The European Business Council for Africa

October 17, 2024

Online

The mobility and exchange of talents on international level is a complex issue. It is not just about economic growth and global competiveness, but also human beings whose knowledge and personal engagement we need to merit.

As long as EU governments and the EU institutions do not fully take into account the entire scale of human factors involved, no successful talent mobility scheme can ever be executed. The prospective employers and the EU governments offering visa residence permits jobs and professional careers, as well as the recruited talents and professionals, all share a stake in this complex operation and should benefit from it on equal terms.

After all, the highly qualified and talented individuals recruited to certain sectors of EU economies are human beings with their own particular cultural backgrounds, needs and expectations, rather than mechanical entities or goods. The mobility, selection, recruitment and placement of  highly qualified, professionals and talents should never be regarded as simple relocation acts.

The event explored the challenges and opportunities offered by current EU legislative frameworks and policies bolstering EU economies by way of recruitingand exchanging Non-EU and EU highly skilled workforce,professionalsand talents. 

 

Discussion addressed key issues such as labor market needs, the for EU enterprises and academic institutions attracting and placing highly qualified individuals and talents. By examining both the barriers and advantages of skilled mobility, the event aimed to provide strategies for enhancing EU and globalcompetitiveness(and fostering inclusive growth).

 

Participants of this event included policymakers, government officials, private sector, NGOs, researchers, and journalists.

 

The following key issues at the centre of this event:

  • The challenges of free movement of highly qualified professionals amid restrictive migration policies in EU Member States;
  • Current EU legislative frameworks, schemes and programmes such as the blue card, sponsored visas by European enterprises, CETA, skills and talent mobility package, Horizon, Erasmus and other schemes to bust mobility for non-EU and EUh ighly qualified workforce and talents.
  • The challenges the EU faces when implementing its policies regarding the mobility of international talents and professional workforces.
  • How to balance the shortage of highly skilled labour force in science, technology, information technology, construction sector, etc. in industrial countries, against a reduction of poverty and brain drain in the developing world.
  • Ways to streamline and simplify digital job applications, visas, and work permits for EU companies and academia

During the debate the result of a recent study made in the USA on mobility of Chinese students were presented. It shed some light on the global challenges schemes boosting mobility of talents may face today.

Organised by the Centre for European and International Policy Action (CEIPA), this inter-disciplinary event discussed policy reforms tabled by the European Green Deal initiative. Subsequently, this event aimed at identifying and discussing the main issues and challenged in making the European Green Deal initiative a reality and success.
 
 
 
 
Find the report here