"Economics and technology are very close to each other"

In the autumn of 2023, the government launched a major investment in Swedish engineers. Among other things, it entailed increased funding for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA's Tekniksprånget internship programme. The money will be used to develop and expand the existing business, which means, among other things, that from 2024, even those who studied economics at upper secondary school can apply for an internship as an engineer.

"Economics is the largest programme in upper secondary school, so it's a way for more young people to get practical application in the engineering profession. The way the subject of economics is developing, there is also an increasingly technical component to it, says Minister for Education Mats Persson (L).

The electronics company Mycronic in Stockholm has been involved in Tekniksprånget for several years and sees the technology leaps as a natural part of the daily work. Here, it is believed that the new target group can mean that more parts of the company can take on interns.

"Economics and technology are close to each other in many ways. Both are about problem-solving and innovation, so we are looking at several different areas where we can bring in technology leapers," says Maria Wallin, HR Manager Sweden at Mycronic.

According to the Minister of Education, it is a strategic issue for the engineering country of Sweden that more people choose technology.

"As an engineering country, we are dependent on the smartest young people choosing the technical professions, and then our idea is that more people will become better at maths so that they can choose these educations." he says.