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Take on an intern

Taking on an intern gives both you and the person the opportunity for a trial period which, in the best case scenario, leads to employment.

The Swedish Public Employment Service's work placement support can help young people get out into working life, help long-time jobseeker to get a fresh start, or serve as a trial period. The intern receives activity grant from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and is insured for work-related injuries.

What is an internship?

An internship means that the jobseeker tries out working in a workplace in order to gain work experience and supervision. The internship can last up to six months and is determined by the needs of the intern. You do not have to pay wages or employer's contributions; the intern receives activity grant from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and is also insured for work-related injuries.

Can I take on an intern?

You can take on an intern if you are a private or public employer. It is important that you can offer the intern a supervisor or mentor during the internship period.

The Public Employment Service will match you as an employer with an internship applicant and will also help you to plan the internship.

About work placement/internships at the Swedish Public Employment Service

Interns from schools

You can also take on an intern who is studying a specific course relevant to the sector in which your company operates. In some education programmes, internship is a compulsory element. It is sometimes referred to as work-based learning (arbetsplatsförlagd utbildning, APL) or apprenticeship.

The requirements placed on you as an employer and on your company as an internship provider may differ, and the internship periods vary between different programmes and schools.

Take on an apprentice

Some vocational programmes may include an apprenticeship. This means that more than half of the training is spent in a workplace. As an employer, you can get a government subsidy for taking on an apprentice.

It is up to each school to find apprenticeship (APL) places for its students. If your company is interested in taking on an intern or apprentice, you can contact the accountable authority, which is the municipality, or an independent school.

Work-based learning (APL) and internship at the National Agency for Education (in Swedish)