From Migration to Labour Market Integration

Labour market access depends on various circumstances, such as housing, health, education, … If we want young migrants to participate in our economy, we will not only have to invest in education and labour, but also in mental health, housing, … This requires a broad, integral view.

This conference stems from recent research on integration of foreign-speaking newcomers into the Flemish labour market. In the public debate, research and policy, more and more attention is paid to the relation between social integration of migrants and inclusive employment. We observe that the employment rate of newcomers is increasing more strongly than that of people of local origin. Nevertheless, we don’t seem to succeed in making the regular labour system more social. Foreign-speaking newcomers have structurally less chance of finding stable, qualitative employment. How can we tackle the problem of exclusion of considerable groups of people, more specifically, people with a migration background?

At this event we will bring together civil society, scholars and experts by experience, to reflect on ways to optimize chances on employment for this group. We will challenge existing structures such as subsidizing, target group policy and legislation.

More information in Dutch

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