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Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

We're live! The @horizongs4s.bsky.social Policy Workshop, "Addressing Skill Shortages in Ageing Economies" hosted by the University of Geneve. Full agenda at gs4s.eu/wp-content/u...

GS4S - Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development https://gs4s.eu
POLICY WORKSHOP
Addressing Skill Shortages in Ageing Economies
6-7 October 2025
University of Geneva
Uni MAIL – Room M6220
Public event: Uni MAIL Room MR030
Introduction
This Policy Workshop is organized within the framework of the Global Strategy for Skills, Migration,
Development, also known as GS4S, is a 36-month Horizon Europe-funded project aimed at co-creating a
global strategy to address skills shortages in Digital, the Care and Construction sectors including migration
policies and alternatives to migration.
The project proposes multi-level evidence-based policies on labour migration governance and alternative
ways to address these shortages in six regions: EU, EEA, Western Balkan, Middle East and Northern Africa,
West Africa, and South/South-East Asia.
Workshop Participants:
The workshop will bring together representatives from the International Organizations, Academics,
government officials, legal experts, policy analysts, and researchers specializing in various aspects of skills,
migration and development, as well as representatives from the private sector.
Expected Outcomes
The Workshop offers a unique opportunity to present and discuss preliminary findings from the GS4S research
consortium by engaging with key stakeholders, governments and international bodies. The objective is to
generate new knowledge on the strategies to deal with skill shortages and work towards the design of
practical tools for stakeholders.
This event takes place in the framework of the Horizon Europe Project "Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development
https://gs4s.eu/ Funding by the European Commission and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Education (SERI)
and support from the Department of Political Science and International Relations as well as Global Studies Institute, University of
Geneva is gratefully acknowledged. Contact: info@gs4s.eu

October 6, 2025 at 11:09 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

Policy Workshop “Addressing Skill Shortages in Ageing Economies” (6-7 October 2025), organized by @horizongs4s.bsky.social partner University of Geneve. Program at gs4s.eu/events/ Registrations open
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Contact: info@gs4s.eu

POLICY WORKSHOP
Addressing Skill Shortages in Ageing Economies
6-7 October 2025
University of Geneva
Uni MAIL – Room M6220
Public event: Uni MAIL Room MR030

Policy Workshop “Addressing Skill Shortages in Ageing Economies” (6-7 October 2025), organized by @horizongs4s.bsky.social partner University of Geneve. Program at https://gs4s.eu/events/ Registrations open https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScj6_Wwlrm3iev6zV-0T3KvIMiZ79dTReOw7JhGvYaVlhK2kA/viewform
This Policy Workshop is organized within the framework of the Global Strategies for Skills, Migration, Development, also known as GS4S, a 36-month Horizon Europe-funded project aimed at co-creating a global strategy to address skills shortages in the Digital, Care, and Construction sectors including migration policies and alternatives to migration.

The workshop will bring together representatives from the IOs, academics, government officials, legal experts, policy analysts, and researchers specializing in various aspects of skills, migration, and development. Also representatives from the private sector.
Expected Outcomes
The Workshop offers a unique opportunity to present and discuss preliminary findings from the GS4S research
consortium by engaging with key stakeholders, governments and international bodies. The objective is to
generate new knowledge on the strategies to deal with skill shortages and work towards the design of
practical tools for stakeholders.
This event takes place in the framework of the Horizon Europe Project "Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development
https://gs4s.eu/ Funding by the European Commission and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Education (SERI)
and support from the Department of Political Science and International Relations as well as Global Studies Institute, University of
Geneva is gratefully acknowledged.

