Among the millions of asylum seekers who recently arrived in OECD countries, the majority are young people who may be able to take advantage of vocational education and training (VET) opportunities to help them enter skilled employment. This report provides advice to governments and other stakeholders who are seeking to use VET to promote integration, in particular for young humanitarian migrants. While the study draws particularly on policy and practice observed in Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland, it also highlights other international practices.

1. UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL
OF MIGRANTS THROUGH
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND
TRAINING (VET)
Shinyoung Jeon, Policy Analyst
VET and Adult Learning Team, OECD Centre for Skills
September 2019
CROSS-COUNTRY ANALYSIS

2. Key messages: Build strong, flexible and
inclusive VET system that works for all
Inform Prepare Enable access Support
Identify what VET
opportunities are
available
Be prepared to fully
take advantage of
the VET
Overcome barriers
to eligibility and
entry
Learn skills,
successfully complete
VET and connect to
skilled employment
Identify who is
seeking VET and
what can be offered
Prepare VET
systems to support
migrants
Adjust VET system
to account for
challenges facing
migrants
Provide VET leading
to long-term, quality
and sustainable
employment
Young migrants and refugees
Host countries

3. About the project: Unlocking the potential of
migrants through VET
• Objective: to provide advice for VET systems seeking to
integrate young migrants and refugees into the host-
country labour market
• With a particular focus on :
– Young humanitarian migrants (15-34) and their integration into
upper-secondary VET
– Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland
• Two components: country review of Germany and cross-
country analysis

4. Context: There are many young migrants in OECD
countries
• Across the OECD in 2017, 27% of people aged 15-34, or 59
million people had a migrant background (an increase of
4 percentage points over the previous decade)
• Between 2014 and 2017, more than 5.3 million asylum
seekers arrived in OECD countries and over 50% of those
arriving in Europe were aged 18-34. Of these, many –
though not all – have obtained some form of international
protection and are therefore classified as humanitarian
migrants.

5. Recently, many young people came to seek asylum in
EU countries
Cumulative sum of asylum seekers among young people (18-34) in selected EU countries and decisions (2014-18)

6. • Humanitarian migrants:
– Have weak attachments to their host country
– Lack information on job opportunities
– May have lived through traumatic experiences
– Have poor labour market outcomes
• The difficulties facing refugees in “catching-up” or
advancing the employment outcomes to the level of other
categories of migrants or the native-born is a major
concern in some OECD countries.
Low employment rates among humanitarian migrants
(refugees) are a major concern in some OECD countries

7. VET is a recognised solution in many OECD countries
• VET programmes are effective ways to migrant integration:
– Improving labour market outcomes by making school-to-work
transitions easier, connecting with the labour market and increasing
the quality of potential labour force.
– Upper-secondary VET graduates have better labour market
outcomes compared to people without upper-secondary
qualifications or graduates of academic upper-secondary education,
at least in the short term. This also holds true for both native and
foreign-born populations.
– The benefits of VET are greater among disadvantaged students.
– VET can also have an impact on quality of employment.
– Work-based learning is particularly effective.

8. Upper-secondary VET graduates show strong
employment outcomes

9. • Lessons can be learned from the range of approaches that have emerged
for improving VET systems:
– Switzerland’s major investment in migrant integration is being channelled
through VET, including recently-launched pre-apprenticeship programmes for
newly arrived youth.
– Germany is making strong efforts towards refugee integration through VET, with
a focus on those who face particularly high barriers.
– Sweden is implementing a number of VET-related instruments to maximise the
potential of migrants including Vocational Packages in the upper-secondary
transitional programmes and adult education programmes – mainly but not
exclusively targeting newly arrived migrants.
– Italy has committed to strengthening work-based VET, which is used to better
integrate young humanitarian migrants in numerous EU-funded projects.
Sharing effective good practices across countries
may help to strengthen the effort

10. Opportunities facing VET systems due to recent inflows
• Investing in VET for migrants and refugees in general is a strategic response:
– To ageing populations: recent humanitarian migrants are young
– To skills shortages: they are potential VET learners
• Considerable funding has been allocated to humanitarian migrant integration
through VET in some countries
– Switzerland: increased federal funding from CHF 6 000 to 18 000 per migrant and per
year under the 2018 Integration Agenda, and launched pre-apprenticeship programmes
for refugees
– Finland: subsidised VET for migrants by EUR 20 million in 2017
– Canada: announced the Pre-Apprenticeship Programme for disadvantaged groups
including migrants, which will provide CAD 46 million over five years (2018-23)

