Work place, workplace education and education - perceptions of knowledge requirement and skills for integration into Swedish labour market and society. A historical comparison of the mid 1900s and early 2000s Previous research supports an argument that in Sweden language education, language support and (vocational) education is central to successful integration. From a historical point of view, a natural question is: has it always been the case and if not what were the perceptions on work, education and integration and why was it different. Answering these types of questions extends our knowledge of relations between migration and societal change. In this investigation the relation work-vocation-education is of particular interest and how the changing character of this relation can be understood as part of integration politics. Even though the study focuses on the Swedish context, the analysis might be of relevance to other national contexts since the time period selected for comparison have seen similar development in the labour market from big industry to service sector and a pervasive digitalisation of practically all sectors. A common aspect of establishing discourses on migration is an assumption that learning language and knowledge of societal organisation along with a strong conviction that work leads to integration in society. Even though it is common it may vary in emphasis. We aim to investigates change in perceptions of (vocational) education, language and work as part of establishing discourses in the late 1900s and the early 2000s. Two clear features of change in the Swedish case are identified: 1) education has become more important and related to the general education system and 2) education in the 20th century promoted local social integration and served a purpose of promoting workers solidarity while 21th century education serves to promote the individual's future prospects and mobility.

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