CONTACT: info@gs4s.eu

September 30, 2025 at 7:54 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

"Advancing Skills for Mobility and Inclusive Growth" a high-level #GS4S roundtable hosted by American University Cairo, with the participation of ministries, academia, and others for dialogue on migration, labor mobility, and demographic transitions shaping labor markets shorturl.at/kFkjH

As migration, labor mobility, and demographic transitions reshape both African and European labor markets, the need for robust, future-ready skills systems has never been more urgent. To explore Egypt’s role in this evolving landscape, Horizon GS4S partner The American University in Cairo hosted a high-level, multi-stakeholder roundtable with the participation of: #EgyptianMinistryEconomicPlanning, Development and International Cooperation; the Micro, Small and Medium Size Enterprises Development Agency of Egypt; the EU Delegation in Egypt; International Organization for Migration; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Egypt; Egyptian NGO Ta’heal focused on building capacities; National Academy for Science and Skills Academy training and education institution; Center for Migration and Refugees Studies; Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab MENA.

Hosted on the American University Cairo campus, representatives from public bodies/ministries, academia, and civil society engaged in discussions on migration, labor mobility, and demographic transitions shaping African and European labor markets. The event highlighted Egypt’s pivotal role in this evolving landscape and the urgent need for robust, forward-looking policies to match skills with opportunities across regions. In alignment with the Horizon GS4S mission to advance fair, sustainable, and mutually-beneficial skills partnerships, the event highlighted how innovative cooperation frameworks can build resilient labor markets and create shared prosperity across regions:
 Evaluate the current skilling, reskilling, and upskilling landscape in Egypt
 Identify persistent skills gaps in priority sectors: #IT and #Digital, #Construction, and #Care
 Explore policy-relevant, evidence-based approaches to strengthen Egypt’s skills ecosystem and contribute to broader regional development and mobility goals

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advancing-skills-mobility-inclusive-growth-gs4s-roundtable-idwvf

September 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

In Memoriam: It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our esteemed Advisory Board member, Professor Margaret Walton-Roberts, on August 11, 2025. We honor her life and lasting contributions, and her legacy will continue to guide and inspire our work. shorturl.at/cRNT0

t is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our esteemed Advisory Board member, Professor Margaret Walton-Roberts, on August 11, 2025. A highly respected scholar and a valued contributor to GS4S, Professor Walton-Roberts’ insight and leadership significantly advanced our mission. We honor her life and lasting contributions, and her legacy will continue to guide and inspire our work. https://www.wlu.ca/news/spotlights/2025/aug/wilfrid-laurier-university-mourns-the-passing-of-professor-margaret-walton-roberts.html
A dedicated scholar, teacher, mentor and colleague, Margaret was a cherished member of the Laurier community and friend to all who knew her. Trained in human geography in both the United Kingdom and Canada, Margaret devoted her academic career to the study of international migration, with a focus on gender and immigration, transnational networks and immigrant settlement. Her recent research explored the global migration of health care professionals, as well as international student migration. Margaret’s work was widely published, with more than 50 journal articles and 43 book chapters, supported by numerous external research grants. Margaret earned a bachelor of arts at Manchester University in the United Kingdom before completing her master’s and PhD at the University of British Columbia.

September 8, 2025 at 5:10 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

@horizongs4s.bsky.social WP#8 "Efforts to Tackle Skills Shortages Across Policy Domains" explores #Skillshortages plaguing European labour markets
@mpc-eui.bsky.social authors #AbigailGoldfarb @jasmijnslootjes.bsky.social #BelenZanzuchi

Downloads gs4s.eu/wp-content/u...
Zenodo shorturl.at/IdRxU

"Efforts to Tackle Skills Shortages Across Policy Domains – Reflections from Migration, Education, and Development Policies" authors from Migration Policy Institute MPI Goldfarb, A., Slootjes, J., & Zanzuchi, B. (2025)

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development
(GS4S). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15261535
Labour shortages are becoming a critical issue across Europe, reaching historical highs in various sectors. These shortages pose serious risks, undermining essential services like healthcare and slowing down progress on major initiatives, such as the green transition. Europe’s ageing population compounds these challenges, putting further pressure on the labour market and threatening the European Union’s economic prosperity. This working paper examines the complex landscape of policy approaches to addressing skills shortages in Europe, offering a comparative analysis of interventions across migration, education, and development policy domains. Through a detailed exploration of policy responses at both national and European levels, the paper provides a typology of alternatives for mitigating shortages across these policy areas, with a particular focus on the digital, care, and construction sectors. By analysing the diversity of policy responses, the paper identifies emerging trends, challenges, and untapped opportunities to bridge skills gaps in Europe including through enhanced coherence across policy domains. From this typology of potential solutions, it concludes with actionable recommendations to inform future policy development.

