Page 22 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

First, it is clear that better results are achieved when successful cooperation
is enabled across the different ministries responsible for immigration and
integration policies, as well as across all administrative levels within them.
Achieving such cooperation is a challenge in many countries. Experience has
also shown that engagement of immigrant communities and employers in
integration measures enhances their reach and effectiveness.
The development of key skills and fundamental knowledge can be devised
both as a compensatory measure or an enabling set of practices aimed at further
career development and individual adaptability. Assuring the quality of the
information provided, as well connecting key skill development with assessment
procedures, certification and recognition, is still not a priority in all systems.
Immigrant group needs are frequently underidentified and integration
measures are many times under the umbrella of generalist programmes in
education, unemployment or anti-poverty policies. More individual-centred
approaches are frequently difficult to implement and consume resources.
The sustainability of integration practices is not guaranteed. Many activities
developed by NGO’s, especially the most innovative, are project-based and
limited in time. The fact that no strong evidence base exists on the benefits of
integration programmes/projects, and particularly of guidance activities, further
hampers the diffusion and continuity of practices. The lack of a harmonised
evidence base also makes accountability difficult, reducing the possibility of
access to financing. Cost-sharing modalities are rare in integration programmes,
with little financial involvement by employers and communities.
Although multicultural training programmes abound, it is not always clear if
practitioners consistently have the skills they need to develop integration
programmes and if these are always a requirement for the exercise of the
activities.

Action areas for system development

Identification of target groups and engagement of stakeholders
(a) Identify target groups and their needs and engage them in designing and
implementing the integration measures. Guidance and counselling should
account for typical integration issues: the status of women; cultural identity
and attitudes of youth groups towards host country citizenship; occupational
distribution of employment in the community; identification of effective role
models in each culture; the specificity of discrimination suffered (labour
market, educational, etc.) in each community.
(b) Identify individual needs and potential.

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