11 Dez Discussion Platform 2 - Norbert Bichl

Norbert Bichl, 11.12.2008

Recognition of qualifications which have been acquired

abroadEQUAL-Projects and experiences from

Vienna/Austria

POWERING A NEW FUTURE11. December 2008, Lisbon

• Vienna has Austria‘s largest share of migrants

• Significant change in the educational structure of immigrated persons during the past decade (low-skilled vs high-skilled)

• Job-related potential of migrants is scarcely exploited

• Employment in branches which are rather low-salaried, focused in small and medium enterprises and in seasonal jobs

• Acquired education is only partially recognized

• Frequently jobs below the educational level in spite of a good education


Migrants frequently lack

knowledge about– the “rules of the game“ on the Austrian labour market;– occupational fields and qualification profiles which

deviate from those of their country of origin;– (continuing) educational opportunities, their eligibility

for funding as well as requirements for access.

Lacking networks on the private or informal labour market.


Lacking recognition of qualifications

• Formal recognition involves numerous hurdles

• Information deficit and demand in the case of multipliers

• The labour market does not consider the obtained educational achievements, but only the previous employment

• Discrimination


Cooperation – European Community Initiative EQUAL

Several very important Viennese players in the sectors migration, vocational education and labour market dealt with the topic “Recognition of the qualifications of migrants” within the context of the European Community Initiative EQUAL .


A variety of projects were created

• Mentoring for qualified migrants (“Opening the glass door“)

• Development and testing of new foreign language materials in the electric and metal field

• Development of information blocks and workshops for multipliers

• Training course for migrants in order to become trainers in the labour market and educational context

• Testing of e-learning elements for migrants• Documentary film: “Migration as an opportunity“


Further development after EQUAL

Most of these projects exist still after EQUAL in Vienna, carried out and funded by different institutions, e.g. from the Public Employment Service Vienna

Among others, special recognition and further educational counselling centres were founded for

refugees and people with subsidiary protection status– project PERSPEKTIVE (co-funded from the ERF)

new immigrants (co-funded from the ESF)


Recognition and Further Educational Counselling Centre for New Immigrants

• sponsor-independent and• individual counselling concerning formal educational

achievements which have been obtained abroad • multilingual

The objective is to reach the people as soon as possible after their entry to Austria and to take first steps for a qualified job.


Cooperation

Important is the colloboration with the important Viennese players in the labour market policy

- City of Vienna (municipal departments for Integration and Diversity, for Immigration, Citizenship and Registry Offices)

- Public Employment Service Vienna- Vienna Employment Promotion Fund- Social partners.

Periodic steering and working groups were installed.


Cooperation

Through these colloborations the following have arisen, e.g.

• the career counselling groups for newly arrived migrants at the Vienna Employment Promotion Fund

• the Vienna Education Booklet and a Start Coaching for all newly immigrated people since 1st October of this year in Vienna

• much more intensive attention to the target group „migrants“ by the Public Employment Service Vienna


But there are still many steps to do!

Thank your for attention!

Norbert Bichl, [email protected]

www.migrant.atwww.interculturexpress.at

InterCulturExpress was funded by the European Social Fund and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labour within the framework of the EQUAL common initiative programme.

Recognition and further educational counselling centre for new immigrants is sponsored by the funds of the municipal department 17 (city of Vienna), the European Social Fund and the Vienna Employment Promotion Fund.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.migrant.at/

http://www.interculturexpress.at/

Technology

11 Dez Discussion Platform 2 - Norbert Bichl