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Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

Restricted access to guidance may encourage illicit practices and exploitation,
generating additional difficulty in accessing legalisation processes, recognition of
qualifications, education and training as well as health and social coverage.
These limitations do not only harm the individual as they may have dramatic
consequences for families and communities. The information analysed suggests
that effective immigrant community engagement and the development of ICT
tools with anonymous usage by immigration services, employment services,
recognition organisations and VET providers are pathways to greater access to
guidance.

A step-by-step approach is necessary
Immigrant needs should be carefully assessed, avoiding the imposition of
programmes which do not differentiate individual levels of skill, qualifications or
language. The assessment should also consider perceptions, aspirations and
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interest. Approaches like the French bilan de compétences ( ) (competence
balance sheet) are a possible way to address this problem. Cost-effective
solutions can be found.
For example, assessing levels of key competences can be done by testing,
but testing can also be counter-productive, demotivating and maladjusted to
many communities, especially if the series of tests have not been adapted to
other cultures. A tactful conversation with a trained multicultural counsellor can
be a better method of assessment in many situations.
Independent of a more tailored approach, there is a certain consensus
around the sets of knowledge and skills which must be assured. As with the
general population, immigrant citizens must first have developed key
competences, adjusted to their environment, to be able to navigate in their new
society and fulfil their potential. Adoption of a stable standard underlying the
development of key competences is a fundamental prerequisite (European
Parliament and Council of the European Union, 2006).
As several interviewees pointed out, the ensuring the most essential
competences can be a greater challenge than expected. One example showed
that to implement basic language programmes, first it must be ensured that
migrant individuals have appropriate knowledge and control of their own native
language. This adds a layer of complexity which creates a slower up-skilling path
for some individuals. It should also be stressed that developing key competences

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( ) http://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/informations-pratiques,89/fiches-pratiques,91/formation-
professionnelle,118/le-bilan-de-competences,1073.html [accessed 1.4.2014].

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