and the labour market. The purpose of the talks was to share experiences. State Secretary Albrecht and Minister Ekström both acknowledged the challenge of providing refugees with the necessary language skills and qualifications, and agreed that in-company training with a high degree of practical experience can make an important contribution to successful integration. Minister Ekström stated that Germany was a role model in this field.