Integrating Migrants into the EU Labour Market through Recognition, Skills Development and Awareness Raising

Transcription

1 Integrating Migrants into the EU Labour Market through Recognition, Skills Development and Awareness Raising Documentation of the MEET Closing Conference 7th June 2007 Bavarian Representation, Brussels 4th - 8th June 2007 Banner Exhibition, European Parliament, Brussels

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3 Contence Preface, Anne Güller-Frey, Organizer of the Conference 2 Programme conference 6 Speach Markus Ferber, MEP / EPP, Germany 8 Claude Moraes, MEP, PSE, UK 9 Lecture George Lemaitre, OECD, International Migration Division The Economic Context of migration in the EU 10 Overcoming the Barriers to Integration MEET working groups recommendations and products on: Recognising skills and qualifications 16 Skills development 24 Raising awareness 28 Summary of the Recommendations of the MEET Transnational Partnership 42 Round Table-Discussion 44 Notes Andrew Button, Progress GB, UK 45 Notes Andrea Gerstnerova, The Conference as reportet back to the Commission 48 Banner Exhibition European Parliament 51 Many Worlds Many Abilities, Migrants stories 52 Speach Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler, MEP / PSE, Germany 55 Speach Eric Agbo, IUBM, Germany 56 Press 60 List of participants 66 Further Informations 68

4 Preface Anne Güller-Frey MigraNet, Transnational Coordination Organizer of the Conference In many European countries refugees and migrants experience discrimination and disadvantage in the labour market, resulting in higher levels of unemployment than the host country and significant underemployment. Many refugees and migrants have little knowledge of the languages of their host country and do not have formal vocational skills. There are also many highly qualified migrants who experience difficulties finding appropriate employment and are only able to get unskilled work. Skills and qualifications gained abroad are often not recognised in many European countries. Indeed the UN Information service reports that unemployment levels across Europe are twice as high for migrants than for the host population. Over the last three years the MEET Transnational Partnership has been working to develop new products for the successful integration of migrants into the EU labour market. MEET (Migrants-Employment-Empowerment- Training) is a partnership of 65 organisations, based in Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. The European Social Fund/EQUAL initiative MEET explored and tested new methods to: Recognise the skills and qualifications of refugees and migrants Develop skills appropriate to the EU labour markets through lifelong learning approaches Raise the awareness of employers and the general public of what refugees and migrants have to offer The Conference was held in the Bavarian Representation, just in front of the European Parliament in Brussels 2

5 The MEET partnership prepared a set of recommendations for policy makers and practitioners at European and national levels. In June 2007 the partnership held a series of events in Brussels: Conference at the Bavarian Representation The MEET Partnership held a conference in the Bavarian Representation, which was attended by Members of the European Parliamant (MEP), representatives from the Commission, NGOs, and national and regional policy makers. The conference enabled the partners to describe their methods and present their findings, but also provided a platform for experts in the field, including speakers from the OECD, the European Parliament, the Commission, and migrants themselves. A series of recommendations was presented, aimed at developing policies to enable the successful integration of refugees and migrants into EU countries. was displayed there for one week. Each of the banners tells the story of an individual migrant who now lives in a European country. Seen together the banners represent the range of experiences faced by migrants when they come to the European Union. They show examples of the barriers they face in the EU and what skills and talents they have to offer. A reception also held at the Parliament building, where films made in the five countries illustrated the issues that the national projects had been addressing. The German film, for example, highlights the situation faced by highly qualified migrants who are only able to gain low-paid, unskilled employment. Entitled Recognition Now, this film is shown during advertising slots in local cinemas. All the films should raise awareness of the potential that migrants bring with them. The main aim of the films is to influence the public opinion. European Parliament: Banner exhibition film presentation - reception The conference was accompanied by a banner exhibition Many Worlds Many Abilities and films, which were both shown in the European Parliament building. A set of 30 banners The week of events in Brussels was a great success and we want to thank all the people who helped organise these events, especially our partners, the MEP s Markus Ferber and Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler and the support of the staff of the Bavarian Representation. 3

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7 Conference Bavarian Representation Brussels, 7th June 2007

8 Migrants-Employment-Empowerment-Training ( MEET ) FINAL CONFERENCE Brussels Thursday, 7th June 2007 Venue: Bavarian Representation, Rue Wiertz 77, Brussels Integrating Migrants into the EU Labour Market through Recognition, Skills Development and Awareness Raising Programme 9.00 h Registration, coffee 9.30 h Opening and Welcome Markus Ferber, MEP (EPP), Germany 9.35 h Chair s Welcome Sue Waddington, MEET Co-ordinator, UK 9.45 h The Political Context of migration in the EU Claude Moraes, MEP (PES), UK h The Economic Context of migration in the EU Georges Lemaître, Principal Administrator, International Migration Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development h Coffee break h Overcoming the Barriers to Integration MEET working groups recommendations and products on: Recognising skills and qualifications Skills development Raising awareness h Lunch 6

9 14.15 h Summary of MEET recommendations Sue Waddington h The Policy Context Round table discussion with experts: What is our response to the recommendations? Moderator: Simon Wilson, former director of the Social Platform, now of The Centre, Brussels first think-do tank. Mr. Jeroen Jutte, European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, ESF Coordination Marijke Dashorst, DG Education and Culture Georges Lemaître, OECD Madeline Garlick, Senior European Affairs Officer (UNHCR) Martina Kalinová, Ministry of Labour, Czech Republic Three migrants: Germany, NL and UK h Showing of the MEET films from Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK h End 7

10 Markus Ferber MEP, EPP, Germany The precious support of migrants It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the final conference, "Integrating migrants into the EU labour market through recognition, skills development and awareness raising" here at the premises of the Permanent Representation of Bavaria to the EU. Five countries joined the European EQUAL initiative with the aim of facilitating access to the EU labour market for migrants and refugees from abroad. Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherland and the United Kingdom realised, that the subject of migration within the EU could only be solved with a common approach. For several years these countries have been successfully co-operating in the MEET Partnership Migrants, Employment, Empowerment, Training. The major focus of this work of a combined total of 65 European organisations is the professional integration of migrants within their new professional environment, giving consideration to their skills, their professional knowledge and especially their cultural heritage. The changing demographic of Europe means that more and more we are dependent upon the precious support of migrants within the labour market. Migrants, however are often faced with many obstacles when entering the European work force - may they be of the cultural or bureaucratic kind. A harmonised and coordinated European migration policy, as it is encouraged by MEET, is mandatory, in order to meet the future challenges of our labour market. This policy must not only be developed at people s desks, but must also be acquired in discussions with migrants about their own experiences. Finally I would like to thank very much Ms Güller-Frey who is responsible for the German Development Cooperation Migranet for the organisation of the events in the European Parliament and the final conference today. I am looking forward to these interesting speeches and discussion rounds, which will give us new, fresh insight for the formulation of a European migration policy. Thank you very much 8

11 Claude Moraes MEP, PSE, UK Notes of the speach from Claude Moraes, taken by Andrea Gerstnerová Claude Moraes reacted on the recommendations made by the MEET Partnership. He presented the political context of migration in the EU, arguing that political talks about controlling numbers of migrants are overshadowing vital issues concerning integration of immigrants. There is a clear absence in legislation dealing with migration in a positive sense (legal migrating schemes, integration of immigrants). Migration is not going to stop; thus we should concentrate on preparation on models in order to fill the skills gap and to use effectively skills of migrants. Despite the fact that number of foreigners is growing, European institutions remain "white". One can only see third-country nationals early in the morning as a part of cleaning staff. In his excellent and somewhat provocative speech, Moraes touched issues like possible "ethnic monitoring" in the European Parliament. He said that he had proposed to carry out ethnic monitoring in the European Parliament, but finally it was not allowed because for example France does not allow the classification of people according to their ethnic origin. 9

