Talent attraction: Experiences from the EMN and selected OECD Countries

The EMN inform “New and innovative ways to attract foreign talents in the EU” provides an overview of new and innovative talent attraction initiatives. Twenty-one EMN Member Countries, as well as selected OECD Countries have detailed the specific measures they are using to attract highly skilled labour and cutting-edge expertise to the EU labour market. In Sweden, an inter-agency government assigment is currently in progress, aimed at making the country an attractive destination for highly educated specialists.

In recent years, the European Commission has, on several occasions, highlighted the growing challenge of skills shortages. The European Skills Agenda has detailed the demand for digital skills in sectors including science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the “STEM” fields. As part of the measures, EU funding is allocated through various programmes – including “talent partnerships” aimed at attracting workers from countries outside the EU. It will also be easier for highly skilled individuals to move within the EU with the changes in the new Blue Card Directive.

Global competition requires effective strategies to attract and retain highly skilled workers to promote growth and innovation. Talent attraction is influenced by complex factors such as visa processes (work and residence permits), economic opportunities, quality of life and cost of living. There are still significant differences in both policy and practice in terms of how EMN Member and Observer Countries and OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Countries address the issue of talent attraction.

Background

The EMN inform “New and innovative ways to attract foreign talents in the EU” covers the period January 2021 to March 2024. Twenty-one of the EMN’s Member Countries and a number of selected OECD Countries have contributed to this comparative report.

The report focuses on two groups:

• third-country nationals with higher professional qualifications and skills,
• third-country nationals with varying levels of skills working in high value-added economic sectors.

The sectors considered particularly important vary between EMN Countries and may change over time. In most cases, these are sectors within healthcare, life sciences (including social work and the pharmaceutical industry), information and communication technology (ICT), as well as in industry. In some of the sectors identified, both unskilled and highly skilled labour is in demand.

Different types of initiatives

Each EMN Country has responded based on its own definition of ‘new and innovative initiatives’, taking its needs and national context into account. We list a selection of these initiatives here.

• Initiatives often targeting specific sectors or countries of origin. Highly skilled workers are in demand in information technology (IT), engineering and healthcare, with the Philippines, India and Brazil frequently cited as countries of origin. Several countries describe various projects aimed at recruiting talent from a specific country.
• Websites targeting third-country nationals and employers. These may contain job advertisements, guidance on recruitment and information about work and residence permits, seeking to help job seekers and employers find one another. Other initiatives relate to diplomatic efforts and tax relief. Projects titled “Work in…” exist in several EMN Countries, including Sweden, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Luxembourg, Latvia and the Netherlands.
• Validation of skills. Six EMN Member Countries are implementing or planning to implement programmes to validate and develop the skills of third-country nationals. Germany, Ireland, Italy and Slovakia support the recognition of foreign professional/academic qualifications in various ways.
• Pre-departure and post-arrival assistance. Thirteen EMN Member Countries provide third-country nationals with information prior to their move and organise information days. Twelve of these countries are actively working to retain talented people and facilitate their integration. In Germany, Ireland, Lithuania and Latvia, this is funded through permanent resources and is not a temporary measure.
• Guidance for employers wishing to attract foreign talent. Countries offering such guidance include Austria, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Luxembourg. Initiatives are implemented to varying degrees by a range of actors, including public authorities, private stakeholders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In the Slovak Republic , a non-governmental organisation runs the DigiTalents project, which recruits newly qualified IT specialists from Ukraine and Moldova.

Despite positive results and proactive work involving concrete measures in several of the countries, the report indicates that a number of challenges remain. These include complex administrative processes, validation of foreign qualifications, coordination and cooperation between relevant stakeholders, and integration. Around half of the countries have evaluated their measures, while others plan to do so. The methods and indicators used in the evaluation vary in design and results between the EMN Countries.

Examples of concrete innovative initiatives

EMN Member Countries provide examples of several new innovative ways to attract foreign talent.

• Start-up visas. Estonia, France, the Netherlands and Latvia offer visa opportunities for global talent in start-up businesses.
• Combined support. Belgium, Germany and Italy are working with combined approaches – skills development and tailored migration support – to attract and integrate talent from North Africa. Ireland is focusing on displaced persons from Jordan and Lebanon, who are being attracted by jobs in sectors such as healthcare, construction and IT.
• Vocational training. Italy and Egypt are collaborating to offer vocational training for workers in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Experiences from OECD Countries

At least 24 OECD Countries offer tax relief for foreign migrants and (often) returning citizens. Canada plans to appoint a “Chief International Talent Officer” to strategically recruit and retain international talent. Denmark and Australia have made changes to their tax and visa systems to attract researchers and high-earners in key sectors.

Highly skilled labour: A priority issue in Sweden

Skills shortages in certain sectors, particularly in the green economy, have characterised Sweden for a long time. The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth is coordinating an ongoing inter-agency government initiative aimed at attracting, establishing and retaining highly skilled international talent.

According to a 2023 international survey (OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness (ITA)), Sweden is ranked as one of the most attractive OECD Countries for highly educated individuals, entrepreneurs, international students and start-up founders.