THE SKILLS DIMENSION OF MIGRATION: ETF SURVEY RESULTS FROM ARMENIA AND GEORGIA International Mobility Partnership Conference Skills and Employment for Migrants Yerevan, 16 October 2012 Arne Baumann, ETF 1
Transcript
1. THE SKILLS DIMENSION OF MIGRATION:ETF SURVEY RESULTS FROM
ARMENIA ANDGEORGIAInternational Mobility Partnership
ConferenceSkills and Employment for MigrantsYerevan, 16 October
2012Arne Baumann, ETF 1
2. What ETF does on skills and migrationIntelligence and
analyses on labour migration trends and skill profiles ofpotential
migrants and returnees in sending countries e.g. ETFmigration
surveys for evidence collection since 2007Support role for EU and
Partner Countries e.g. Skills validationcomponent of the EC
Mobility Partnership with Moldova (2008-2011)Capacity building for
national stakeholders to improve governance andevidence-based
policy making e.g. Skills matching for legal migrationin Egypt
(2007-2010)Networking and cooperation on skills& migration in
partner countriesand follow-up actions with national stakeholders
to support EU MobilityPartnerships 2
3. ETF Migration & Skills Surveys: MethodologyTarget groups
included: 4000 respondents in each country Potential migrants (2600
respondents) Returning migrants (1400 respondents)Sampling methods
applied: stratified random sample for potential migrants snowball
technique for returning migrantsThe sample is largely
representative with respect to: rural/urban distribution gender
(male and female) education levels (low: ISCED 1-2, medium: ISCED
3-4, high: ISCED 5-6) 3
4. ETF Migration & Skills Surveys: DefinitionsPotential
migrant (those who intend and not intend to migrate): Anyone who is
between 18-50 years old, lived in the country at the moment of the
interview and was available for being interviewed. The survey on
potential migrants is representative of the young adult population
(1850 years), so those in the same age group who are not actively
seeking to migrate are included in the survey as control
group.Returning migrant (both short and long-term migrants): Anyone
who left the survey country aged 18 or over, lived and worked
abroad continuously for at least three months, came back to own
country within the last ten years, now present and available for
interview. 4
5. Survey sample of potential migrantsSample description
ARMENIA GEORGIASample size 2630 persons 2883 personsProportion
women 64% 61%Mean age 33.2 years 34.7 yearsLocation: capital 37.8%
25.5%Other urban 31% 27.4%Rural share 31.3% 47.1%Education level
Upper secondary general (37%), University educated (32%),
upperbefore migration university (31%), post-secondary secondary
general (29%), upper vocational (19.4%), upper secondary vocational
(15%), secondary vocational (6%), lower lower secondary (12%),
post- secondary (6%) secondary vocational (11%) 5
6. Prospective migrants: intentions and likelihood to migrate
Potential migrants: intention and likelihood to migrateLikelihood
captures the probability that the intention to migrate translates
into action; it takes account of thetime horizon given for
migrating (within 6 months or within 2 years), the ability to
finance the move, knowledgeof the destination country and its
language, and possession of the required documents. 6
12. Returnees: survey sample of returning migrantsDescription
ARMENIA GEORGIASample size 1400 persons 1401 personsProportion
women 13.3% 40.7%Mean age 36 years 41 yearsLocation: capital 37.7%
21.0%Other urban 29.6% 21.6%Rural share 32.7% 57.4%Education level
Upper secondary general (42%), Upper secondary general (41%),before
migration university (22%), post-secondary university (29%), upper
vocational (14%), lower secondary secondary vocational (18%),
(12%), upper sec. vocational (9%) post-secondary vocational (10%)
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13. Reasons of return to home country 13
14. Returnees: main sectors of work abroadArmenia (male):
construction (58.6%), commerce (9.5%), manufacturing(8.4%),
transport (7.8%), repairs (3.9%)Armenia (female): commerce (24.2%),
manufacturing (17.6%), petty trade(12.1%), hospitality (8.2%),
domestic service (8.2%), other (15.4%),construction (6%)Georgia
(male): construction (42.3%), manufacturing (9.7%),
agriculture(7.7%), commerce (7.6%), transport (7%), petty trade
(5.6%), personalservice (4.7%)Georgia (female): domestic service
(50.5%), petty trade (10.6%), hospitality(8.2%), personal service
(6.3%), manufacturing (6.5%), commerce (4.1%)
15. Returnees: correspondence of work with education level
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16. Returnees: correspondence of work with education level
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17. The use of pre-departure training 17
18. Returnees: most helpful experience abroad 18
19. Returnees: work status after return 19
20. Returnees: awareness of return schemes 20
21. Tendency to re-migrate among returnees 21
22. Summary of findings36% of 18-50 age group in Armenia and
31% in Georgia intend to migrate, butthe likelihood decreases to
12.6% and 11.4% when controlled for actual abilityto migrateReasons
for migration are all economic lack of jobs, improving standards
ofliving, unsatisfactory wage and career prospects at home while
reasons forreturn are typically family relatedPre-departure
training: high interest from potential migrants (30-40%), but
verylittle training received in reality (6% in Georgia, 2% in
Armenia)Most migrants work as unskilled/skilled workers,
irrespective of their educationlevel; skills mismatch increases
with education and is higher for womenPost-return work: only 42% in
Armenia and 30% in Georgia work after return;high tendency to
re-migrate again: 68% in Armenia and 48% in GeorgiaReintegration
programmes: awareness of return support and training schemesis very
limited among returnees (and participation miniscule) 22
23. Policy ImplicationsAmong others, the findings suggest:
Effective pre-departure training can be expanded considerably and
address issues such as language skills, vocational qualifications,
and information about rights & obligations while working
abroad. Better information about available employment abroad can
help to reduce skills mismatch in destination countries; this can
be achieved through building up of cross-national placement
services (e.g. EURES in the EU). Comprehensive recognition of
skills/qualifications in destination countries will allow to reduce
brain waste by better using the skills of migrants. The potential
of returning migrants for development of home countries should be
used through adequate return support schemes, including through
validation of the skills acquired abroad, effective placement
services, increased use of remittances for business investment and
support of entrepreneurial potential among returnees. Strengthening
of legal migration needs to pay attention to the motivations behind
migration and return, and must aim at providing legal ways for
migrants to easily go back and forth between home and destination
country. In light of its positive impact, the portability of social
rights needs to become a mainstay of agreements between home and
destination countries. 23