Download: https://gs4s.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Working-Paper-8.pdf

#development #education #labourmigration #migrationgovernance #mobilityschemes #policycoherence #reskilling #skillsdevelopment #skillsmobility #skillsrecognition #skillshortages #upskilling #GS4S #MPI

July 21, 2025 at 7:25 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

EU’s Blue Card saw a significant rise in 2023 yet still accounts for a small share of total migration, as many Member States continue to prioritize national schemes. The EU faces a critical policy question: can the Blue Card become a true cornerstone for attracting global talent? shorturl.at/mVaAB

July 6, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

ETF Skills Lab Network of Experts
MIG Community - Call for papers

Skills and migration: Complex interplay in the context of mobility schemes
drive.google.com/file/d/1JltP...

June 4, 2025 at 5:35 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

Labor/Migration Law Conference, 22 May - Dialogue on the rights of workers (asylum seekers, EU citizens, students, skilled migrants, seasonal workers, etc) and the role of employers, public authorities, NGOs and legal aid
www.ru.nl/en/about-us/events/conference-work-and-migration-law

Conference on Labor/Migration Law (in Dutch/English)
22 May 2025 - Centre for Migration Law, Radboud University, Nijmegen NL

Stichting Migratierecht Nederland (SMN) and the Centre for Migration Law at Radboud University (CMR) are jointly organizing the SMN annual conference, "Opportunities and Bottlenecks - Levers for migrant workers and their employers" - Dutch/English. The topic of work and migration law is particularly relevant in these times of shortages on the labor market. Dialogue on Rights of workers (asylum seekers, EU citizens, students, skilled migrants, seconded/seasonal workers) and role of employers, public authorities, NGOs and legal aid.

Opening remarks: Jakob Wedemeijer (Stichting Migratierecht Nederland) and Tesseltje de Lange (professor of labour migration, Radboud University). Keynote: Access to the law for EU migrant workers Ellen Timmermans (Quarter maker Access to the law for EU migrant workers at the Legal Desk), reflection by Ashley Terlouw (Professor of Law Sociology Radboud University). Topics in the European and international context for legal protection of working migrants Round table with Aldo Kuijer (State Council Administrative Jurisdiction Division Council of State, Chairman of the Board of SMN), Bram van Melle (lawyer Everaert advocaten) and Younous Arbaoui (university lecturer VU) Moderator: Tesseltje de Lange

PANEL DISCUSSION:
-Introduction to the legal status and social rights of EU migrant workers
WORKSHOPS:
-Skills/Migration
-Illegal Employment: Employer Sanctions
-Asylum Seekers/Work
-EU Enlargement
-EU Labor Migrants/Right to care and housing
-Intra-EU DETACHERING
-Irregular Employment in Hospitality
-Recruitment of Non-EU Professional
-Int'l STEM Student Recruitment/Retention
INSIGHTS:
*Plenary reflection on the workshops
*Wide Prosperity, Human Rights & Legal Practice: Challenges for work and migration law 2025-2030 Tesseltje de Lange

https://www.ru.nl/en/about-us/events/conference-work-and-migration-law

May 20, 2025 at 3:54 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

GS4S working paper WP8 is out! Skills shortages remain a cross-cutting challenge — no single policy domain can solve them alone. Stronger coordination across migration, education, and employment is critical for real impact. Download at #Zenodo and gs4s.eu/working-pape...

