Skills2Work: Valuing Skills of Beneficiaries of International Protection in the European Union
Duration: 26 months (01 January 2016 – 28 February 2018)
Donor: European Commision, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs
Getting a job is vital for the integration of beneficiaries of international protection. IOM the Netherlands together with partners and IOM offices in other European countries launched the Skills2Work project to improve access of beneficiaries, service providers and employers to specific information and services relating to skills recognition. IOM Slovenia with local partner Društvo ODNOS partnered in the project to promote early and sustainable employment of refugees through improved support on skills validation in the asylum procedures and integration service provision, including non-formal and in-formal learning, and strengthened employer involvement from the private sector.
The Skills2Work regional project targeting 9 EU member states proposed to take the next step towards ensuring better conditions for early and successful labour market integration of the beneficiaries of international protection by improving the reception framework and by enhancing the capacities of relevant authorities, service providers and employers to facilitate early validation of competences and skill-based job-matching, while enabling access to information and services for skills recognition. Project partners included agencies working in the field of recognition and validation of competences, employers, reception agencies, relevant ministries, integration service providers and the academia.
The project consisted of the following activities:
- Establishment of a European network of experts, communities, interest groups, employers and academics.
- A research publication on best practices and mechanisms for validation and recognition of skills and competences.
- A practical handbook with guidelines to support initiatives on the areas of validation and recognition of skills.
- From Skills2Work.eu – an interactive directory of good practices across Europe, with information for employers, service providers and refugees about working in Europe.
For more information about Skills2Work you can download information, visit our website and read the project newsletters.
Locations of the action: Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Project Lead: International Organization for Migration (IOM)