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Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

The interviews were based on semi-structured questionnaires, mostly open
questions, answered by phone (or similar means). The interview structures (see
background document) were sent to the interviewees ahead of the phone calls, to
aid effectiveness.
The third stage analysed responses to a Cedefop questionnaire. These were
sent to the Member States through ELGPN or directly to promoters of integration
programmes identified through secondary sources. The analysis of the case
study information relied on the structured discussion of the quality of the services
provided. The quality of inputs, the ways activities were organised and monitored,
and the reported outputs were analysed.
A sample of 13 representative countries was selected for the case-study
analysis, focused on countries with larger immigrant populations and with strong
growth estimates of the third-country migrant residents: Belgium, Germany,
Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal,
Sweden and the United Kingdom. National systems were analysed regarding the
role guidance plays in national immigrant admission and integration frameworks,
based on country factsheets, statistical data, studies and interviews with national
experts.
The selected practices followed the criteria below:
(a) describe guidance activities that target difficulties in labour market
integration of third-country immigrants;
(b) target youth in search of work or unemployed adults in search of work or
training to increase their employability;
(c) be supported by a national or regional level initiative coordinating efforts
between different agents.

Preferential factors were that practices:
(a) targeted recent immigrants, with weak social networks;
(b) targeted communities recently established in the country;
(c) highlighted multicultural methodologies.
The study pinpoints action areas where further development will be required
at European and national level.
Key research questions explored in this study include:
(a) how are services being coordinated across policy fields and levels of
administration to provide quality guidance responses to highly sensitive
immigrant groups?
(b) how are migrant communities, employers and other stakeholders invited to
participate in the definition, implementation and management of guidance
activities, to guarantee their relevance to immigrants’ needs?

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