“Efforts to Tackle Skills Shortages Across Policy Domains - Reflections from Migration, Education, and Development Policies” working paper, authors: Abigail Goldfarb, Jasmijn Slootjes, Belen Zanzuchi - MPI Europe. Download at Zenodo and GS4S - Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development (https://gs4s.eu/working-paper-series)

Labour shortages are becoming a critical issue across Europe, reaching historical highs in various sectors. These shortages pose serious risks, undermining essential services like healthcare and slowing down progress on major initiatives such as the green transition. Europe's ageing population compounds these challenges, putting further pressure on the labour market and threatening the EU's economic prosperity. This working paper examines the complex landscape of policy approaches to addressing skills shortages in Europe, offering a comparative analysis of interventions across migration, education, and development policy domains. Through a detailed exploration of policy responses at both national and European levels, the paper provides a typology of alternatives for mitigating shortages across these policy areas, with a particular focus on the digital, care, and construction sectors. By analyzing the diversity of policy responses, the paper identifies emerging trends, challenges, and untapped opportunities to bridge skills gaps in Europe including through enhanced coherence across policy domains. From this typology of potential solutions, it concludes with actionable recommendations to inform future policy development.

Keywords: #development #education #LabourMigration, #MigrationGovernance #MobilitySchemes #PolicyCoherence #reskilling #SkillsDevelopment #SkillsMobility SkillsRecognition SkillsShortages #upskilling.

Acknowledgement: This paper is part of the Horizon Europe project GS4S - Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development (es4s.eu) working papers series. Funding from the European Union is gratefully acknowledged

April 24, 2025 at 6:41 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

#GS4S' "Working Papers Series" edition of the Spring, 2025 newsletter is out📝 Explore new perspectives on #skills, #migration & #development — from labor shortages to #automation, #mobility and more
📥download via gs4s.eu/newsletters or Zenodo

# #Migration #Development #Digital #Care #Construction

April 21, 2025 at 5:42 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

The #WesternBalkans at a Crossroads - @HorizonGS4S Policy Brief breaks down the data: Emigration is draining key sectors like IT, care, and construction.
📉 Youth joblessness
💶 Low wages
📊 Skill gaps
Reversing brain drain isn’t just possible, it is essential for growth/prosperity
shorturl.at/hNfD2

The Western Balkans at a Crossroads - @HorizonGS4S policy brief delves into the issues surrounding emigration from the Western Balkans to the European Union that has long supplied much-needed workers for European economies. As the EU’s population ages and it undergoes digital and green transformations, talent from countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kosovo is more valued than ever. But this trend comes at a cost: the outflow of workers has exacerbated labour and skill shortages across the Western Balkans, depleting the very talent pool needed for the region’s own development. In short, the region is at a crossroads – their people are building Europe’s future, but who will build theirs? The policy brief offers a framework of three main policy pillars to tackle emigrant-driven labour shortages: Industrial Policy & Quality Jobs, Migration Management & Skills Development, Better Data & Labour Market Intelligence. Addressing labour shortages in the Western Balkans amid ongoing migration is not just a regional task – it’s a European challenge. The EU and WB are interconnected: labour market imbalances in one affect the other. EU policymakers can help by extending support and investment to Western Balkan partners, treating them as an integral part of Europe’s labour ecosystem. Reversing brain drain is not only possible - it is essential for growth and prosperity in both the #EU and the #WesternBalkans.

Download full brief at the GS4S website https://gs4s.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Policy-Brief-1-Updated-1-12-25.pdf or at Zenodo https://zenodo.org/records/14056109

April 7, 2025 at 6:40 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

"Migration vs. Automation as an Answer to Labour Shortages: Firm-Level Analysis for Austria" @horizongs4s WP7 explores how firms respond to EU’s growing labour shortages @wiiw.ac.at authors M. Tverdostup, M. Ghodsi, S. Leitner link robot adoption with firm-level employment trends shorturl.at/unC6M

Migration vs. automation as an answer to labour shortages: Firm-level analysis for Austria
Download: https://gs4s.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Paper-7.pdf

This working paper is part of the Horizon Europe project GS4S - Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development (gs4s.eu).
Project deliverable: D7.3 in T3.4

Authors: Maryna Tverdostup, Mahdi Ghodsi, Sandra M. Leitner, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, April 2025.

