14-15 December 2016: 8th Equal@work seminar: Integrating refugees in the workforce

Equal@Work Platform 8th annual seminar

Integrating refugees in the workforce: challenges and ways forward

Radisson Red – Rue d’Idalie 35, 1050 Brussels

14-15 December 2016

The arrival of more than one million refugees in Europe over 2015 and 2016 has been one of the greatest challenges of European economies since the beginning of the century. Although EU Member States have dealt with similar or larger amounts of incoming people in the past, in the current context European governments face the enduring impact of the 2008 financial, social and industrial crisis that led to a shrinking economy, in large part due to lack of investment both from the private and public sectors.

So far, measures aimed at the integration of refugees in their host societies (such as language courses and civic instruction) have received most attention from decision makers. As most of the recently arrived refugees are only starting to be available on the labour market, national conversations might take new turns.

This year, the Equal@work Platform will provide a space to creatively look at these challenges. We will do so by addressing the following questions:

  • What support mechanisms can we set up, as EU institutions, to facilitate the hiring of refugees at national level? Are all EU policies and measures targeted to the integration of refugees understandable by and adaptable to the employers’ perspective? How do they translate in recruitment processes?
  • What measures can we adopt as Member States within the current legal frameworks to speed up recruitment of refugees by public and private employers?
  • What good practices can we put in place, as public/private employers to prioritise the recruitment of refugees in our organisations? Is sponsorship of refugees in the labour market a good deal for private companies?
  • What type of support can trade unions and civil society organisations provide to employers to facilitate refugees’ priority hiring and to Member States to make this possible?

And much more…

Concept note and agenda

Register by 25 November 2016

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