12 The Economic Context of migration in the European Union Lecture George Lemaître OECD, International Migration Division Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 1) International migration the past and the future The current situation in the European Union Significant labour migration in southern Europe, Ireland and the United Kingdom Labour migration, particularly of the free-movement type, has tended to be into lesser skilled jobs Direct movement into hight-skilled jobs is difficult in many countries because there are no native-speakers outside the national borders. Many high skilled migrants enter as humanitarian and family migrants. If migration of lesser skilled workers occurs, the hope is that it can be made temporary Employability prospects over the longer term are less favourable. The track record for the second generation in Europe has not been good. But = can all lesser skilled labour needs be filled through temporary migration? Satisfying labour needs in the future Without migration there will be a decline in the workingage population but demand, both domestic and external, will continue Need for higher skilled workers (?) Output from educational systems has never been as high Average OECD net tertiary entry rates in 2004 = 65% Average OECD net tertiary graduation rates in 2004 = 44% Average OECD overqualification rates of native-born persons in = 11% Insufficient supply of certain types of skills Health care, IT, science Satisfying labour needs in the future (bis) Need for lesser skilled workers There is a general reluctance to acknowledge this. Evidence from the observed movements (EU enlargement and southern Europe) suggests that needs exist Hotels and restaurants, transport, domestic work, child and elderly care 10

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14 2) The economic view of labour market integration Immigrants enter the labour market in the host country lacking country-specific human capital, that is language, knowledge of work practices, etc. They acquire it gradually, and over time, show labour market outcomes similar on average to those of the native-born (convergence). Migration and labour supply Labour migration Persons directly recruited into jobs, whether identified/ selected by the national administration or by employers Persons allowed into country for the purpose of searching for work Free movement With visa With right to stay ( settlement migration) Non-labour migration ( generally non discretionary ) Humanitarian Familiy reunification Family formation Other ( e.g. ethnic ) 12

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16 3) Comparing labour market outcomes for the nativeborn versus the foreign-born Need to compare like with like, that is, control for characteristics which are associated with labour market outcomes. But = are the measured characteristics equivalent for the native-born and the foreign-born? Formal qualifications (educational attainment) Labour market experience How about unobserved differences in skills? Language proficiency Productivity Soft skills Labour market integration from a migration category perspective Labour market integration is not an issue for labour migrants who have a job upon arrival, but can become one if the job is lost. Other migrants have not necessarily made an economic cost-benefit assessment regarding their migration decision there may be unresolved language and skills transferability issues that have not been the object of prior employer / employee negotiation. Integration issues and country outcomes Two issues to consider: Access to employment Wages (skill level / quality of jobs obtained) Situations differ a lot across countries: Labour market outcomes (employment rates) in new migration countries of Southern Europe are generally highly favourable 14

17 4) Some empirical results based on IALS ( International Adult Literacy Survey ) Employment outcomes Generally lower for immigrants compared to the nativeborn Differences in literacy explain less than a third of the differences in employment-population ratios between the native-born and the foreign-born. Overqualification Definition: Persons occupying jobs for which they are formally overqualified Differences in literacy explain about one third of the differences in overqualification rates between the nativeborn and the foreign-born What explains labour market results that differ for persons of the same language proficiency and formal qualifications? Employer uncertainty about the meaning or value of foreign qualifications Non-equivalence of qualifications but not for skills of the kind measured by IALS. Behavioural differences, soft skills Access to employers (personal networks) Selective hiring practices and discrimination 5) Discrimination and selective hiring practices Difficult to prove using standard data sources for immigrants Not necessarily always of a racial or ethnic nature statistical discrimination Testing studies (ILO) Paired applications from persons differing essentially only in name to real job offers Persons educated in the country Results: A net one third to one half of job applications by offspring of immigrants are selectively ignored or rejected Most discriminatory actions are invisible Can have disincentive effects 6) Conclusion Some differences in outcomes are to be expected upon arrival, but they should decline over time. Is complete convergence on average a realisable goal? From an economic perspective, poor / inadequate integration represents a waste of human capital = suboptimal economic performance. With the likelihood of a greater recourse to migration, OECD / EU countries need to get this right. 15

18 Overcoming the Barriers to Integration MEET transnational working groups recommendations and products on: Group 1 Recognising skills and qualifications Group 2 Skills development Group 3 Awareness Raising among stakeholders Recommendations of the working group 1: Recognising skills and qualifications European level Skills recognition plays a key role in the employability of migrants and therefore in their integration. To achieve the recognition of skills, experience and qualifications we recommend that: Europass and the European Qualifications Framework are extended to third country nationals to help improve employability via skills recognition. A web-based package of products could be commissioned to achieve this EU labour market and skills recognition information is made available to economic migrants before they leave their country of origin Guidelines for skills recognition for third country nationals are developed to make systems between EU countries more consistent National and regional levels Skills recognition takes a different form in each member state. To achieve greater transparency, transferability and sustainability we recommend that: Skills recognition needs to be linked to vocational and cultural orientation, together with language, and labour market guidance so that migrants can be prepared for work Skills audits or assessments are offered to new arrivals at an early stage Certificates are provided to accredit skills or knowledge Conference Bavarian Representation 16

19 and help build migrants confidence whilst demonstrating evidence of ability to employers Greater recognition is given to education and training received in developing countries Employability and recognition systems are embedded in national programmes to support the integration of third country nationals Partnership approaches Skills recognition is undertaken by a range of organisations. We recommend that partnerships of key stakeholders, for example, learning and advice providers, employers, labour organisations, are developed, resourced, and that: Information, advice and guidance are provided in an integrated manner as a holistic approach is required to address migrants employability alongside their other needs NGOs play a key role in supporting migrants and may need help with finance and capacity building Advisors working with migrants require professional development to help them understand migrants needs and issues Stakeholders all contribute to the development of recognition and employability programmes to ensure that all needs are met Employers are offered incentives, for example, through taxation, grants or training systems, to encourage them to offer migrants work experience, skills assessment, training and references 17

