Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SKILLS4JUSTICE (SKILL PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE AND JUST MIGRATION PATTERNS)
Reporting period: 2023-11-01 to 2024-11-30
Research targets shortages of skills and skill mismatches and development of sustainable workforce migration in Lithuania, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ukraine, UK, Norway and Ethiopia. Research seeks to provide evidence for strengthening regularity and labour market relevance of the current migration pathways. It provides know-how on skill matching, skill formation and integration of migrant workers for the design of policy solutions and skill formation practices. The research also tackles the need of capacity building of the policy makers and social partners in these areas.
The project seeks to generate knowledge on the skill shortages and mismatches in the destination and origin countries, as well as insights on the potential of skill formation and qualifications systems to tackle these issues. We will also disclose the migrant worker perspective on the approaches to skill formation, migration patterns and participation. Based on the research findings there will be developed a toolkit for policy makers and stakeholders of skill formation and migration policies on development of sustainable and fair pat ways of skill formation and migration.
The research will provide policy recommendations and instruments for the policy makers working in the fields of employment, skill formation and migration policies, education and training providers, and social partners for cooperation in skill formation, matching skill supply to labour market needs, development of sustainable pathways of skilled migration.
The research findings will contribute to the multidisciplinary discussions of researchers in the different countries on the relationships between skill matching, skill formation and migration. The knowledge created by research in this project will facilitate development, adjustment and usage of concrete tools of skill matching, education and training, qualifications and employment for the safe and sustainable integration and migrant workers and re-emigrants in the destination and origin countries. Project implementation period: 01.11.2023 – 31.10.2026
The project seeks to generate knowledge on the skill shortages and mismatches in the destination and origin countries, as well as insights on the potential of skill formation and qualifications systems to tackle these issues. We will also disclose the migrant worker perspective on the approaches to skill formation, migration patterns and participation. Based on the research findings there will be developed a toolkit for policy makers and stakeholders of skill formation and migration policies on development of sustainable and fair pat ways of skill formation and migration.
The research will provide policy recommendations and instruments for the policy makers working in the fields of employment, skill formation and migration policies, education and training providers, and social partners for cooperation in skill formation, matching skill supply to labour market needs, development of sustainable pathways of skilled migration.
The research findings will contribute to the multidisciplinary discussions of researchers in the different countries on the relationships between skill matching, skill formation and migration. The knowledge created by research in this project will facilitate development, adjustment and usage of concrete tools of skill matching, education and training, qualifications and employment for the safe and sustainable integration and migrant workers and re-emigrants in the destination and origin countries. Project implementation period: 01.11.2023 – 31.10.2026
In the period from the 1st of November 2023 to the 1st of November 2024 the research was conducted in the three work packages. The work package 2 deals with designing of the shortage model for recruitment of skilled workers in the countries of destination and transition countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Norway, UK) by referring to the agency of existing skill partnerships in these countries. Implementation period: January-December 2024. Leading partner: Leeds University Business School. The work package 3 aims to analyze skills matching and migration links in the involved origin countries (Ukraine, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Ethiopia). Implementation period: January-December 2024. Leading partner: Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. There were prepared and approved in March 2024 the research methodologies. Research involves literature review, analysis of the official statistical data on the skill matching and migration (demand and supply of skills in the labour market, skills mismatches), analysis of the national policy documents an legal acts in the areas of skill formation, employment and migration, qualitative study by conducting in-depth interviews with; 1) the national policy makers responsible for the skill formation, employment and migration policies, 2) education and training providers - higher education, vocational education and training, adult education , 3) enterprises and employers organizations, 4) trade unions, professional organizations, labour market intermediaries and NGO's working with migrant workers. The partners executed research studies in their countries in the period from March to December 2024. For each work package there will be prepared working paper and journal article. For the work package 2 these contributions will be submitted in March 2025, for the work package 3- in February 2025. The working papers provide comparative analysis of the research findings from the partner countries with the focus on the relationships between skills matching in the labour market, interventions of the skill formation, employment and migration policies and approaches of the economic actors to the solution of skills shortage problems in the countries. There were also implemented preparatory activities in drafting the methodology of survey of the migrant workers in the work package 4 by the leading partner - Ankara University.
The journal article (in progress) 'Comparing labour and skills shortages in European economies' will offering a novel analysis and developing a theoretical contribution relating labour and skills shortages to labour market regimes of the destination countries researched in the work package 2.It will seek to explore the differences between the seven countries’ skills shortages and their solutions by labour market and training regimes (Goergen et al., 2012; Winterton, 2007), as well as disclosing sector-level evidence of the shortages of skills and their solutions.
The journal article (in progress) 'Sectoral approaches in dealing with skill mismatch and migration problems in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Ukraine" explores critical challenges in matching workforce skills to market demands, particularly in sectors heavily affected by migration. The paper examines the impact of migration on sectoral skill gaps, focusing on industries such as manufacturing, ICT, and the hospitality sectors.
Based on research findings of the WP2 and WP3 there is also being prepared a policy brief "Synergy potential of the national systems of qualifications and international transparency tools in dealing with skill mismatches and fostering sustainable labor migration” – to be published by the end of February 2025. This policy paper seeks to examine the potential of the NQFs, qualifications profiles, regional qualifications frameworks (EQF) and other transparency tools in handling skill mismatches and fostering sustainable labor migration and skills partnerships.
The journal article (in progress) 'Sectoral approaches in dealing with skill mismatch and migration problems in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Ukraine" explores critical challenges in matching workforce skills to market demands, particularly in sectors heavily affected by migration. The paper examines the impact of migration on sectoral skill gaps, focusing on industries such as manufacturing, ICT, and the hospitality sectors.
Based on research findings of the WP2 and WP3 there is also being prepared a policy brief "Synergy potential of the national systems of qualifications and international transparency tools in dealing with skill mismatches and fostering sustainable labor migration” – to be published by the end of February 2025. This policy paper seeks to examine the potential of the NQFs, qualifications profiles, regional qualifications frameworks (EQF) and other transparency tools in handling skill mismatches and fostering sustainable labor migration and skills partnerships.