How Public Employment Services Can Help Attract Skilled Talent from Third Countries

The role of PES in addressing labour and skills shortages by recruiting talent from abroad has been limited to date. However current labour market trends foster an increase in PES engagement. The Thematic paper draws on desk research, a survey to PES and a workshop held in Brussels in 2023.

The role of PES and national migration policies

The Thematic Paper highlights varying national labour migration policies, with PES roles closely tied to the implementation of these regulations (e.g. issuing of work permits, and performing labour market tests). Efforts to facilitate recruitment from third country nationals in a context of labour shortages are underway. Some countries are, for instance, simplifying procedures or exempting certain groups from labour market tests.

However, there is often a lack of clear strategies for recruiting skilled workers from third countries. The need for comprehensive national strategies that would define clear responsibilities for PES is emphasised.

The role of PES in the recruitment of third country nationals

PES in the EU engage at different levels in the recruitment of Third Country Nationals, including implementing regulations, providing information and matching services, and being involved in publicly-led recruitment programmes. While PES could play a key role in matching domestic employers with foreign jobseekers residing outside the EU, challenges such as resource constraints, matching the skill needs with the applicants’ qualifications, and risks of unethical recruitment persist.  

Looking ahead, challenges related to effective recognition of qualifications, migration procedures, lacking mandate for comprehensive PES involvement, limited PES financial and human resources and language barriers will need to be addressed.

Addressing these challenges requires enhancing PES’ capacity in international recruitment. The paper puts forward a number of recommendations, including: making use of partnerships with all relevant actors of the PES ecosystem, refining the identification of shortage occupations based on enhanced use of Labour Market Intelligence, providing comprehensive information to support the labour migration process, supporting qualification recognition systems, and developing and offering additional post-recruitment services. Organising bridging courses and identifying relevant third countries for recruitment based on existing ties are also recommended.

To read the full report, click here.