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26 Recommendations of the working group 2 Skills development for migrants and refugees Working to Rebuild Careers 1. No simple solutions Developing migrants skills and having their qualifications recognised is a complicated process. It is multifaceted and very specific to each country and situation. There are no universal guidelines, no overall solutions. One thing is clear, however: lots of factors have to come together for it to work. The content of the programmes and the methods used have to fit together to reach realistic goals. 2. A favourable political climate The connections between political will and financing have to be in place, not only locally, but also at regional and European Union levels as well. Developing skills takes time and this is not always a priority in government policies, which set up models forcing migrants to take any job rather than the job for which they are qualified. The time is often just not there for training better skilled workers. Similarly, opportunities to develop skills are few. Students are often not entitled to benefits, and courses can be very expensive and may conflict with budgetary limitations and government priorities. 3. Determine clear goals The short-term goals often outweigh the long-term advantage of appropriate jobs being taken by people with appropriate qualifications. Therefore, a main recommendation would be to identify the skills needed, that is, determine the correlation between job market demand and the supply of a qualified work force. It is to the advantage of society and the individual to focus on a clear long-term utilisation of the skills migrants already possess, instead of just filling low-skilled jobs in the short term. 4. Flexibility and innovation But above all, even if there are no simple solutions, two of the most important ingredients are flexibility and innovation. This should come in the form of support from the top, leading to the formulation of clear and workable policies, effective networks, and funding for training and paid work. The next step is to upgrade people with qualifications who have fallen by the wayside, by giving them that extra training or a new perspective, or showing them the do s and don ts which will lead them to a job for which they are suited and contribute to the overall productivity of society. New, more effective links are required with employers to facilitate work experience and work placement opportunities and to promote networks and positive images. 5. Provide a supportive environment This support involves opportunities for developing appropriate basic skills in language, literacy skills, and social behaviour. It also means offering assistance in obtaining work permits, finding available jobs, setting up advice centres for migrants and refugees with libraries and childcare facilities. All this should be combined with committed migrants whose financial situations are stable. This entails a need for language teachers and social workers, instructors and employment advisers who motivate and share their knowledge about labour markets and migrants cultures. It is crucial to have willing and helpful advisors who can provide counselling on the spot. A supportive environment with a holistic approach can reach out to migrants and help them to set achievable goals for developing their study and social skills. In addition, this can lead to migrant self-organisation and the establishment of self-help groups. 6. Recognize qualifications and appreciate skills The long and difficult road to the recognition of qualifications 24

27 gained in one s country of origin is often a stumbling block to professional success and better placement for migrants. It is important to encourage people to consider their other abilities in addition to academic qualifications, and for this to have equal value. One should be careful not to specialise people at all costs, limiting them to very narrow channels of work. Instead, as early as possible, they should be empowered with a wide range of skills which can open doors to diverse professions. It is important to highlight skills and create a positive image by explaining skills and giving details, encouraging people to talk about their skills and showing them how to find jobs through networking. This should increase the effectiveness of getting and retaining employment. There is a need for courses targeting people with limited skills to help them develop a cocktail of skills including social skills (the accreditation of social skills, portfolio building), voluntary work, and placements. Overcoming prejudice is also a goal, since there is an acceptance of migrants originating form certain countries and a weariness of those coming from others. These prejudices are often very hard to break through. 7. Develop new methods of teaching the language New and effective language training combined with vocational needs should be provided to enable migrants to absorb not only the actual language but also the communication skills and technical terms they require for their specific jobs. 25

28 There must be a strong link between vocational and language tutors. Some other tools are online exchange of language partnerships, methods of workshops, e-learning and blended learning. Long-term language learning is more effective and the courses should be more action oriented. ways in which migrants can help themselves. The solutions lie in suitable work experience placements and voluntary work, as well as in increasing knowledge of self-help strategies, information and guidance, and improving awareness of networks and the benefits of networking. 8. Provide positive role models The success stories of integration - the people who have worked their way up in the system - need to be held up as examples. These are people to look up to, but also people with the same background and who can inspire trust in others. They are the ones that can point out the differences from an insider s point of view. This can take place in match meetings where migrants are matched with mentors from their own professional field. It is also important to advocate role models for supporting others and showcasing skills, and to use volunteers from the same country to boost initial translating skills. These cultural translators should not only have roles as participants but as trainers, advisers, and project leaders; positions where they can advocate the special interests of minorities and develop and carry out their ideas. Training migrants for these positions should be a priority. Migrants who have found their niche and are comfortable in society know the expectations of both groups and are better able to bridge the gaps between the cultures. 9. Networking There is a demand for more networking, contacts with employers and further mentoring. The main problem is that employers are sceptical of qualifications obtained outside their country and they expect local experience, which they feel they can trust more than degrees that might or might not have been recognised. The migrants are also at a loss here. This is also partially due to the fact that there is a great lack of awareness of the rules of the labour market and the 10. Provide solutions to suit specific needs Since there are no simple solutions, the projects must suit the needs of refugees and migrants in the job market. This demands tailor-made language learning, with courses dealing with coping with daily life. It is advantageous to combine vocational training with language courses. Learning by doing seems to produce good results, as do skills audits in groups, whereby language improvement is a by-product. Improving communication skills, self-confidence, and building a framework between quality and quantity all leads to better evaluations and assessment of the migrant and a greater chances of success in the labour market. 11. Appreciate diversity It is very important to recognise and understand social skills and deal with them on a multicultural level. The intercultural aspect should become the norm and conditions created where diversity can be accepted and appreciated. The goal should be not only to promote integration, but also to demonstrate cultural and religious sensitivity in the process. 26

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30 Recommendations working group 3 Awareness raising among stakeholders Working group 3 had a main focus on developing strategies for the change of a deficit orientated, to a resource orientated public point of view. For this the working group produced some materials like films, a banner-exhibition, case studies, booklets/leaflets, and other publications to change the mind of a bigger public society. Members of the working group complemented these materials with scientific interviews of companies. The main focus of the work and material of the working group awareness raising among stakeholders where three target groups: 1. the economy 2. the stakeholders in policy and other public relevant groups 3. public society The working group tried to find methods to take influence in these groups to change their opinion about migrants. In the future, migrants should be seen with their potentials and not with their deficits. The European society needs immigration and migrants for their economy, their public life and also for their social systems. So we have to develop ways to find out the competences of each migrant and offer them an adequate job. The economy has its own interest of integrating migrants into the labour market. The interview gives an overview over the main promotions of companies. Some stakeholders, especially stuff of European administration are sensitive for our request and also for the request of economy. The most difficult group we focused on was the 3rd group, the public. Here, we heard a lot of prejudices, some are based on unknowledge, other are founded in structural racism. It is always very difficult, to change the mind of the public. Wg 3 wanted to find out possibilities to change the public point of view. We discussed some methods for our image campaign, which are more successful than others: 1. Give migration a face: It is very important to give examples. This means, we have to collect case studies and present a personal story to the people. We told the story of individual migrants, so people should ask themselves: Is it the same story with my neighbour? 2. Make qualifications visible: We have to inform about what people are doing in Europe, what they are working, what kind of qualifications are recognised here. This we must bring in a context with their former qualifications from the countries of origin. 3. Create recognizing effects: We have to find ways to influence the brains of people through making them rediscover structures, symbols or other things. A campaign should use different materials and medias wich are recognized by people common farces, pictures, logos etc. 4. Find important partners: For the success of an image campaign it is very important to find the right partners. For films you need cinemas or TV, for conferences politicians or scientists, for other things maybe some print medias or VIPs. 5. Irritate people: Show migrants with their jobs in Europe and tell after this about the real qualification of this migrants. Europeans should be uncertain whether the nursing person is not a doctor. 28

31 Banner exhibition Many Worlds - Many Abilities One of the products of working group 3 is a set of 30 banners which we displayed in the European Parliament for one week. All transnational partners collected case studies migrants stories, which were produced as banners. Each of the banners tells the story of an individual migrant who now lives in a European country. Seen together the banners represent the range of experiences faced by migrants when they come to the European Union. They show examples of the barriers they face in the EU and what skills and talents they have to offer.

