Despite significant recent progress, notably due to renewed and strengthened public policies, the OECD-EU indicators of immigrant integration have shown that skilled immigrants face important obstacles to find employment, and gaps are particularly large for those who are trained abroad. For those who manage to find a job, the incidence of over-qualification is twice as high than for native-born. A substantial part of the difference is due to uncertainty about the equivalence and transferability of foreign qualifications and skills. In this context, the recognition of foreign skills is essential for immigrants’ labour market integration. Furthermore, facilitated access to information on recognition simplifies the orientation of individuals and validation procedures.

In reaction to the large inflow of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, the French Ministry of the Interior and Overseas has requested the support of the European Commission for a preliminary analysis to study and compare the relevance of digital one-stop-shop solutions and for recommendations on the current system of recognition of qualifications, drawing from the experience of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine who wish to have their foreign skills and qualifications assessed. This analysis could also serve as a pilot for other third-country nationals seeking credential assessment.

The objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the set of digital or physical tools available to beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine and other third-country nationals who wish to study or work in France alongside recommendations to improve existing processes for the assessment, recognition and validation of foreign skills and qualifications. The longer-term objective is to make the process more transparent, faster, less costly, and more accessible.

The project had two phases - a diagnostic phase and a recommendation phase - and ran for 12 months with a final conference in February 2024.

The first phase included the identification of key stakeholders, a mapping of existing frameworks in France, and the identification of good practices in other European and OECD countries to draw inspiration from possible good practices. The OECD also drafted a gap analysis and broad estimation of the cost of non-recognition of foreign skills and qualifications to better understand the possible benefits from improved recognition. This first phase ended with two interactive workshops on French and international initiatives.

The second phase, dedicated to the development of recommendations for the improvement of the French framework for the assessment, recognition and validation of foreign skills and qualifications, built on the work of the first phase and on consultations organised with the main stakeholders.

The work carried out within this project was based on a combination of extensive desk research and exchanges with stakeholders through individual consultations and interactive workshops. In these meetings and events, key stakeholders were invited to share their experiences and the challenges they face in practice and were involved in the reflections around possible solutions.

OECD – International Migration Division

Jean-Christophe Dumont - Jean-Christophe.Dumont@oecd.org  

Thomas Liebig - Thomas.Liebig@oecd.org   

Improving the assessment, recognition and validation of qualifications and skills of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine in France - Final report

Améliorer l'évaluation, la reconnaissance et la validation des qualifications et des compétences des BPT d'Ukraine en France - Rapport final