The consultation held between European and Indian business is a first step towards building capacity of employers’ organizations in the EU-India corridor for developing their stake in migration. It was held in conjunction with the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the ILO’s International Training Centre (ITC), Turin.

The consultation addressed the challenges faced by employers, enlisted their priorities and solutions needed to foster migration so as to addresses labour gaps.

Participants also highlighted the shortage of talent and skills initiatives in different member states in EU. A need for having access to different networks along with the business and training opportunities as there are several challenges in implementation. Participants expressed that it was an opportunity to understand the perspective of different stakeholders on the mobility and skills requirement in Europe.

Following were the recommendations from the consultation – a) developing a balanced skill-related migration framework b) simplifying administrative process, c) creating attractive national institutions, d) conducting realistic labour market research and e) strengthening public private engagement on migration issues. These recommendations will be used to strengthen the business case for migration by employers, as well as inform further policy and research.

The meeting was attended by more than 30 participants, including Employers, Government, Civil Society organizations and Research organizations.

Representatives from Government of India and European Union were present at the meeting.