Learning services
ABB is a world leader in power engineering and automation technology. The company attracts and hires highly qualified specialists from all over the world to ensure it has the best experts possible. Swedish language skills are important for international employees from a work perspective, but also in terms of social integration.
ABB as a workplace is highly international, but to integrate into the local society, language skills are crucial. ABB offers its international employees the opportunity to learn Swedish at work.


ABB language training
Watch the video (in Swedish) to find out why ABB strongly believes that Swedish language learning is important in terms of promoting integration and well-being on the part of the company’s international experts!
Find out how ABB is investing in the development of its employees’ language skills.
Jessika Andersson Carotti from Acolad interviews Head of Learning and Development Carl-Ove Kolmodin, language learning buyer at ABB, and Ghazal Amar, a young automation engineer who is taking an Acolad language course.
Length & languages
Audio: Swedish
Length: 20 minutes 08 seconds
- 00:00 – Introduction to ABB and the company’s language learning needs
- 01:41 – Presentation of Carl-Ove Kolmodin and his role at ABB Västerås
- 02:43 – Why does ABB offer language courses to its employees?
- 04:10 – The reasons underlying ABB’s choice of AAC* as a partner
- 04:37 – Why should companies offer language learning?
- 06:10 – Advantages of tailored training and measurement of results
- 08:37 – Question from the audience regarding minimum acceptable Swedish level
- 10:10 – ABB expatriates compared to new employees from other countries
- 11:33 – Greatest challenges for non-Swedish speakers
- 12:50 – The most positive surprises arising from language learning from AAC
- 14:06 – Presentation of Ghazal Amar, automation engineer studying Swedish at ABB
- 14:40 – Why was it important for Ghazal to learn Swedish?
- 16:20 – The most difficult things about not knowing Swedish
- 17:00 – Advantages of language training at the workplace
- 18:00 – Ghazal’s type of training and teacher
*AAC Global Oy and AAC Global AB are part of Acolad Group, and use Acolad brand name in marketing.
Quotes from the purchaser
“When an employer invests in language learning, the biggest gains are in integration and in helping the employee to feel welcome at the company.”
“Acolad ensures that the language learning program at ABB is under control. This is a great development, and I am extremely satisfied.”
Head of Learning and Development, ABB, Carl-Ove Kolmodin
Quotes from the student
“It’s important when I move to a country to really be part of the country, integrate into the society, and understand the culture and the people. For me, language is a very important part of that, and I think it’s really important for me to learn Swedish.”
“I work with Swedish customers, so a lot of our documentation is in Swedish. I have to communicate in Swedish and write emails in Swedish, so for work and for personal reasons it’s really important to learn the language.” Automation Engineer, ABB, Ghazal Amar
Learn more about our language training services!