In the budget for 2023, the government has phased out the vocational school form of education, which is a form of vocational education at upper secondary level.
One of the trade schools is Åsbro kursgård where distribution electricians are trained, the type of technician who builds and can repair power grids.
More people need to be trained
Education is important for the industry.
The energy companies, trade association for Sweden's energy companies, therefore express great concern.
According to their calculations, approx. 3,000 distribution electricians will be needed until the year 2030. With the current training rate, 1,000 will be reached - and then the majority will be trained in Åsbro.
Damberg (S): "Seems completely wrong"
Others who express concern are the Social Democrats.
On Wednesday, the party's fiscal policy spokesperson visited the course.
- People who electrify Sweden are trained here, and now there is a threat that this vocational school will close down.
I think it seems completely wrong to do it that way, he says.
Edholm (L): Need other efforts
SVT Nyheter Örebro has sought education minister Lotta Edholm (L) for a comment.
She has sent a written comment via her press secretary:
“It has been a good purpose of the trial operation, but overall it has not met expectations. Despite several approved educations in various professional fields, student participation has been limited or non-existent in many educations.
There are, however, no obstacles for the principals to pursue further industry-related training themselves outside of the trial operation.
All in all, the government concludes that other efforts are needed to remedy the lack of skills, right now two investigations are underway to strengthen the supply of skills",
she writes.