32 30 Examples of the Banners German partners

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34 32 Examples of the Banners UK partners

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36 34 Examples of the Banners Austrian partners

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38 36 Examples of the Banners Italian partners

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40 38 Examples of the Banners Dutch partners

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42 Films To raise awareness of the potential that migrants bring with them and to influence public opinion short films have been made by all the partners. The films are in the main language of each country, subtitled in English and have been shown together with the banner exhibition in the European Parliament. In each country the films have been presented officially, e.g. in Turin and Augsburg in local cinemas. In addition to this the films are shown at conferences at national and international level as well as at film festivals such as the International Human Rights Film Festival in Nürnberg, Germany. The German film for example highlights the situation faced by highly qualified migrants who are only able to gain low-paid, unskilled employment in Bavaria. Entitled Recognition Now this film is shown during advertising slots in local cinemas. The Dutch film tells the story of migrants who want to return into the labour market and is produced for television. The Austrian film covers the issues of gender and migration. What skills and qualifications do migrants bring with them? What chances do they have in the labour market? What barriers do they face in gaining employment? The film entitled Chance Migration provides answers to these questions. The Italian film shows highly qualified migrants who are now working in jobs below their qualifications. It tells the story of individual migrants who now live in Italy. We hear about their dreams and about what they could achieve. The UK partners film addresses some of the challenges faced by migrants when they come to the UK. The film shows migrants talking about their experiences and demonstrates that they are working well below their experiences and skills. They also relate their impressions of arriving in the UK as a newcomer. The DVD has been shown at conferences and at meetings to raise awareness of migrants and their needs. If you are interested in the films, please contact: anne.gueller-frey@tuerantuer.de Tel.:

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44 Summary of the Recommendations Group 1: Recognising the skills and qualifications of refugees and migrants Migrants to the EU bring many skills with them, but in the main these go unrecognised. It is therefore necessary for national systems to be established in all Member States, which enable the skills and qualifications of migrants from third countries to be assessed and accredited. Access to and guidance about such assessment systems should be made freely available to refugees and migrants at an early stage after their arrival. Such assessment and recognition systems should be able to accommodate skills and knowledge gained through formal and informal experience. The European Qualifications Framework should be extended to include the recognition of skills and knowledge gained outside of the EU. In order to develop credible systems of assessment and recognition of migrant s skills, a range of stakeholders, including representatives of the Social Partners, the regulated professions and accrediting bodies need to be consulted and involved. Guidelines for establishing such assessment and recognition systems should be commissioned by the European Commission for use in Member States. language learning, particularly language learning related to vocational fields; learning which provides an understanding of the social and cultural aspects of the workplace; rights and responsibilities; networking and job searching skills. Ideally the skills development opportunities should include work experience placements and mentoring support. Trained professional staff who are able to assess individual needs and strengths and who have an understanding of the local labour market are required. A range of support services may be needed to ensure that the basic needs of refuges and migrants for health, housing and education are being met alongside vocational guidance. Group 3: Raising awareness of what refugees and migrants have to offer Amongst sections of the media, general public and employers there is a negative image of refugees and migrants. It is time to address the perception that refugees and migrants are a drain on resources and to demonstrate that they are a resource to the EU with great potential to make a contribution. A recent study by MEET of employers' perceptions indicated that when employers had direct experience of employing refugees and migrants they had more positive attitudes then those who had no such experience. Group 2: Developing skills appropriate to the labour market In many countries, regardless of their skills and qualifications, refugees and migrants who do gain employment are over-represented in low-paid, unsustainable jobs with few opportunities for lifelong learning or professional development. They face many barriers to using and developing their skills in the EU labour market and often need learning opportunities to prepare themselves for working in a new country. Skills development opportunities are required which provide MEET is therefore recommending a campaigning approach presenting positive images of refugees and migrants through case studies, films and other materials. We want to make the skills and qualifications of migrants visible to the general public and encourage employers to offer work experience opportunities so that they can appreciate what migrants have to offer. We would recommend that the European Commission consider sponsoring a distinctive media campaign with high profile stakeholders, TV companies and filmmakers. 42

45 Finally I would like to commend the work of the MEET partners in piloting skills recognition models, skills development approaches and awareness-raising initiatives, which are helping to overcome the barriers refugees and migrants face in the EU labour market. We recommend that this work, which has been supported by ESF EQUAL now coming to an end, be allowed to continue. We (the organisations which make up the MEET partnership, along with others who share our goals) continue to need resources and support at local, regional, national and European levels to enable refugees and migrants to integrate and realise their potential to make a contribution to their host countries and to Europe. Sue Waddington (Co-ordinator of the MEET Partnership) f.l. Ursula Morokutti, ICE Austria, Beate Schmidt-Behlau, German Adult Education Association, Norbert Bichl, ICE Austria and Anke Settelmeyer, Bibb, Germany Ramón Puig de la Bellacasa, European Commission talking with conference participants 43

46 Round-Table Discussion Participants Simon Wilson (Chair) Bahram Sanjabi Georges Lemaître Gert Westerveen Jeroen Jutte Marcianne Uwimana Marijke Dashorst Martiná Kalinova Temeshgen Kubrom Sue Waddington The Centre, Brussels An Iranian refugee living in Groningen, The Netherlands Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development United Nations High Commission for Refugees European Commission, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities A Rwandan refugee living in Birmingham, UK European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic An Eritrean refugee living in Augsburg, Germany Co-ordinator of the MEET Partnership, UK f.l. Gert Westerveen, Marcianne Uwimana, Martina Kalinová, Marijke Dashorst, Temeshgen Kubrom, Simon Wilson, Bahram Sanjabi, Georges Lemaitre, Jeroen Jutte, Sue Waddington 44

47 Discussion Notes of Andrew Button Progress GB, UK Recommendations relating to MEET Working Group1: Recognising Migrants Skills and Qualifications Simon Wilson introduced the panel members and briefly set the context for the discussion. Sue Waddington then read out a summary version of the MEET Partnership s recommendations relating to the recognition of the skills and qualifications of refugees and migrants. Each panel member then responded, and the salient points were as follows: Georges Lemaître highlighted the difficulty of having to maintain up-to-date information on education systems from across the globe. The cost implications are huge, unless individual countries co-operate with each other. He noted, too, that the systems for formal qualifications are very bureaucratic in some countries, and that a range of approaches may be required, e.g. workplace assessment - as happens in Sweden. come from to introduce such systems in other EU countries? Marijke Dashorst agreed that these countries have good systems, but sharing such knowledge and expertise throughout the European Union can be difficult. The European Commission is trying to promote learning between the Member States, e.g. through Peer Learning Activities. Jeroen Jutte noted the new ESF requirements relating to enhancing employability, with specific reference to migrants and the recognition of competences. Approximately 1.8 billion Euros will be available for improving migrants social inclusion. However, because the Member States have their own ESF rules - based on operational programmes agreed with the Commission - significant national differences can arise. Other actions, too, will affect migrants, e.g. Pathways to Integration. The financing for work with migrants is increasing and the effect should be felt nationally. Bahram Sanjabi noted that the lengthy asylum process can be very de-motivating. The well-being of asylum applicants would improve greatly if quicker asylum procedures were put in place and if applicants were given early opportunities to access learning and achieve recognition for skills and qualifications. Gert Westerveen noted that the Geneva Convention contains provisions relating to integration and qualifications recognition. Marijke Dashorst noted two things: firstly, the links between labour market integration and social inclusion, and, secondly, the role of the voluntary sector in the integration of migrants. Simon Wilson invited questions from the floor. Jenny Phillimore, University of Birmingham, highlighted the APEL systems and testing centres used in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries. She asked where the investment might Georges Lemaître wished to emphasise the importance of sharing knowledge in this field. Australia has the most advanced skills recognition system in the world, but it might be unwilling to share its expertise because national interests are at stake. Marijke Dashorst noted that the European Qualifications Framework has yet to be adopted by the Council. She invited the MEET Partnership to develop a pilot project showing the implementation of the EQF with migrants from outside the EU. Martina Kalinová observed that migrants in the Czech Republic can take an exam to prove their qualification level. However, migrants cannot obtain a visa to travel to the Czech Republic for this purpose, and the exam cannot be taken elsewhere. This is just one of the problems facing migrants in the Czech Republic. She also noted that different groups of migrants face different issues. 45

