The Talent Academy aims to create more pathways into the workforce through collaboration between the business community, the public sector, and civil society. This initiative is socially innovative in that it provides unemployed individuals—both young and older—with a structured pathway into the workforce through internships with certification. The program combines social goals such as increased employment, reduced unemployment, security, and greater inclusion with social measures such as individual matching, validated learning, actively involving the target group in the design of the initiatives, and creating networks that yield long-term results.
The program is driven by a desire to help people gain greater self-confidence, empowerment, a sense of belonging, and a sense of purpose. The Talent Academy believes that validation makes a significant difference and reinforces a person’s self-worth by making them feel seen and acknowledged. Great importance is placed on the view that all people have potential and abilities—not just problems or shortcomings. That is why the term “talent” is used, rather than simply “participant.”
The Talent Academy has the potential to foster greater cohesion, which can lead to safer, more attractive, and socially sustainable neighborhoods and local communities.
What does social innovation mean?
The social innovation of the Talent Academy lies in a groundbreaking combination of a structured internship process with validation, close collaboration with local property owners, and a strong belief that everyone has abilities and potential. It is also a packaged concept that can be scaled up to more locations. The structured internship process has several steps: selection of participants, career paths with preparatory activities, matching participants with potential internship hosts, meetings between participants and internship hosts, introductions between participants and mentors, completion of the internship, certification of skills, Theory of Change follow-up.
The local coordinator selects potential interns in collaboration with the municipality and the local employment office. The internship is entirely voluntary for participants who are willing and have an active interest in completing a validated internship. At the first meeting with a potential intern, the coordinator documents the individual’s profile and internship needs. This documentation includes, among other things, previous work experience, formal education, language skills, and special needs. Jobbstigar is a digital tool with various resources that participants use to prepare for, during, and after an internship. Participants are matched with a suitable employer based on their qualifications and needs. Throughout the internship period, which lasts approximately six weeks, a local coordinator supports and encourages both the intern and the employer through regular follow-up meetings.
Inspired by the Open College Network (OCN), which is based on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), participants receive validated learning through structured assessment, evaluation, and documentation that highlights and recognizes their competencies. In addition to their professional practice, the intern is assessed on parameters such as initiative, punctuality, responsibility, and teamwork. According to the Talent Academy, the validated certificate of competence makes a significant difference and strengthens a person’s self-confidence and sense of worth by being seen and acknowledged. The validation also creates a clear structure for the internship that benefits both the talent and the company.
What is the societal challenge?
Many people, especially those from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, have difficulty establishing themselves in the labor market. According to the Talent Academy, this can be attributed to several factors. For example, a lack of professional networks, a lack of relevant work experience, and insufficient educational opportunities. Structurally, there are barriers in the form of a labor market that largely relies on informal contacts for recruitment. At the organizational level, the lack of collaboration between educational institutions, employment agencies, and the business community can contribute to people falling through the cracks.
What does the vision for social change look like?
The Talent Academy strives for a more inclusive labor market where people, regardless of background, have access to the right resources to develop and achieve their professional goals. The vision is that everyone has a place and can contribute their abilities and strengths. The Talent Academy is based on a view of humanity that highlights individuals’ strengths, abilities, and potential, rather than their shortcomings. The conviction that permeates the organization is that every person possesses some form of talent and that people who are seen and affirmed grow and take more responsibility for both themselves and others in society—which is why everyone participating in an internship through the Talent Academy is called a “talent.”
Which partners and resources have been mobilised?
The Talent Academy involves collaboration between businesses, municipalities, and other public sector entities—such as the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, coordination associations, regional authorities, the police, and social services. Civil society also plays a role as a partner, in the form of local nonprofit associations and organizations.
The Talent Academy thus mobilizes resources from various sources, but has primarily been made possible because property owners have recognized the significant value of the initiative and are funding the program at the local level. When residents in the local neighborhood transition from unemployment to employment and increase their sense of empowerment and self-confidence, the area’s social sustainability is also positively impacted.