Suggested citation (APA): Tverdostup, M., Ghodsi, M., & Leitner, S. (2025). Migration vs. Automation as an answer to labour shortages: Firm-level analysis for Austria. Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development (GS4S). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15115025

Labour shortages in Europe have led firms to adopt two key strategies: automation and the employment of migrants. This study empirically examines the relationship between robot adoption and immigrant labour (differentiated by region of origin and education level) in Austrian firms using a novel dataset linking firm-level survey data on robotics adoption from Austria’s Information and Communication Technologies (IKTU1) surveys (waves 2018, 2020 and 2022) with
registry-based employment records. Employing Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) estimations, the authors analyse firm-level employment decisions while controlling for firm characteristics, industry and region. Our findings show that firms adopting robots tend to employ more workers overall, particularly those with low and medium education levels. Notably, robot-adopting firms employ a higher share of low-educated migrants who are not from the European Economic Area (EEA), suggesting complementarity rather than substitution. However, automation appears to reduce the employment of highly educated migrant workers relative to natives.

#Migration #automation #employment #firm-analysis #worker-level analysis #robotics #EEA #wiiw

April 4, 2025 at 8:47 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

@EuropeanMigrationNetwork and @OECD publication, "New and Innovative Ways to Attract Foreign Talents in the EU", exploring practical initiatives to attract #foreigntalent. The report focuses on specific programs and projects rather than legal frameworks.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

The European Migration Network and OECD Development recently released their joint publication, "New and Innovative Ways to Attract Foreign Talents in the EU", exploring practical initiatives by national authorities to attract #foreigntalent. The report focuses on specific programs and projects rather than legal frameworks, including national initiatives that receive support from EU funding such as those organized under the #EUTalentPartnerships framework. It also analyses whether and how EMN Member Countries monitor the effectiveness of these initiatives and identify related challenges and good practices.

This analysis was prepared on the basis of contributions from 21 EMN Member Countries and the OECD. The inform focuses on two groups of foreign talent:
- third-country nationals with higher #professionalqualifications or skills;
- those of all skill levels working in high value-added economic sectors.
The inclusion of the latter group takes into account evolving innovation processes in the EU that are reshaping the landscape of labor migration by blurring the strict line between skill groups. This is particularly challenging in high-skills areas, where European businesses risk overlooking qualified candidates who lack a degree or accredited certification. High value-added economic sectors are understood in terms of the substantial economic value they add to the economies of EMN-Member Countries. This document does not include international students, whose primary aim is to pursue higher education.

Details and document download: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/new-joint-emn-oecd-inform-explores-innovative-strategies-attract-foreign-talent-eu-2025-02-27_en

March 19, 2025 at 11:39 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

SAVE THE DATE.... Migration Observatory 9th Annual Conference: “Immigrant Exploitation and Policy-Induced Uncertainty” organized by #CollegioCA with GS4S partners #LdA_CentroStudi and fieritorino.bsky.social registration: www.carloalberto.org/event/migrat...

Migration Observatory 9th Annual Conference
Immigrant Exploitation and Policy-Induced Uncertainty
Organized by Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano and Fondazione Collegio Carlo Alberto, in collaboration with FIERI and CEPR
24 March 2025
https://www.carloalberto.org/event/migration-observatory-9th-annual-conference-immigrant-exploitation-and-policy-induced-uncertainty/

March 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

@GS4S working paper 6: "What Role Can Mobility Schemes Play in Addressing Skills Shortages in Europe?" assesses recent evolution of #mobilityschemes and partnerships, including case studies to address skills shortages. Download: shorturl.at/ttxEW and at #Zenodo
#skillshortages #talentpartnerships

@HorizonGS4S Working Paper No. 6: "What Role Can Mobility Schemes Play in Addressing Skills Shortages in Europe?" downloadable at https://gs4s.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Working-Paper-6.pdf
and
Zenodo https://zenodo.org/records/14959232