48 Recommendations relating to MEET Working Group 2: Skills Development for Refugees and Migrants Sue Waddington read out the recommendations relating to skills development. Marcianne Uwimana made three points, as follows: 1. follow-up should take place with refugees and migrants who attend courses 2. the Italian DP s practice of accompanying refugees to interviews was an excellent idea 3.further funding should be made available for work in this field, as her own experience of the Progress GB project had been very positive. Uschi Morokutti from the Austrian DP wished to point out that mentoring is an important element of this work. Marijke Dashorst agreed, and noted that employers also benefit from mentoring. Lou-Lou Lorens observed that the Dutch DP had introduced mentoring after first engaging employers with the project. Georges Lemaître observed that mentoring is generally well thought of, and that governments are in favour of mentoring because it is less expensive than other approaches. Simon Wilson cautioned that mentoring should be complementary, and not a substitute for other support and training. Georges Lemaître observed that the sooner migrants have access to the labour market, the better their long-term prospects for employment; statistical evidence seems to support this. The dilemma for migrants is whether to take just any job or to wait for the right job. Temeshgen Kubrom stated that skills audits help migrants to identify their competences and areas for development. Martina Kalinová observed that, in the Czech Republic, it is necessary to differentiate between different types of migrants, e.g. long-term and short-term. Migrants can approach the labour office for advice on the support available from NGOs, and the government provides financial support to migrants resident for one year or more. Other migrants get very little support from the government, although refugees do receive special assistance from the labour office. Gert Westerveen raised the issue of residency status. As a result of an EU directive, some refugees are now granted temporary residency instead of permanent refugee status, and national governments are less inclined to invest resources in those with temporary residency. Marcianne Uwimana thought that refugees with temporary residency would greatly benefit from training and skills development. This would also be an investment in the developing world, as those who return to their countries of origin would take their new skills with them. Simon Wilson thought that this was a good point, and one not often made. Conversely, however, this could also be an argument against investing resources in those with temporary residency. Simon Wilson referred to the EC asylum directive that encourages Member States to offer asylum seekers learning opportunities and labour market access after twelve months of residency. This guidance is not respected by some Member States. Jeroen Jutte agreed, but he wished to emphasise that ESF can and does help to fill such gaps in national policies. Marijke Dashorst noted that the new EU directive on adult learning will direct Member States to provide learning opportunities and guidance. Stephen Davies gave the perspective of the Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security. He cited the new Refugee Integration Fund, which will be launched next year, and other forthcoming legislation. David Hudson, British Refugee Council, noted that the Integration Fund specifically excludes refugees, and that asylum seekers will also be excluded by some countries under the new ESF regulations. Equally, there is no provision for language learning in some of the legislation. Jeroen Jutte replied that the Integration Fund (800 million Euros) is specifically intended to help new arrivals, and not with labour market integration in mind. He observed that the EQUAL programme has been very popular, and that its ultimate goal is to mainstream successful innovative practices. However, mainstreaming has been done more successfully in some countries than in others. For example, the Netherlands is adopting many of the successful practices initiated by EQUAL. 46

49 Recommendations relating to MEET Working Group 3: Raising awareness of what refugees and migrants have to offer Bahram Sanjabi had applied for 30 jobs in the Netherlands, without once being invited for an interview. No network, no work is a saying amongst his peers. Subsequently he has had two jobs in the Netherlands, and he felt that his colleagues had become more understanding of refugees as a result of working with him. Temeshgen Kubrom wished to make a contribution to European society, and he wanted that message to be communicated to Europe s citizens if not by governing institutions then from the ground up. area. She also thanked the participating organisations in MEET for their hard work and dedication. Jeroen Jutte thought that, at a time of great demographic change, EQUAL has provided funding to help improve the employability of many refugees and migrants. Resources will be available for further transnational work and many national governments will wish to support work with refugees and migrants. Georges Lemaître wished to stress the importance of quantitative analysis and evaluation in order to produce a body of evidence relating to work in this field. Only then can one say which are the best methods and avoid politically correct recommendations without an evidential base. Georges Lemaître noted that xenophobia means fear, not hatred, and that exposure often brings understanding. Unfortunately some elected officials make statements about illegal immigration that encourage negative perceptions amongst the public. The public image of migrants is a complex one and something that needs to be carefully managed. The repercussions of negative images can be very harmful both for society and for individuals. Simon Wilson noted that different approaches seem to be required for different target groups, and that it is unclear if this work should be done by the EC, by national governments, or at a local level. There have been other high-profile European media campaigns on other issues; have these been effective? Marijke Dashorst s personal view was that local messages supported by the EC are the most effective. Next year is the European Year of Equal Opportunities and this will provide further opportunities for awareness-raising work. Beate Schmidt-Behlau, DVV International, noted that her organisation has done work in this area, and that one element missing from the discussion was the Diaspora. In Germany, work is being done with the Turkish community to develop cultural competences. She also noted that the media can be a powerful ally in awareness-raising campaigns, and that awards are available for successful diversity messages. Bahram Sanjabi wished to stress that the Dutch DP s project had been very beneficial for him and his peers, and he hoped that similar projects would be repeated in future. Temeshgen Kubrom had seen the benefits brought by EQUAL, both for himself and for others, therefore he hoped that such work would continue. Marijke Dashorst saw two key elements on which to focus: skills development and the validation of skills. She encouraged the partnership to disseminate its good practice and to search for new partners to continue its work. Martina Kalinová thought that projects such as this one help to provide evidence that can influence the policy agenda of national and regional governments. On the subject of evaluation, Marcianne Uwimana believed that the Progress GB project run by the University of Birmingham had undertaken evaluation in order to establish what has worked well and what could be improved for future projects. She repeated her view that the work done by the partnership should continue. Simon Wilson rounded off the discussion and thanked all the participants for their contributions. Sue Waddington read the final recommendations relating to the continuation of funding for transnational work in this 47

