Page 24 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

(d) Employers can develop integration programmes in their firms in cooperation
with public and non-profit organisations and can help finance initiatives,
create internships, and provide mentorship. As evidence from several
countries shows, cooperation between the state and employers strongly
contributes to making integration strategies successful.
(e) Supporting the activities of non-profit organisations is fundamental to
sustaining innovation in the field. They provide a testing ground for methods
which can be internalised by public services and mainstreamed.
(f) Ensure follow-up of projects with limited duration from the beginning. Tools,
methods and strategies used, and the experience and knowledge of
participants should be shared to inform other projects/measures.
(g) Encourage immigrant communities to contribute to the sustainability of
practices by developing internal guidance capacity for their new members.
(h) Follow up and provide support to immigrants in dealing with organisations,
systems and services until they have reached a minimum autonomy in their
career development.

Guaranteeing the quality of services
It is important to ensure that guidance and counselling services are provided by
qualified personnel with appropriate resources. Adequate guidance and
multicultural training of staff dealing with immigrants in employment services
and/or providing information and career education or education guidance to
safeguard a fair, respectful attitude towards their clients and culture is a
prerequisite.
Professionals involved in these activities also need to be familiar with
relevant legislation, administrative procedures, and labour market conditions.
They also need to know the contact points for, and the correct procedures and
channels to liaise with, the services connected to healthcare, housing, legal work,
education and social security.
The information provided to immigrants needs to be relevant, useful, timely
and clear. Clarity of information is fundamental to a successful induction process
for the newly-arrived. Ensuring that basic information is easily available in all the
relevant languages ahead of the immigration process (for example via websites
or agreements with origin country services) can vastly improve the results of the
integration process.
Information about available integration mechanisms, such as guidance,
recognition, career management, and skill development should be clear and
included in the support to firms, particularly SMEs.

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