Voices of transition: newly arrived students’ experiences of career guidance in Sweden

This study investigates the career guidance and counselling (CGC) experiences of newly arrived students (NAS) in Sweden as they transition from compulsory to upper secondary education. Based on interviews with 22 year nine NAS in the Stockholm region, it examines how policy ideals of equity and informed choice are enacted in practice. Although CGC has traditionally carried a compensatory role in mitigating structural inequalities, the findings reveal fragmented guidance shaped by linguistic barriers and unclear role expectations. Teachers, study tutors, and mother tongue instructors often stepped in to provide support, but their involvement sometimes produced inconsistent or conflicting advice. Three recurring challenges emerge: addressing language barriers, balancing student autonomy with directive support, and coordinating guidance across staff. These findings show that the compensatory role of CGC is unevenly realised and contingent on broader school practices, which can simultaneously facilitate and complicate equitable and meaningful guidance for NAS.