50 Notes of Andrea Gertnerová European Commission, Cabinet of Commissioner Vladimir Spidla (Employment, Social Affairs and EQUAL Opportunities ) The conference as reported back to the Commission Recognising the skills and qualifications of refugees and migrants in the EU Skills of migrants from the third countries go usually unrecognised. It is therefore necessary for national systems to establish a framework in all Member States, which enable the skills and qualifications of migrants from third countries to be assessed and accredited. The European Qualifications Framework should be extended to include the recognition of skills and knowledge gained outside of the EU. Guidelines for establishing such assessment and recognition systems should be commissioned by the European Commission for use in Member States. Access to and guidance about such assessment systems should be made freely available to refugees and migrants at an early stage after their arrival. Such assessment and recognition systems should be able to accommodate skills and knowledge gained through formal and informal experience. In order to develop credible systems of assessment and recognition of migrant's skills, a range of stakeholders, including representatives of the Social Partners, the regulated professions and accrediting bodies need to be consulted and involved. Developing skills appropriate to the labour market Refugees and migrants who do gain employment are overrepresented in low-paid, unsustainable jobs with few opportunities for lifelong learning or professional development (regardless of their skills and qualifications). Skills development opportunities are therefore required which provide language learning, particularly language learning related to vocational fields; learning which provides an understanding of the social and cultural aspects of the workplace; rights and responsibilities; networking and job searching skills. Ideally the skills development opportunities should include work experience placements and mentoring support. Trained professional staff who are able to assess individual needs and strengths and who have an understanding of the local labour market are required. A range of support services may be needed to ensure that the basic needs of refugees and migrants for health, housing and education are being met alongside vocational guidance. Raising awareness of what refugees and migrants have to offer Negative image of refugees and migrants prevail amongst sections of the media, general public and employers. Case studies, films and other materials are therefore recommended in order to present positive images of refugees and migrants. Migrant's skills and qualifications should be made visible to the general public. Employers should be also encouraged to offer work experience opportunities to migrants. In order to meet these goals, further support at local, regional and European level would be needed. Claude Moraes, MEP (PES), UK was the first one to react to these recommendations made by the MEET Partnership. He presented the political context of migration in the EU, arguing that political talks about controlling numbers of migrants are overshadowing vital issues concerning integration of immigrants. There is a clear absence in legislation dealing with migration in a positive sense (legal migrating schemes, integration of immigrants). Migration is not going to stup; 48

51 thus we should concentrate on preparation on models in order to fill the skills gap and to use effectively skills of migrants. Despite the fact that number of foreigners is growing, European institutions remain "white". One can only see third-country nationals early in the morning as a part of cleaning staff. In his excellent and somewhat provocative speech, Moraes touched issues like possible "ethnic monitoring" in the European Parliament. He said that he had proposed to carry out ethnic monitoring in the European Parliament, but finally it was not allowed because for example France does not allow the classification of people according to their ethnic origin. Marijke Dashorst from the DG Education and Culture stressed that integration of immigrants is a process in which both migrants and representatives of majority were supposed to develop intercultural skills. Not only foreign employees should develop their skills in order to be better integrated in the labour market, but also employers should be open to accept immigrants to be a part of their staff and to encourage the development of their skills. Effective migrant's employment strategy could only be elaborated in cooperation with several interrelated disciplines (i.e. education of children, housing) and should be developed primarily at the local level. The third interesting speech was made by the immigrant from Rwanda who has obtained a job thanks to the participation in the MEET project in the United Kingdom. She argued that immigration policies could be also made in cooperation with immigrants themselves. Representatives of the majority and immigrants themselves should work together in order to elaborate and implement their common goals. She also stressed that the host society should encourage the education of asylum seekers residing in refugee camps from the very beginning. Even if they do not obtain the status of an international protection, they will be able to improve their start up performance in the country of origin. It could be the way how developed countries could contribute to the development of less-developed countries. The African lady also argued that the successful integration of third country nationals in the host society could help improve the skills of decision-makers (local, regional and national officials) through courses carried out by immigrants themselves. Such courses should be provided also for representatives of businesses. Martina Kalinová from the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affaires added that she was quite sceptical that any government would finance the development of skills of asylum seekers or migrants residing in the country for less than 12 months. As for the recognition of of qualification in the Czech Republic, she argued that no labour migrant from a third country could enter the Czech Republic without having a secure job anyway (including the recognition of diplomas made by the respective embassy). Therefore, migrants do not have to prove their skills after arrival to the Czech Republic any more. Recognition of skills of refugees is different problem and should be addressed. Recognition of skills of illegal workers off limits in the Czech environment. As for illegal migrants, no special help is provided by the Czech Government, and it the new amendment of the Foreigner's act is accepted, those illegal migrants who are in refugee camps will be arrested and expelled from the country as soon as possible. 49

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53 Banner Exhibition European Parliament Brussels, 4th - 8th June 2007

54 Many Worlds Many Abilities Migrants Stories The banners in this exhibition have been made by the partners in the MEET Equal (ESF) partnership to highlight the stories of some of the project s beneficiaries. Seen together the banners represent the range of experiences faced by migrants when they come to the European Union. They show examples of the barriers that individual migrants and refugees face in the EU, and what skills and talents they have to offer. Recognition of migrants as individuals, for the skills, experience and knowledge that they bring, for the benefit to our economies that they represent, and for the diversity they add to our communities is often missing from the rhetoric and certainly from the popular media. At the exhibition: Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler, Anne Güller-Frey, Sue Waddington and Elena Albert. The stories in these banners highlight gaps in policy, understanding and sometimes show a shocking waste of talent, where individual migrants are working well below their capabilities, skills and qualifications. The stories also highlight the resilience and strength of the individuals who are succeeding against the odds. It is particularly interesting that some are now making progress in a completely new field of work, as they did not manage to find work in their original professional area. Some of the people featured here came to the EU in search of humanitarian protection, others came to work. In all cases, their struggle to integrate into their new countries, whether for the long term or the short term has been determined mainly through education and employment. The intervention of advice agencies has been vital to this success. 52

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56 54 European Parliament, Brussels: Banner Exhibition Many Worlds - Many Abilities

57 Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler MEP, PSE, Germany Still a lot to do It is a pleasure for me to welcome you all to this reception. As you have seen - or as you will see this evening, the MEETnetwork has set up an excellent exhibition and I am proud to sponsor it. But it is not the exhibition itself that urged me to host this event, it is the importance of the work of the MEET partners that impressed me - and not just me: the funding by the European Commission and national ministries clearly shows, how well accepted your work already is. But there is still a lot to do: How often do we speak about integration, but how many people forget about it in their daily work, when making decisions. Wouldn't it make a difference, if employers start to look for the real qualities and skills of applicants, rather than expecting migrants to have the same formal education as Europeans? How can we integrate people, if we don't let people use their true potential? While we often raise these questions in theory, the exhibition shows what they mean for real people, living real lives. We often discuss a lot about schemes, theories and principles, but isn't politics about improving the quality of life for each individual person? People, we can see on the banners in the exhibition? I know from my experience in Brazil and in Angola, what it is like to live in a new society, in a new environment. Migrants heavily rely on their individual skills and qualities, and if we fail to acknowledge them, we just let them down. Therefore, I am really happy that the MEET-Partnership is able to present their work to you tonight. Before closing, I would like to point out, that we need more initiatives like MEET - as it combines humanitarian needs with the idea of European integration and harmonisation. 5 transnational partners are a good start, hopefully there will be other nations join in soon. I hope you will all enjoy this evening and wish the MEET-Partnership to get all the success. 55