The sixth working paper in the GS4S series assesses the recent evolution of mobility schemes and partnerships in the European context, exploring the implications for using these initiatives to address skills shortages. Taking recent academic literature that has focused more on skills development and training as a starting point, this paper generates a typology that reviews mobility schemes based on the skills needs they are trying to address and the type of mobility they seek to support, ranging from short-term visits to long-term training or work placements. Building off this typology, the paper also includes short case studies of recent / ongoing mobility schemes, examining how they approach mobility and skills development and their outcomes to date.

Authors: Kate Hooper, Jasmijn Slootjes

Reviewers: Tesseltje de Lange, Colleen Boland

Suggested citation (APA): Hooper, K., Slootjes, J. (2025). What role can mobility schemes play in addressing skills shortages in Europe? Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development (GS4S). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14959232

#skillshortages #mobility #LabourMigration #SkillsDevelopment #training #PilotProjects #MobilitySchemes #MigrationPartnerships #TalentPartnerships #GlobalSkillPartnerships #SkillsMobility

March 10, 2025 at 4:40 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

"Engaging the Private Sector in #GlobalSkillsPartnerships: Exploring the Potential of International Business-to-Business Approaches", our fifth working paper asks how private sector actors are training and attracting workers towards understanding B2B partnerships
Download shorturl.at/NlgXP
#Training

Global Skills Partnerships (GSPs), or bilateral labour mobility/migration agreements between country of origin and destination, where the country of origin trains workers in skills needed in both countries, were initially envisioned as public-private endeavours. Various GSPs
have since been implemented, albeit mostly in pilot form. These pilot programmes have encountered challenges in engaging employers and the private sector, as well as in sustaining and scaling up the number of participants. The fifth #HorizonGS4S Working Paper asks how private sector actors in comparable settings are operating in terms of training and attracting workers, and if they are leading or managing structures similar to GSPs with other businesses already. The goal of this exercise is to understand how business-to-business (B2B) partnerships may be designed to function well as a GSP, such that it culminates in beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders: not only the businesses involved but also workers themselves, as well as the countries of origin and destination. As part of this, the paper establishes some important factors and policy levers to keep in mind when designing or regulating a B2B partnership, for audiences ranging from EU policy makers to NGOs, training centres, and businesses considering B2B approaches to GSPs.

Suggested citation (APA): Poeschel, F., Boland, C., de Lange, T., Ruhs, M., & Saka-Helmhout, A. (2025). Engaging the private sector in Global Skills Partnerships: exploring the potential of international Business-to-Business approaches. Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and
Development (GS4S).

Keywords: #GlobalSkillsPartnerships; #Training; #SkilledMigration; #EUTalentPartnerships; #Multinationals; #TrainingCenters; #TalentDevelopment

Download at https://gs4s.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Working-Paper-5-Updated-Feb-6-2025.pdf

Archived at Zenodo Open Research: https://zenodo.org/records/14764638

March 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

‘Bridging Research and Action: Advancing Solutions for Bangladesh through Local and Global Collaboration’ research presented by @iied.bsky.social with @horizongs4s.bsky.social partner #OKUP Bangladesh / @antislavery.org 18 Feb shorturl.at/MRHa

#ClimateJustice #ClimateChange #migration #trafficking

Research launch "Exposed and exploited: Addressing the climate migration modern slavery nexus in Bangladesh"
18th February 2025

