In the context of green and digital transitions and with an aging workforce, the EU is faced with the challenge of finding people with the right skills for their rapidly changing labor markets. However, skills shortages are recognized as a global problem, which has led to increased competition for talent. Swift changes in skills development globally and migration and mobilities policies to cater to such changes are needed.
Between 2024 and 2026, 'Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development' (GS4S) aims to develop new knowledge and innovative tools for ethical, equitable, scalable and sustainable solutions for skills shortages in Digital, Care and Construction sectors. The interdisciplinary consortium led by Radboud University studies the potential of skills mobility/talent partnerships, labor migration, and six additional alternatives to address skills shortages, with a broad geographical focus on: EU, EEA, Western Balkan, Middle East and Northern Africa, West Africa, and South/South-East Asia. GS4S notably captures business strategies for filling skills shortages, and experiences of migrant workers with skilling, upskilling and reskilling.
Our research question is: ''What skilled migration schemes or alternatives do businesses prefer to address their skilled labor shortages and what types of public/private policies are needed to facilitate addressing (future) skills needs in a sustainable way?'' To address it, we have three timely objectives:
1. Build on existing and develop new knowledge on qualifications and workforce availability globally. By assessing a variety of skills partnerships, we provide innovative analyses that go beyond migration governance and lie at the intersection of MEDT policy fields (i.e. migration, education, development & trade).
2. Explore labor migration and alternative ways to fill labor shortages from a business perspective at macro, meso and micro levels.
3. Design practical tools for policy makers, businesses, educational institutions and skilled workers to better meet labor market needs, offering a set of actions that can form part of a global strategy for skills.
With its comprehensive, mixed-methods approach, GS4S directly tackles challenges such as: limited data availability, non-targeted decision making, absence of large-scale research on impact of MNEs and SMEs for filling skills shortages or underrepresentation of migrants’ perspectives. In this way, we work toward mid-term and long-lasting (2050) impact in scientific, economic, societal and policy realms. This is well-captured in our contributions to SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. For more information on our project and publications, we invite you to consult our website:
https://www.gs4s.eu/(opens in new window).