58 Eric Agbo M.A. political scientist, IUBM Ltd., Germany What does Europe want? It is an honour for me to share with you here my views on integration within Europe s labour market. When I came to Germany in early 1992, I had a dream: the personal dream held by everyone of succeeding in a more secure structure. I cannot continue this address without mentioning something about my life story. The time I have spent living in Germany can be divided into four stages: Stage one: the orientation phase Immediately upon my arrival in Germany I looked around in order to collect my thoughts and impressions. What demands does living in Germany make? How are the country s structures arranged? What are the people in Germany like? I then built up my own social network, on which I could rely at least - or so I hoped. Cultivating this network was not easy, because as a political refugee living in a shelter for refugees you have precious little chance of meeting the people around you on an equal footing. However, I also didn t want to cultivate relationships in which I felt like the hapless newcomer. My relationships therefore dwindled of their own accord and I went the way of the loner. Stage two: the stage of evaluating my situation To get ahead, I had to compile an inventory of my resources and skills. I needed to set myself goals which I knew how and where to begin. To this end, a reality check was required: What did I have to offer? How did my prospects look in relation to achieving something here? I have to say as well at this point that I had come to Germany as a member of the educational elite in my homeland and that my university-entrance certificate from Togo was recognised here. But how was I to earn my corn in the here and now, because I was still receiving social security (5 months worth in total). My first job in Germany involved seasonal work in a bookbinding firm and lasted some six weeks; a series of other jobs then followed. I already knew then that I could not go on living like that here. I had to find alternatives. This brings me to stage three in Germany. Stage three: change and transformation Three months after arriving in Germany, I started a German course, which was expected to last five months. I only attended the course for three months, however, because the timetable proved to be incompatible with my working hours. However, I did acquire enough German to embark on an apprenticeship, having already studied German back home in secondary school. Once the apprenticeship was over, I worked for a while as a bricklayer in order to earn some money and be able to pay for my studies. While working in the building trade, I passed the DHS university entrance exam for foreign university applicants at the university of Augsburg and smoothed the path to university. I then had to choose one of two options: civil engineering or political science. Ultimately I plumped for a political science course, which I began in the winter term of 1999 and completed in Since I had to finance all of my studies off my own back, I needed to take two terms off and spend the entire 56

59 period working; but only if I could get a job. It was a difficult time, but it was my own free choice. After my studies, I ploughed straight into the world of employment, working for the Migranet project as a research assistant. It is important to emphasise here that my first steps in working life were not taken by chance, nor were they the result of a successful application; instead, I found myself working in my wife s own company. On the basis of various experiences, I opted for my own independence... My good fortune was the fact that the Togo university entrance certificate is recognised in Germany, but what happens in the case of the certificates of countless people from all over the world which are not recognised? And what then becomes of the wealth of professional experience which people from a migration background bring with them? What is it that now separates my own life story from the unsuccessful tales of others with a background as migrants? 2. Which systems of values and motivations offer opportunities and risks? 3.Does a new strategy require a new organisation with new members? And, most importantly: 4. How must organisations and their members change in order to achieve strategic- management goals? This question refers to the frequent assumption that understands human resources development goals as being for the development of the individual. Yet it is not so much a matter of the development goals which are targeted at individuals, but of goals which are targeted at the respective organisation. The purpose of human resources development is to reconcile the skills, proficiencies and motivations of individuals with the decisions and strategies of running the organisation. In the process, it is all a matter of knowledge and capabilities, implicit knowledge and the desires of the organisation s members (groups). The reasons identified relate not only to personal desire and individual ability, but also to social acceptance and situational empowerment. To describe this in more detail, I would like to address assumptions made about human resources development. If we assume that the term human resources refers to individuals with or without a migration background and that organisation here denotes society and its components, strategic human resources development then determines the parameters, goals and priorities for the development of an organisation s human resources. The key questions within this context of strategic human resources development are as follows: 1. What can the organisation achieve with its members? During implementation, a key role is also played by social acceptance. Acceptance is often enshrined within the culture of an organisation. The imparting of skills and proficiencies which may not be displayed within an organisation leads to a change in attitude or at best to frustration on the part of members of that same organisation. One of the jobs of strategic human resources development is to improve the possibilities for implementing an organisation s strategic goals. Here, a distinction can be drawn between three levels of skills within an organisation: 1. its skills 2. its learning capacity 3. its integration capacity 57

60 This level encompasses the skills of an organisation. Its skills are more than the sum of the skills and proficiencies of its individual members. This is the level on which human resources development measures reach out and function in the future; they make it possible to recognise how well the organisation is using its heterogeneity to its advantage. Here, however, the organisation must offer the same opportunities to all individuals living within it. Learning capacity refers to an organisation s ability to change with regard to the acceptance and implementation of the newcomer, the generation of knowledge, skills and proficiencies, and dealing with innovations. This learning capacity is existential for an organisation s survival chances. An organisation s integration capacity is pivotal to its success or failure, survival or fall. Here, an ability to integrate refers to the integration of: other elements, organisations and organisation components organisation members from other cultures and with different approaches, and existing structures. This integration capacity encompasses interpretation, intervention and the creation of interpretation interfaces between different cultures both national and regional as well as organisational. of scientific and practical findings? What does Europe want? Where is Germany s way taking us? The fact that some people with a background as migrants could, but do not want to, is something we leave to the individual; however, the fact that many people from a migration background want to, but are not allowed to and cannot, is unacceptable and inequitable and has nothing to do with my understanding of freedom. In my opinion, freedom should apply to all levels of life and to all members of society. A free society should not be the scene of any discrimination, be it socio-political, educational or relating to the labour market. History has taught us that a structure fit for survival must always regard all its constituent parts as productive elements. An aspiring European Union which does not integrate its migrants is doomed to failure, because the new story of Europe is one of migration. This means that the house of Europe will only be fully built once all resources have been consolidated... the path to this remains a long one and requires a great deal of effort and recognition. Thank you very much for listening. The European Union and Germany have recognised and understood the issue of integration, with a host of integration projects springing up. We are now heading in the right direction, but how do move on from here? What became of the results of the many projects before Migranet and MEET? What of the sustainability 58 Info Desk, European Parliament

61 Press 3

62 Press: advertisements 60 December 2005, Parliament Magazine

63 January 2006, Parliament Magazine April and May 2007, Parliament Magazine 61

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65 Press: articles 11. June 2007, 63

66 Artikel - Medienarchiv Augsburger Allgemeine Edition: B-GES Date: Page 4 Economy pins hope on immigrants. EU-Study: Many immigrants possess the expertise, which European companies need By Detlef Drewes Brussels The European economy is booming again but the rise could be faster and more sustainable if it were not for the increasing lack of skilled local personnel. If all new immigrants were allowed to work they would be able to offer even more than only a substitute solution. The European economy leaves expertise unused, although specialists are urgently required: in brief, a symposium in Brussels supported by MEET ( Migrants, Employment, Empowerment, Training ) comes to this conclusion. MEET is a consortium of 65 organisations currently from 6 European states, which educate immigrants and develop language proficiency to integrate them into the labour market. In Germany, for example numerous places of Migranet Network are involved. In Germany alone the job opportunities for engineers in the year 2006 rose approximately 30 percent. By 2010 in the EU about qualified applicants will be missing from the Information Technology sector. According to a study by the Institue of German Economics, unfilled positions cost companies 3.5 billion euros. Until recently the EU has been treating this subject very cautiously. Within the European Parliament only two studies have been made without any commitment for the national politics of the member states. They already could have had specialists if they had opened the labour market to immigrants, especially because the Migranet-experts could relieve them of the tasks of practical preparation like language training and integration. We are more and more dependent on immigrants, stated Markus Ferber, MEP, EPP (Bobingen near Augsburg) at the opening of the conference. The headquarters of MigraNet is incidentally in Augsburg at Tür an Tür Integrationsprojekte ggmbh and the symposium was organised by Anne Güller-Frey also from Augsburg. According to an EU-study, unemployment is falling further in the EU, at the same time as the number of unfilled job vacancies has exploded. In the meantime three- million jobs are not being filled. Therefore, unlike in the past, jobs for unskilled labour are not the issue, but rather specialists are needed. 64

