Project overview

The "Voices of Young Immigrants – Inclusion in Education, Work, and Society" project, coordinated by the Education and Training Service Centre (ETSC) in Iceland and the Nordic Network for Adult Learning (NVL), focuses on the inclusion and empowerment of young adult immigrants in the realms of education, working life, and broader societal engagement. This initiative is executed in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Ministry of Education and Children. It is a crucial component of Iceland's agenda during its Nordic Council of Ministers presidency in 2023.  

The Nordic Council of Ministers, Education and Research (EK-U) and Labor (EK-A) funded the project.  

Iceland has seen a significant rise in its immigrant population during the last two decades. Data from Statistics Iceland (2022a) show that between 2000 and 2022, immigrants and second-generation immigrants increased from 3.2% to 18% of the Icelandic population, with further growth expected. These numbers further stress the importance of establishing an inclusive society and labour market.

In response, the Icelandic government has introduced a new action plan emphasizing the need to support the adjustment and integration of immigrants. This plan underscores the importance of enabling immigrants to work and contribute their skills and experiences to Icelandic society. In recognizing the need to address this growing demographic, the ETSC and its partners have identified a crucial gap: the need to actively listen to the voices of young adult immigrants and engage key stakeholders in identifying practical solutions to enhance their inclusion.

Identifying and defining the target group of young immigrants requires some level of categorization. Categorizing people into groups of immigrants vs. non-immigrants may seem simple. However, Statistics Iceland refers to six different background categories of inhabitants:

These categories are problematic as they do not differentiate between people's ethnicity and citizenship. However, they lean toward people's ethnicity rather than citizenship. Here, the term 'foreign' refers to individuals born outside of Iceland with no ethnic connection to Iceland. In the context of this report, the participants in the focus groups are immigrants according to the definition of Statistics Iceland.

The primary objectives of the project were to: 

The project represents a significant step towards a more inclusive Iceland, ensuring that young immigrants have the necessary support and opportunities to thrive and contribute to the country's development.