Summary
The project focuses on analysing and improving the current procedures for recognising qualifications in regulated non-academic professions in Austria. Two case studies will be conducted as part of the project to illustrate practical challenges and approaches: nursing and early childhood education (ECE). Both are sectors facing critical labour shortages and align with qualifications held by a number of refugees in Austria. The project further identifies examples of promising practices from Austria, Finland, and Germany, using these insights to develop specific recommendations for competence-based recognition procedures in Austria. The goal is to support the professional integration of migrants in Austria and at the same time improve the labour market’s access to existing talent pools in the country.
Background
Throughout the past ten years, Austria has seen a significant number of third-country nationals entering the country outside of dedicated labour mobility programs, most notably as refugees from Ukraine and the MENA region. Many of those migrants have obtained professional qualifications and experience and gained skills before coming to Austria. At the same time the Austrian labour market is facing a shortage of qualified workers.
Barriers to the recognition of professional qualifications and skills arise particularly in non-academic regulated professions such as early childhood education and nursing (ECE). In Austria, such professions typically require several years of formal vocational training and the successful completion of a final examination. Without formal recognition of qualifications, employment at the appropriate level and salary is not permitted. Therefore, innovative, competence-based recognition systems that also account for professional experience are particularly needed in regulated professions experiencing severe labour shortages, including early childhood education and nursing.
Project Objectives
1) Analyse the current situation of recognition procedures for nursing and ECE professions
- Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature, publications, projects, and policy initiatives on the recognition of non-academic qualifications in Austria
- Carry out expert interviews and interviews with migrants undergoing a procedure for the recognition of their qualifications
2) Identify promising practices in the evaluation of competences and skills
- Provide detailed description of evaluation procedures and assess their transferability to the Austrian context
3) Develop policy recommendations for reformed recognition procedures in non-academic nursing and ECE professions