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68 List of Participants 1 Eric Agbo MigraNet, IUBM 2 Elena Albert CEQ- Corso Svizzera, 165, Torino 3 Mark Allison East of England development Agency 4 Keith Bennet Advice for life Cambridge, UK 5 Silvano Berna Confartigianato Imprese Piemonte Via Andrea Doria 15, Torino 6 Norbert Bichl Beratungszentrum für Migranten und Migrantinnen InterCulturExpress 7 Kasole Mukabagire Bienvenu Societe Civile Congolaise de Rome/ CIR Rome 8 Nadége Bon-Betemps North east of England Office, Brussels 9 David Brown Advice for life, Birmingham UK 10 Daniela Buonanno VIDES International 11 Andrew Button NIACE Leicester UK 12 Reyes Castillo ACCEM 13 Christof Cesnovar Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU / Federal Chamber of Labour 14 Flavio Como Provincia di Biella Via Quintino Sella 12, Biella 15 Guidicelli Corinna European Commission 16 Marijke Dashorst European Commission, Dg Education and Culture, unit for vocational Training and Adult Education 17 Stephen Davies European Commission, DG Justice Freedom and Security 18 Detlef Drewes Journalist, Augsburger Allgemeine, Europa Büro 19 Bettina Engelmann Global Competences, Germany 20 Reiner Erben MigraNet Coordination, Manager 21 Toyin Fagbemi Islington Training Network, London 22 Elodie Fazi European Anti Poverty Network ( EAPN) 23 Stefania Ferrarotti Provincia di Biella Via Quintino Sella 12, Biella 24 David Forbes Heartland Homes ; Birmingham, UK 25 Mark Fraser Advice for life, Cambridge, UK 26 Martina Früchtl MigraNet Coordination, Germany 27 Andrea Gerstnerova European Commission, Cabinet of the Commisioner Spiedla 28 Dr. Lisa Goodson University of Birmingham, UK 29 Lissy Gröner MEP, PSE Germany 30 Anne Güller-Frey MigraNet, Transnational Coordination, Germany 31 Diet de Haan City of Groningen, Department of Social Affairs and Labour, NL 32 David Hudson EQUAL EASI DP.c/o Islington Training Network 33 Dr. Ellinor Hasse European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) rue de la Concorde, B Richard Howitt MEP, Labour Party 35 Thomas Huddleston Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group, Brussels 36 Chantal Hughes UK representation to the European Union 37 Tjidde Hummel Equal Project Work profiler, City of Assen, NL 38 Loretta Hurley Loretta Hurley development Consultant, Cambridgeshire UK 39 Tansy Hutchinson European Network Against Racism (ENAR) 40 Arjen Jorritsma Alfa-College, sector Educatie, Groningen, NL 41 Martina Kalinová Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic 42 Annette Klüpfel Bavarian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany 43 Benno Telgenhof Oude Koehorst City of Groningen, Department Social Affairs and Labour 44 Temesghen Kubrom Tür an Tür Germany 45 Georges Lemaitre OECD 46 Christiane Lembert MigraNet Coordination, Germany 47 Clementine Leroy Kent County Council Brussels Office 48 Geraldine Libreau European Commission, DG Education and Cultutre 49 Hilly Lokken City of Groningen, Department Social Affairs and Labour, NL 50 Lou-Lou Lourens City of Groningen, Department Social Affairs and Labour, NL 51 Huilin Luo Beneficiary, Groningen, NL 66

69 52 Maren Lurweg European Commission, DG Employment 53 Stephanie Mattes Ständige Vertretung Österreichs bei der EU 54 Giovanni Mensi Confidustria piemonte Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II 103, Torino 55 Elena Proietti Mercury Provincia di Biella Via Maesti di Commercio 6, Biella 56 Marry Beatrice Monika Claude Moraes MEP, Labour Party 58 Ursula Morokutti abz. Austria InterCulturExpress 59 Carlo Napoli Confartigianato Imprese Piemonte Via Andrea Doria 15, Torino 60 Graham Nicholls Plymouth and district MIND Plymouth UK 61 Vladimir Nigro CEQ- Corso Svizzera, 165, Torino 62 An Le Nouail-Marliere European Social and Economic Committee 63 Emily Palmer Southwest UK, Brussels Office 64 Luzi Paolo Provincia die Asti, Via Maresco 45, Montechiaro ( Asti ) 65 Dr. Jenny Phillimore University of Birmingham, UK 66 Ellisavet Platsouka European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs 67 Paolo Pozzo Cisl Piemonte, Via s. Anselmo 11, Johanna Pöykkö FEDASIL. Brussels 69 Ramón Puig de la Bellacasa Programme Manager Equal, European Commission DG Employment and Social Affairs 70 Roshan di Puppo Director, the Social Platform 71 Miriam Rau ECRE, Brussels 72 Davide Ricca EuroQualità, Corso Svizzera, 165, Torino 73 Christoph Riedmann EU- Büro der WirtschaftsKammer Österreich 74 Belkys Montero de la Rosa City of Groningen, Association of Clients of the Department Social Affairs and Labour, NL 75 Corradin Rossela Domenico Rossetto EuroQualità, Corso Svizzera, 165, Torino 77 Emanuela Canetta Rossi European Commission, DG Justice, Freedom and Security 78 José van Rossum City of Groningen, Department Social Affairs and Labour, NL 79 Bahram Sanjabi Beneficiary, Groningen, NL 80 Sergio Scaramal President Provincia di Biella Via Quintino Sella 12, Biella 81 Stephan Schiele MigraNet Coordination, Manager 82 Beate Schmidt-Behlau DVV International, German Adult Education Association, Germany 83 Fogliato Sebastiano CEQ Corso Svizzera, 165, Torino 84 Anke Settelmeyer Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (Bibb) Germany 85 Sjoerd Stienstra HPB Advice & Finance, Leek NL 86 Wian Stienstra HPB Advice & Finance, Leek NL 87 Wietske Stienstra Exporthandel De Bourgondische Lelie, Oldeberkoop, NL 88 Paul Spoelstra City of Groningen, Department Social Affairs and Labour, NL 89 Theresia Sunadi Caritas Europa Brussels 90 Michael Symolka MigraNet Germany 91 Susanna Thomas ECRE, Brussels 92 Pia Tirronen The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 93 Andreas Unterstaller ECOTEC Research and Consulting, Brussels 94 Marcianne Uwimana University of Birmingham, UK 95 Giovanni Ventura Cisl Piemonte, Via s. Anselmo 11, Sarah Verdonck FEDASIL, Brussels 97 Gillet Vinciane FEDASIL. Brussels 98 Sue Waddington NIACE Leicester UK 99 Jane Watts NIACE Leicester UK 100 Simon Wilson The Centre, Brussels 101 Markus Ferber MEP, EPP, Germany 102 Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler MEP, PSE, Germany 67

70 For further informations, please contact: MEET Coordination Sue Waddington DP Progress GB ( UK ) +44 (0) Stephan Schiele DP MigraNet ( Germany ) Tel.: +49 (0) 821/ Davide Ricca, Elena Albert DP VISIBILI INVISIBILI ( Italy ) Tel.: +39 (0) 15/ Sonja Sari DP InterCulturExpress ( Austria ) Tel.: + 43 (0) Editor: Anne Güller-Frey Paul Spoelstra, Wian Stienstra DP Laat Zien Wat Je Kunt Tel.: Tür an Tür Integrationsprojekte ggmbh Schießgrabenstr. 14 D Augsburg Tel / Fax / anne.gueller-frey@tuerantuer.de

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