Facilitating the access to the ICT labour market of third country nationals by developing further their existing skillset Erasmus Project

Project Title

Facilitating the access to the ICT labour market of third country nationals by developing further their existing skillset

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Integration of refugees

Project Summary

The composition of the population of the EU has changed drastically during the last years, with many third country nationals (TCNs) arriving and settling in the EU. Based on Eurostat (migration and migrant population statistics), on 1 January 2018, the number of TCNs living in the EU-28 was 22.3 million, while the number of people living in the EU-28 who had been born outside of the EU was 38.2 million.
This change has also implications in the labour market. According to OECD figures (Migration Policy Debates), migrants (EU citizens & TCNs) account for 70% of the increase in the workforce on European labour markets over the past ten years. Even though TCNs constitute a significant and dynamic part of the labour market, the potential of their skills is hardly utilised, while their access to the labour market remains limited and problematic. In more details, there is a considerable gap between the employment levels of third-country nationals and EU nationals, while when employed, third-country nationals are much more likely to be in occupations whose skills requirements are lower than their educational attainment and/or professional qualifications, compared with their native counterparts. Unemployment figures for TCNs are higher than for total citizens in EU Member States, while overqualification seems an additional burden (Recognition of Qualifications and Competences of Migrants – IOM). On average, 9.9% of the total labour population in the EU28 were unemployed in 2014, while the rate for TCNs was twice as high (19.9%).
Taking advantage of one of the most promising EU industries, such as ICT, the proposed project aims at facilitating the access of TCNs with some existing IT skills & competences to the EU labour market, by capitalising on their existing skillset and building their capacities further, based on actual market needs. The project will be implemented in Greece, Spain, Chezh Republic, Belgium and Lithuania, which share both significant populations of TCNs and considerable national ICT industries.
The expected change that the project is will bring is contribute to tackling the above mentioned problems of unemployment and overqualification of TCNs by introducing them to jobs that meet their qualifications, which will also give an additional boost to the ICT market. The main expected results include a better contact between ICT companies and TCNs with some IT skills; a highest employment rate of TCNs into the ICT market; a utilization of a trained and skilled pool of potential employees; and an introduction of an efficient methodology for assessing IT-related prior background.
The project’s objective is to promote the inclusion of third country nationals living in the partner countries into the labour market by capitalizing on their existing skillset and prior learning background, by building their capacities further (following actual market needs) and by bringing them closer to ICT companies (through networking with ICT companies).
The main project target group is TCNs with some at least basic IT skills, while a secondary one includes trainers, educators and professionals working with third country nationals. 340 TCNs and 80 adult educators will be involved in the implementation of ICT4TCN, which includes the following activities:
• Assessment of prior IT-related learning background and skillset of third country nationals
• Technology-based capacity building programme
• Implementation of the IT bootcamps and networking activities
Moreover, 4 open days will be implemented (1 per participating country), along with an international conference for introducing the project to a wide audience.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 211730 Eur

Project Coordinator

YOUTH INCLUDED ZS & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• DIESIS COOP
• AKMI ANONIMI EKPAIDEFTIKI ETAIRIA
• Asociación Valencia Inno Hub
• SYMPLEXIS
• SOCIALINIU INOVACIJU FONDAS