Funding occurs on two levels: locally and in close connection with various projects where stakeholders—most often real estate companies—support the activities; and centrally and comprehensively, where national partners support the entire association, such as builder Anders J. Ahlström and Skandia’s “Ideas for Life” Foundation.
What was the development and testing process like?
The Talent Academy was designed based on the founders’ prior experience and expertise. This includes, among other things, the creation and management of their own labor market projects and the development of the OCN method in Sweden.
The initiators wanted to combine their expertise and methods in new ways and initially intended to test the model in municipalities as a labor market initiative. Instead, opportunities arose through dialogue with local property owners who saw benefits for both individuals and the social sustainability of the neighborhood.
The Talent Academy’s method for validating non-formal learning has been developed and tested over a long period of time. The OCN method—which is itself an example of social innovation—was originally developed in England in the 1980s as a response to the challenges that arose when many mines closed and workers needed to be redeployed to other industries. The method was introduced in Sweden in 2005 and has since been adapted and implemented in various occupational fields with the support of the Nordic Validation Forum.
The OCN method is a systematic approach for identifying, describing, and validating knowledge, skills, and competencies. It is used to ensure the quality of learning and professional development in both the workplace and the education sector. The method is compatible with Sweden’s Qualifications Framework (SeQF), making it a tool for highlighting and recognizing non-formal and informal learning.
This method has been used to develop occupational profiles, among other things, and can also be used for industry validation. A key component of the OCN method is the creation of modules, each of which describes key knowledge, skills, and competencies within a specific field. Some examples in the retail sector include teamwork, customer service, and inventory management.
The Talent Academy has recently refined its validation process to better meet the needs of a wider range of target groups. With this increased flexibility, the Talent Academy can now directly offer validation services to corporate partners, associations, and organizations that previously were unable to utilize validation as a method in their operations or for enhanced recruitment.
How have these innovative solutions been implemented and disseminated?
Talangakademin is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 that currently operates in Sundbyberg and Huddinge in Stockholm, Frölunda in Gothenburg, and Gottsunda and Gränby in Uppsala. The model has been expanded through partnerships with civil society, public, and private actors, and is designed to be adaptable to additional regions and target groups. Long-term sustainability is ensured, among other things, by building sustainable relationships between partners and through systematic follow-up and Theory of Change. Challenges may arise in securing long-term funding and scaling up the model in a sustainable manner.
What value has been created?
According to the Talent Academy’s own information, it creates value at the individual level, for the local community, and at the societal level.
The Talent Academy has created new opportunities for unemployed individuals to find work and pursue education. Of the participants who attended the Talent Academy between 2021 and 2024, nearly half went on to find employment or pursue education, according to their own impact report from 2024. Of those who found employment, 152 participants remained with their internship host, 251 participants found work at another workplace, and 91 participants went on to pursue education.
The Talent Academy is also likely to contribute to greater cohesion and more thriving neighborhoods by helping residents feel better and more included. The long-term partnerships developed with civil society, public, and private actors can also contribute to social sustainability in residential areas. This is likely to increase the attractiveness of these areas for both current and future tenants and visitors.
The initiative also generates economic value at the societal level. When individuals become self-sufficient, it leads to reduced costs for various forms of government assistance and increased tax revenue. Between 2021 and 2024, the Talent Academy saved society 473 million kronor, according to the 2024 impact report. The societal benefit was calculated using the KAMSO calculation tool.
Through its internship program with certification, the Talent Academy can also help shift perspectives on recruitment and professional development in the workplace. The Talent Academy believes that its view of these individuals as an untapped growth factor—rather than a target group defined by their challenges—has made a significant difference.
One challenge for the Talent Academy may be ensuring that the benefits for individuals are long-lasting, which means that monitoring of long-term outcomes may need to be strengthened. Another challenge may be getting more employers to recognize the value of validated learning—that is, that this approach increases employment opportunities.