Climate change is driving irreversible loss and damage in Bangladesh, with disasters devastating lives, livelihoods, and entire communities. Floods, cyclones, and salinity intrusion are wiping out crops, destroying homes, and leaving people with no means to rebuild. For many, migration has become an unavoidable response - a last resort for those who can no longer sustain themselves in their hometowns. However, rather than providing stability, migration often pushes people into deeper vulnerability, exposing them to exploitative labour conditions, modern slavery, and human trafficking. Research presented by iied, ant-slavery.org, OKUP and ALL ACT investigated the nexus between climate change, migration, and vulnerability to modern slavery, focusing on two regions of Bangladesh that are experiencing climate-induced
displacement - one in southern coastal area and another northern region of Bangladesh - each experiencing different types of climate risks. The study examined how climate change is disrupting livelihoods, the factors that drive households to migrate, and why some people migrate while others remain trapped in deteriorating conditions. Also analysed how migration decisions, both internal and international, are shaped by climate risks, economic loss, inadequate social protection, and governance gaps, leaving migrants vulnerable to exploitation. The findings provide new evidence on the extent to which migrants are exposed to modern slavery, within country and at international destinations. At its core, this issue is one of climate justice. The communities most affected by climate change are often those least responsible for it, yet they bear the greatest burden, both in terms of direct economic losses and the social and human costs of displacement.

February 18, 2025 at 10:45 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

#skilling #reskilling #upskilling #migration in #Egypt #Bangladesh #Nigeria: "The Potential Skilling, Upskilling, and Reskilling Opportunities for the Migration and Mobility of Workers / Specific Focus on Gender Aspects of Workers in the Countries of Origin" - GS4S working paper #4 shorturl.at/KhKAV

The Horizon Project, Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development (https://gs4s.eu) is pleased to announce the publication of its working paper, “The Potential Skilling, Upskilling, and Reskilling Opportunities for the Migration and Mobility of Workers, with a Specific Focus on Gender Aspects of Workers in the Countries of Origin”. This working paper, the fourth in the GS4S series, examines the intersection of skilling, reskilling, upskilling and migration in three countries of origin: Egypt, Bangladesh and Nigeria. It offers a comparative analysis of their socio-economic contexts, policy landscapes and skilling initiatives.
The analysis highlights commonalities across the countries, such as persistent skills mismatches, gender disparities and inequities in access to skilling programs especially in rural areas. Additionally, barriers including fragmented policies and limited data on labor market outcomes constrain the effectiveness of these existing initiatives. Each country presents unique insights:
• Egypt’s strategic reliance on remittances;
• Bangladesh made significant progress in vocational training aligned with GCC country labor demand, albeit skills mismatches remain;
• Nigeria’s dynamic digital sector is promising to address global labor market needs, but infrastructure and policy fragmentation remain barriers.

Actionable recommendations for policymakers, educational institutions, and development agencies; advocates for aligning skilling programs with labor market needs, promoting inclusivity through gender-sensitive and regionally equitable policies, expanding legal migration pathways and adopting data-driven approaches to enhance program evaluation. Addressing the challenges, the countries of origin can better harness the potential of skilling and migration to support sustainable development, reduce inequalities and strengthen their global competitiveness.

Downloads: https://shorturl.at/0hpPl, https://shorturl.at/KhKAV

February 17, 2025 at 7:09 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

#Construction skills: leveraging new skills for the building sector to deliver on the European Green Deal Europe’s ambitious climate targets are driving the need to renovate and transform Europe’s building stock. 10 EU-funded projects working within the BUILD UP Skills initiative shorturl.at/w6LvD

February 15, 2025 at 8:58 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

@MIrreM 6 March webinar “What is the Evidence Base? Assessing Irregular Migration Data and Their Impact on Policymaking and Public Debates in the EU” explores irregular migration data's role in shaping policymaking and public discourse at national and EU levels. donau-uni.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Join us for the upcoming MIrreM webinar, “What is the Evidence Base? Assessing Irregular Migration Data and Their Impact on Policymaking and Public Debates in the EU,” on 6 March 2025 at 13:00 CET. This session will explore the role of irregular migration data in shaping policymaking and public discourse at both the national and EU levels. Three expert speakers—Maegan Hendow (ICMPD), Jasmijn Slootjes (MPI-Europe and GS4S Partner), and Norbert Cyrus (University of Osnabrück)—will discuss the quality, accessibility, and use of irregular migration data, as well as key challenges and best practices. For more details and to register, visit https://donau-uni.zoom.us/meeting/register/zg3HhMJsSb67LabICJoelw#/registration