11. Reducing interest in VET and increased interest in
higher education in many OECD countries

12. • The share of migrant entrants into VET has increased in
recent years
• Many EU countries saw an increase in the share of
migrant students in VET in recent years
• The share of young migrants has increased in most OECD
countries
The diversity among VET students has increased

13. The share of migrant entrants into VET has increased
in recent years

14. The share of migrant entrants into VET has increased
in recent years

15. 1. Inform young migrants and refugees about the VET
opportunities
2. Better prepare them for upper-secondary VET
3. Enable easier access to upper-secondary VET
4. Support them to complete upper-secondary VET
5. Build strong, flexible and inclusive VET system that work
for all
Key messages

16. • Challenge
– Understanding of the demographic and skills profiles and needs
of young migrants and refugees is often lacking
– Many young migrants, in particular humanitarian migrants, are
often unfamiliar with VET
– How VET is provided and promoted, and its general reputation,
can significantly influence young people’s perception of VET
and its attractiveness
– Despite good employment prospects, migrant students are less
likely to choose upper-secondary VET
Key message 1:
Inform about the VET opportunities

17. Migrant students tend to benefit less from career
guidance provision (1)

18. Migrant students tend to benefit less from career
guidance provision (2)

19. • Recommendation
– Collect, or build a capacity for collecting, demographic and
skills profiles of young migrants and refugees to assess their
needs and to better match their profiles with VET programmes.
– Monitor learning progress and particular needs of
young migrants and refugees entering and already in the VET
system, and evaluate effectiveness of policy interventions.
– Proactively provide career guidance and mentoring
services, with personalised approaches, including in the
migrants’ native languages.
Key message 1:
Inform about the VET opportunities

20. • Challenge
– Migrant students often have weaker basic and language skills
than their native peers
– Weaker basic skills and country-specific knowledge of migrants
are barriers to entry into, and progress through, upper-
secondary VET
– Weak skills are less attractive to training employers
Key message 2:
Prepare for upper-secondary VET

21. • Recommendation
– Provide targeted, quality preparatory programmes for young
migrants and refugees to build basic skills and train in host-country
language, allowing them to build social networks and familiarity
with the host-country education system and labour market.
– Accelerate the learning process of young migrants and refugees
through proven approaches such as combining language and
vocational training.
– Prepare the teaching workforce and reinforce their ability to
respond to increasing student diversity.
Key message 2:
Prepare for upper-secondary VET

22. Preparatory programmes Duration
Australia Pre-apprenticeship 6-12 months
Denmark
Integration Basic Education
(Integrationsgrunduddannelsen, IGU)
2 years
England
(United Kingdom)
Traineeship 6 weeks-6 months
Finland
Preparatory vocational education (VALMA or
ammatilliseen peruskoulutukseen valmentava koulutus)*
6-12 months
Germany
Transitional programmes (Übergangsbereich), among which:
pre-vocational year (Berufsvorbereitungsjahr) and preparatory
traineeships (Einstiegsqualifizierungen or EQ)
6 months -
2 years
The Netherlands MBO 1 (part of regular VET)
Sweden Introductory programmes 1-3 years
Switzerland Transitional programmes and Pre-apprenticeship programmes 6-12 months
Preparatory programmes that facilitate entry or
transition into upper-secondary VET

23. • Key characteristics of successful pre-vocational or pre-
apprenticeship programmes are related to:
– Labour market relevance
– Engagement of social partners
– Work-based learning
– Strengthening of general skills and provision of career
guidance
Pre-vocational or pre-apprenticeship programmes
prepare learners for upper-secondary VET

24. • Challenge
– Migrants are increasingly applying to enter VET, but are less
successful than peers in getting onto VET programmes, in
particular apprenticeships
– Weaker knowledge and skills against entry requirements to
upper-secondary VET may be a hurdle
– Migrant students typically have poorer social networks and are
often more vulnerable to discrimination
– Costs to employers of taking on young migrants can be higher
Key message 3:
Enable easier access to upper-secondary VET

25. Getting into VET is more challenging for migrants
Admission rates of upper-secondary VET applications 2016-17
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Finnishmothertongue
Swedishmothertongue
Othermothertongue
Native
Migrantbackground
Native
Native-bornwithmigrantparents
Foreign-born
Native
Native-bornwithmigrantparents
Foreign-born
Finland, VET Germany, VET Norway, apprenticeship Sweden, VET

