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Engaging the private sector in global skills partnerships : exploring the potential of international business-to-business approaches
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GS4S; Working Paper; Radboud Universiteit; Migration Policy Centre; 2025; D7.3/5
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POESCHEL, Friedrich Gerd, BOLAND, Colleen, DE LANGE, Tesseltje, RUHS, Martin, SAKA-HELMHOUT, Ayse, Engaging the private sector in global skills partnerships : exploring the potential of international business-to-business approaches, GS4S, Working Paper, Radboud Universiteit, Migration Policy Centre, 2025, D7.3/5 - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/78030
Abstract
Global skills partnerships (GSPs), or bilateral labour mobility/migration agreements between country of origin and destination, where the country of origin trains workers in skills needed in both countries, were initially envisioned as public-private endeavours. Various GSPs have since been implemented, albeit mostly in pilot form. These pilot programmes have encountered challenges in engaging employers and the private sector, as well as in sustaining and scaling up the number of participants. To remedy this, this paper asks how private sector actors in comparable settings are operating in terms of training and attracting workers, and if they are leading or managing structures similar to GSPs with other businesses already. The goal of this exercise is to understand how business-to-business (B2B) partnerships may be designed to function well as a GSP, such that it culminates in beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders: not only the businesses involved but also workers themselves, as well as the countries of origin and destination. The paper establishes some important factors and policy levers to keep in mind when designing or regulating a B2B partnership, for audiences ranging from EU policy makers to NGOs, training centres, and businesses considering B2B approaches to GSPs. In Section 2, the paper first highlights the potential involvement of businesses in skills-based migration schemes, pointing to the literature’s limited evidence to date on business involvement. To evaluate concrete B2B setups for GSPs, Section 3 outlines a list of criteria. Section 4 conducts a SWOT analysis of various B2B setups. Finally, Section 5 presents implications and concluding observations, including for policy-making and current debates. As an initial thought piece on the advantages and drawbacks of GSPs implemented as B2B setups, this work serves as a springboard for future studies.
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Published online: January 2025
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Funded by the European Union.