Factsheet for measure
NO-2022-14/2433
–
Updated
– measures in Norway
Language training and inclusion of people displaced from Ukraine
Språkopplæring og inkludering av flyktninger fra Ukraina
Background information
On 18 March 2022 the government announced that Norway would take its share of refugees from Ukraine in co-operation with other European countries. The same day, the Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion, Marte Mjøs Persen, asked the municipalities to be prepared to settle about 35,000 refugees.
As a result of the war in Ukraine, the government proposed a number of appropriations for measures to receive people displaced from Ukraine (Prop. 78 S (2021–2022)).
Content of measure
On 1 April, the government proposed amendments to the state budget for 2022. The government proposed increasing the amount of money spent on language training.
The government believes that starting early with training in Norwegian or English language is an important prerequisite for getting to work quickly or to be able to start or continue education. Hence, the government has proposed to strengthen the existing Norwegian language training scheme to offer displaced persons from Ukraine early Norwegian language training. On request from the voluntary sector, the government agreed to mobilise non-profit organisations that want to provide Norwegian training by earmarking funds for them.
To make it easy for non-profit organisations to gain access to the funds as quickly as possible, the government decided that the majority of the funding should be distributed through established and known schemes.
The proposed allocations are:
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NOK 50 million (€5 million) for voluntary organizations' work to include refugees from Ukraine.
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NOK 50 million (€5 million) in increased funding for the Norwegian language training scheme.
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NOK 15 million (€1.5 million) for Norwegian training and English training under the auspices of voluntary organisations.
Updates
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
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02 June 2023
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In June 2023, the Storting amended the temporary regulation concerning dispatched people form Ukraine, to make it possible to combine work with the right to language education (Prop. 90 L (2022–2023)). The amendment gave Ukrainians who have gone to work in Norway right to participate in an introductory program to learn Norwegian.
Persons with collective protection are entitled to free training in Norwegian for one year, regardless of whether they participate in the introduction program or not.
The temporary regulations in the Integration Act, which regulate the introduction program for persons with collective protection, apply for the time being until 1 July 2024.
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11 May 2023
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Due to the tens of thousands of Ukrainians that flee to Norway to escape the war, the government 11 May proposed to increase the allocations on several budget posts in the revised national budget of 2023. Among the allocations was NOK 125.7 million (€10.6 million) for increased funding of training programs in Norwegian language, thus extending this measure for another year until the end of 2023.
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Use of measure
No information on use of measure.
Target groups
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Workers
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Businesses
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Citizens
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Does not apply to workers
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Does not apply to businesses
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Migrants or refugees
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Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)
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National funds
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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No involvement as case not in social partner domain
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No involvement as case not in social partner domain
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Form
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Not applicable
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Not applicable
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
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No involvement
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Main level of involvement: N/A
Involvement
No information on social partners involvement in designing and implementing of the measures. The Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion has set up a working group with actors from the The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDI) and The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) and the social partners to ensure good coordination of integration work in the future.
Views and reactions
The social partners regard language training important to be able to take part in the labour market. At the same time, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) points out that work is an important arena for integration and language learning.
Sources