26. Migrant VET graduates are less likely to have gained
work experience during upper-secondary VET
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Native EU-28 born Non EU-28 born Foreign-born
Share of upper-secondary VET graduates who had no work experience
during the course of upper-secondary VET, 2016

27. Migrant graduates are less likely to be engaged in
work-based learning during VET

28. • Recommendation
– Reduce entry barriers by offering flexible modes of VET
provision and by allowing legal flexibility
– Better match young migrants and refugees to VET opportunities
by considering VET and labour market needs, geographical
mismatch and avoiding concentrations of vulnerable young migrants
including refugees and asylum seekers in disadvantaged schools.
– Promote intermediary bodies and mechanisms to help build
networks and contacts between young migrants and local employers.
Key message 3:
Enable easier access to upper-secondary VET

29. • Challenge
– Migrant students are less successful in completing upper-secondary VET
– Higher dropout among migrants is more problematic for work-based
provision as the productive value of the trainee emerges towards the end
of an apprenticeship
– Migrants in VET are often still struggling with academic proficiency or
relevant skills
– In some countries, students face difficulty in securing training placements
during VET
– Weak connections between schools and workplaces contribute to dropout
– Immediate needs may compel migrant learners to enter work rather than
VET
Key message 4:
Support to complete upper-secondary VET

30. Completion rates in VET are lower among students
with migrant backgrounds (different cohort years)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Finland Norway Sweden Germany France Switzerland
(EFZ-3)
Switzerland
(EFZ-4)
Native Migrant background Gap (percentage point)

31. Higher shares of migrant students perform paid work
than native students in many OECD countries (PISA)
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Natives Migrants Difference between migrant and native students

32. Migrant VET graduates are more likely to have gained work
experience outside of the VET curriculum than native peers
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Native-born
Part of VET Out of VET
Part of VET (average) Out of VET (average)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Foreign-born
Part of VET Out of VET
Part of VET (average) Out of VET (average)

33. • Recommendation
– In schools, support young migrants and refugees during VET
to address weaker academic proficiency or relevant skills.
Ensure a good learning experience in VET schools through
mentors, coaches and other support mechanisms.
– In workplaces, strengthen support during work-based
learning for migrant VET learners, including apprentices, and
employers.
– Increase productive connections and interaction
between VET school and training companies.
Key message 4:
Support completion of upper-secondary VET

34. VET designed for lower performing students with support
measures may facilitate completion for migrant students
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
EBA (2-year) EFZ (3-year) EFZ (4-year)
Native Migrant background Gap (percentage point)
Share (%) of students who completed upper-secondary VET with an expected qualification, 2012 cohort from Switzerland, 2017

35. • Challenge:
– VET systems are complex, involving a wide range of stakeholders
and policies
– Adding an additional layer of complexity in terms of provision for
migrants and refugees can highlight existing or new governance
challenges
– Design, delivery and management of VET requires coordination
among stakeholders, more so for migrants and refugees
– Responding effectively to the challenge presented by migrants in
general, and humanitarian migrants in particular, may require new
approaches and more investment
Key message 5: Build strong, flexible and
inclusive VET systems that works for all

36. • Recommendation
– Build a flexible and permeable VET system and programmes, and if
needed make adaptions in order to build seamless pathways for migrants
and refugees between preparatory programmes, upper-secondary VET
and adult VET.
– Build long-term national strategies to enhance a whole-of-
government approaches to VET management for migrants and refugees,
considering that integration takes time.
– Actively involve and co-ordinate relevant stakeholders in the
design of the VET system and programmes as well as in the delivery of
VET programmes and support services. Engage social partners throughout
the integration process through VET. Promote peer learning across all
levels of government as well as with other stakeholders.
Key message 5: Build strong, flexible and
inclusive VET systems that works for all

37. Cite this content as:
Jeon, S. (2019), Unlocking The Potential Of Migrants: Cross-country Analysis,
OECD Reviews Of Vocational Education And Training, OECD Publishing, Paris,
Https://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1787/045be9b0-en
See also:
Bergseng, B., E. Degler And S. Lüthi (2019), Unlocking The Potential Of Migrants
In Germany, OECD Reviews Of Vocational Education And Training, OECD
Publishing, Paris, Https://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1787/82ccc2a3-en.
Kuczera, M. and S. Jeon (2019), Vocational Education and Training in Sweden,
OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training, OECD Publishing, Paris,
https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/g2g9fac5-en.
Lüthi, S. (forthcoming), “Unlocking the potential of migrants through vocational
education and training - Country note: Switzerland”, OECD Social, Employment
and Migration Working Papers, OECD Publishing, Paris.