Page 19 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

visibility are immigrants. Validation procedures can be closely linked to
assessment activities developed in the context of immigrant support.
European Commission country-specific recommendations normally include
measures for labour market integration of third-country immigrants, with direct
reference to the role guidance activities can play.

Guidance in integration practices across Europe

Great effort is being made at national level to create coordination between
ministries and administrative levels responsible for different aspects of
immigration and integration. In spite of a relative success in the simplification of
processes, the reduction of process times, and the reduction of bureaucracy,
many limitations remain.
Adequate institutional coordination, clear public support for integration
policies and effective engagement of employers and immigrant communities are
still to be achieved in many countries. These have been identified as success
factors for the establishment of successful coordination initiatives, such as one-
stop shops (OSS).
Alongside the effort to simplify and make procedures more effective, national
states have striven to make admission and integration systems more responsive
to the growth needs of the economy. As a result the admission of third-country
immigrants has become more selective and geared towards highly qualified
citizens. Quotas, occupational lists and point-based systems have been
introduced to intensify the demand-driven character of the system. Increased
participation by employers – especially small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) – in defining the point-based systems (PBS) have been reported as
necessary to increase the effectiveness of such mechanisms.
Guidance services are provided in several stages of the integration process,
but irregularly. They range from basic integration interventions in knowledge of
language, culture and institutional framework, to advice on recognition and
validation services and learning options. In the context of employment services,
guidance and counselling also help establish career development plans,
apprenticeships and internships, training and professional networks.
The objectives of the guidance activities are not generally defined nor
adjusted to reflect national/cultural background. Most of the practices presented
in the case studies have the general objective of supporting immigrant integration
by helping them upgrade their technical skills and develop some CMS. The
programmes aimed at immigrant groups may exist in the context of a compulsory
set of measures applied to all recently arrived third-country citizens.

13