January 29, 2025 at 5:39 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

@liserinlux.bsky.social Call for Papers: International Conference on Industrial Relations in a Changing World of Work, 16-18 September 2025, Luxembourg

Abstract submission deadline is 31 January 2025
Email: IREC2025@liser.lu
shorturl.at/haq8o
#WorldOfWork #LaborMarkets #IndustrialRelations

@liserinlux.bsky.social invites innovative papers that reflect on the current state and future of industrial relations in Europe. In the tradition of IREC, papers with a comparative or international dimension are especially welcome. In particular, authors are encouraged to address questions related to the following main topical clusters:

- The role of social dialogue in the twin transitions (digitalisation and decarbonisation).
- Enacting a Just Transition in regional and sectoral settings.
- Temperatures rises, extreme weather events and occupational safety and health.
- Well-being at work in changing times: remote and hybrid work, hyper-connectivity, the right to disconnect, and the rise of platform work.
- Adjusting legal frameworks and collective bargaining for digitalisation and emerging types of work (platform work).
- State regulation of collective bargaining and trade union activity.
- The role of employer organisations and trade unions in multi-employer collective bargaining.
- Emerging actors in industrial relations.
- New challenges for worker participation and labour relations at the company and workplace level in Europe.
- The debates around Social Europe and Val Duchesse reloaded.
- Inflation and collective bargaining.
- The return of strikes.
- Equality and diversity in workplace representation and collective bargaining.
- Structural inequalities and industrial relations.
- Migration and cross-border labour markets in Europe

Submission deadline: 31 January 2025
Email: IREC2025@liser.lu

January 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

@utrechtuniversity.bsky.social Migration and Societal Change Conference, June 19-20 in #Utrecht, focused on topics related to migration to and between European countries and its societal implications. Free registration.
Call for papers by 1 Feb - email: migration@uu.nl
#migration #societalchange

@utrechtuniversity.bsky.social welcomes you to submit a proposal for a panel consisting of 5 papers maximum, and/or an abstract for an individual paper. Abstracts of papers should have a maximum of 300 words and for panel proposals we ask you to submit the entire set of abstracts including short bios of presenters. We will accept contributions that address various topics regarding migration and societal change.

Possible topics are (this list is not exhaustive):

Climate change and im/mobility
Labour migration
Big data and migration
Forced migration and displacement
Migration, racism and discrimination
Populism and opposition against migration
Migration, local policies and inclusive cities
Migration, belonging and homemaking
Migration and postcolonialism
Art and migration
(Historical) representation of migration
Migration and citizenship
Migration, transnationalism and networks
Migration, identities and intergroup relations

Please submit your abstract no later than 1st of February 2025 by e-mail to migration@uu.nl.

January 18, 2025 at 9:31 AM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

gs4s.eu - 2025... new year, renewed commitment to #skills, #migration, #development in #IT/Digital, #Care, #Construction sectors.... follow our progress in producing multi-level evidence-based policies on labour migration governance and alternative ways to address these shortages in the EU

January 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

Download the Winter, 2024 edition of the GS4S quarterly newsletter, recapping advances our dedicated team has made with contributions to informed policymaking and raising awareness around skills, migration, and development in Digital/IT, Care, Construction sectors
www.linkedin.com/newsletters/...

Horizon project Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development supports the CL2-2023-TRANSFORMATIONS initiative in the Digital/IT, Construction, and Care Sectors

December 31, 2024 at 4:01 PM

Global Strategy for Skills, Migration, and Development - GS4S

@horizongs4s.bsky.social

🌟MEET THE GS4S PARTNERS🌟
showcases the incredible people driving research in #skills #migration #development across #IT/Digital #Construction #Care. First up, our COO Radboud University - meet the brilliant minds behind their contributions🎥 downloading their Partner Profile at youtube.com/@gs4s-eu

December 6, 2024 at 10:19 PM

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