Labour Market Observatory

Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration

Conference on

Integrating migrants into the labour market:

a win-win situation for all

25 June 2015, 9.30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

EESC – Brussels

agenda

9 – 9.30 a.m.: Registration of participants
9.30 – 9.45 a.m.: Opening
  • Christa Schweng, President of the Labour Market Observatory (LMO) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
  • Irini Pari, President of the Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration (IMI) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

9.45 – 11.15 a.m.: Panel 1 – Setting the scene :
Current situation in the EU regarding labour market participation of migrants
- What are the channels for legal migration: family reunification, employment, studies?
- What is the current situation regarding labour market participation of migrants?
- what about the importance of migrants in the economy and society?
Chair: Maureen O'Neill, President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship(SOC)of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Speakers:
  • Thomas Liebig, Senior Administrator at the International Migration Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – Integration of immigrants into the labour market in EU and OECD countries: an overview
  • Heinz Becker (Austria, Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)), Member of the European Parliament
  • Jasper van Loo, Senior Expert at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training(CEDEFOP)–Addressing Europe’s ageing and employment challenges through migration: a glimpse into the future and examples of good practice

10.30– 11.15 a.m.:General discussion
11.15 – 11.30 a.m.:Coffee break
11.30 a.m.– 12.30 p.m.: Panel 2 – EU legislation related to legal migration
- how to overcome the issue of the divergences between statuses and rights provided for by the current main directives(Single permit, Blue card, seasonal workers, intra-corporate transferees, students, researchers and au pairs, family reunification, etc.)?
Chair: Luis Miguel ParizaCastaños,Memberof the Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration (IMI) and rapporteur for numerous EESC opinions on migration, asylum and integration
Speakers:
  • Jean Lambert (United Kingdom, Greens/European Free Alliance),Member of the European Parliament
  • Laura Corrado, Head of the Legal Migration and Integration Unit, Directorate General for Migration and Home affairs, European Commission–Towards a new policy on legal migration

12– 12.30 p.m.:General discussion
12.30 – 1p.m.:Music performance by Son y duende
(David Marolito, guitar player, songwriter and composer and Yosmany Cruz, singer) (Atrium 6)
1 – 2 p.m.: Networkinglunch (Atrium 6)
2 – 3.30 p.m.: Panel 3–Specific challenges for integration - importance of identifying key drivers for integration in order to maximise the impact of policy interventions
- How can the EU step up its action facilitating the process of recognition of non-EU qualifications and skills? How should the countries of origin be involved? Are there well-functioning and/or innovative national systems for the recognition of qualifications?
- What about the gender aspect in the integration policies?
- What is the Importanceofadequatelanguagelearning and supportiveeducationsystems?
Chair: Irini Pari, President of the Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration (IMI)
Speakers:
  • KashetuKyenge(Italy, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), Member of the European Parliament

  • Maria VincenzaDesiderio, Policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute – The recognition of qualifications and skills acquired outside the EU; EU Member States policies and cooperation with countries of origin
  • Eva Valentova, Lawyer and Project-coordinator atthe Association for Integration and Migration (SIMI), Czech Republic, member of the European Network of Migrant Women(ENoMW) – Gender aspects regarding integration of migrants into the labour market

2.45 – 3.30 p.m.: General discussion
3.30 – 4.50p.m.: Panel 4 – Key features of successful integration initiatives
- Which interventions work best and why: successful integration interventions and strategies in different countries within the EU
- What role could employers, trade unions and civil society organisations play in this field?
- How can the EU help facilitate access to labour market information and improve matching between potential migrant workers and employers?
Chair: Christa Schweng, President of the Labour Market Observatory (LMO)
Speakers:
  • KláraFóti, Research Manager at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) – Integration initiatives for migrants in some EU Member States – preliminary findings from Eurofound's recent projects
  • AdemKumcu, President of the New European Business Association(UNITEE) –Migrant entrepreneurs' contribution to the EU Economy
  • Ricardo Nobre, Managing Director of Cross Border Talents, Germany–Encouraging private companies to integrate migrants
  • Marco Cilento, Adviser at the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) –Presentation of UnionMigrantNet
  • Bea Diallo, Deputy-Mayor of Ixelles, Member of the Brussels Parliament and of the French Community Parliament – Presentation of the project Emergence XL, related to the inclusion of young immigrants into the labour market through sport, job coaching, training and apprenticeship

4.15 – 4.50 p.m.: General discussion
4.50 – 5 p.m.: Closing of the conference
  • Christa Schweng, President of the Labour Market Observatory (LMO)
  • Irini Pari, President of the Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration (IMI)

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Venue:
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Jacques Delors building, 6th floor, roomJDE 62, Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels

Interpreting:
Participants can speak in: English, French, German, Polish, Bulgarian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Estonian, Italian, Romanian or Swedish, and can listen to: English, French, German, Spanish or Polish
Contact: , +32 (0)2 546.81.31

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