Our main objective was to showcase the innovative ÖJAB Competence Center model from Austria as a best practice example for assessing and validating the skills of immigrants. We wanted to make this alternative approach known to a wider European audience of adult educators, policymakers and HR managers. By sharing the success story of the ÖJAB model, we aimed to stimulate a discourse on creative solutions to address the shortage of skilled workers in Europe. The project sought to provide impulses for rethinking current, often cumbersome procedures for recognizing foreign qualifications. Our goal was to inspire similar initiatives in other European countries to leverage the untapped potential of skilled immigrants and enable their faster integration into the labor market. Ultimately, we hoped the project would contribute to reducing skills mismatches and strengthening the European workforce.
There is a shortage of skilled workers in Germany and Europe, but vacancies remain unfilled even though qualified professionals from third countries are available. The problem is the lack of recognition of their skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning. Our project partner ÖJAB in Austria has developed an innovative model to address this issue - the ÖJAB Competence Center. It provides an alternative approach to assess and validate the skills of immigrants, enabling them to enter the labor market faster. With this project, we wanted to make the ÖJAB model known to a wider European audience of adult educators, policymakers and HR managers. Our goal was to stimulate a discourse on creative solutions to the skills shortage by showcasing a successful best practice example. The project aimed to provide impulses for rethinking current recognition procedures and inspire similar initiatives in other European countries to tap into the potential of skilled immigrants.